The changing landscape of hospital and healthcare and their marketing strategy has evolved in the past few years. Hospital marketers now use social media as a tool for connecting with consumers, and healthcare practices are beginning to use social marketing to reach out to their patients and potential patients. Online marketing is a binding and huge opportunity to reach new patients and grow your healthcare practice.
It has become important to find effective ways of communicating with patients outside of clinical settings, through newer media channels for various other purposes like- to increase market share, increase profitability, keep a track of competitors, and most of all, engage with patients that is- a one to one connectivity.
Benefits of efficient hospital marketing :
- Enhanced reputation and brand building
- Extending engagement, loyalty and referrals
- Providing health and healthy-living information
- Crisis communications
- Shaping patient expectations and experience to provide patient satisfaction
- Reduced costs through advertising budgets
- Transparency about the quality of healthcare and patient safety
The health, medical, and wellness industry has been a tad behind because of its reluctance in adopting the social media campaigns. As a result, doctors, medical device manufacturers, medical institutions, and health clubs are losing a major source of clients .
Challenges to hospital marketing
The healthcare industry sometimes faces some major problems. Some unique roadblocks health marketers face when it comes to participation in social media is:
- Few healthcare industries are not familiar with Online Marketing automation and therefore rely on other conventional methods.
- Fear that customer or client privacy and security may be harmed through social media.
- Uncertainty and rapid changes in health care marketing.
- It’s no longer enough to communicate to the masses. One must also meet the patient’s need on an individual basis.
- Challenges in making a positive impact of the image and reputation of their brand.
Essential Strategies to market hospital and healthcare through social media:
Live blogging and tweeting: Through media marketing, health marketers can raise public awareness and excitement for a healthcare organization.
Mainstream Reach: Marketers can use social media channels for blogs, micro-blogs, forums, etc. to share success stories regarding operations, treatments, medical research and significant achievements.
Engage patients and physicians: Create a link between the patients and physicians by collecting feedback and in addition, to interest potential customers.
Communicate in times of crisis: Whenever a disaster strikes, be it a flood, earthquake, or diseases outburst, be at the centre of all!
Provide accurate information to patients: Organizations can share accurate, timely information regarding diseases, medications, treatments and qualified medical personnel.
Relationship transparency: Consumers prioritize safe, high-quality, effective care. Demand for transparent care quality information online is rising quickly. Emphasise quality measures that directly relate to patient outcomes.
Studies have showed most hospitals have adopted to at least one social media platform. Through networking, health marketers transform from misfits to fit bits! Marketers consider all aspects including healthcare delivery, prescribed drugs, non-prescribed drugs, generics, health centres, pharma markets, cosmetics, telemedicine, and much more. Find the right way to market your hospital or hospital system!
