Marketing

Developing efficient ways to network and communicate with the general public, current and former patients and their families, and healthcare providers will become even more important in the months and years ahead thanks to the Affordable Care Act. The law's emphasis on preventive care and the anticipated crush of newly insured patients will require a lot of proactive, efficient outreach.
Reaching out through social media - becoming a trusted source of information - can help your hospital stand apart from the rest as an interactive member of the community.
Through social media, you can share information about new therapies and medical equipment, reminders for screenings and other preventive measures, and announcements of seminars and workshops. The public will appreciate plain-language explanations as laws change, and tips to help them navigate the increasingly complex healthcare system.
But remember - social media users connect with personalities, not storefronts. They warm to human beings. Posts about day-to-day goings-on such as milestone celebrations, that bird's nest spotted on a windowsill, and the cafeteria's delicious new meatloaf recipe can all help give your hospital a human face.
First, it's important to establish a policy covering everything from acceptable content to how you'll respond to negative comments to what can be shown in photographs. The American Medical Association and the Federation of State Medical Boards have both issued guidelines to help physicians avoid censure, awkward situations and conflicts of interest caused by posting the wrong content online. Hospitals can look to these for guidance.
The AMA policy, adopted in 2010, warns physicians not to post any identifiable patient information to avoid federal privacy violations. The FSMB policy, adopted in May 2012, further refines that: No photos of patients, no mentioning room numbers, no referring to patients by code names.
Who will be responsible for maintaining the voice of the hospital? How will you monitor for and react to negative comments? What policies will you institute for employees to respond or comment? Will you require them to sign an agreement to abide by those policies when posting on the hospital's social media platforms?
For help establishing policies and using social media tools, consider becoming a member of the Social Media Health Network created by the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media. It provides resources for learning, including monthly webinars and the Social Media Residency Program, which offers hands-on instruction. If your hospital is just beginning to use social media, you'll benefit from the experience of fellow members.
You'll want to start with at least two networking sites - more is better! The four most popular are Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn. Here are a few tips for using these networks:
People will follow you only if your content is informative or entertaining so don't use your network simply to advertise your hospital. Look for ways to provide information people may not find anywhere else.
Respond to comments and questions in a timely fashion. It can be as simple as a "thank you." If you don't respond, your followers will quickly realize no one's really "there" and they'll quit coming back.
Look for helpful, timely news stories to link to, such as new medical studies. When posting a link to an article, don't simply post the link. Add a personal comment, such as, "This is an interesting new weight-loss study that should help anyone who hates dieting." People can find those articles themselves - what they value is your take on them.
On Twitter, follow nearly as many people as the number following you. It's all about sharing.
Photographs always draw attention, so use them as often as possible. People love visuals!
So what's the takeaway?
Social media is the present and the future of healthcare marketing. If you don't already have a presence, now is the time to start building one.