Social media is a powerful tool that can be a double-edged sword for hospitals. Provide too much information and your content can be interpreted as boring or too technical. Then if your hospital is a social media hermit, you risk not staying top of mind in your community. We will discuss 3 tips that you should follow:
Use Visual Mediums
Use brief announcements, or mimes (pictures with a message), and video on social media to market your hospital. Public health messages sponsored by your hospital can keep your name in mind while also helping the population at large maintain good health.
Utilize Health Themes
An example would be a "Heart Healthy" theme. You could help people avoid a visit to the hospital by taking care of their hearts. Highlight a heart healthy makeover of a typical American meal. Suggest walking up the stairs instead of using the elevator. Furthermore, you could post reminders of each month's health theme. For example, "May is mental health month -- call a friend you haven't talked to in a while." Studies show that social contact boosts everyone's mood. So does laughter. Try to put a smile on someone's face today. Or, encourage your fans to volunteer at a senior center or homeless shelter.
Use Cross Promotion
Cross promote to show your hospital is active in the community and up with the latest trends. Advertise discounts at local hotels for family members while you are receiving care. Encourage people to donate blood. Provide discounts on fitness tracking bracelets to track your activity and nutrition. Demonstrate that you can integrate with phone apps that track medical information and care - diabetes tracking, heart rate monitoring, ear infections, etc. This is powerful and grows a network throughout your online and offline communities.
By using these 3 guidelines, you can see enormous results in your social media efforts.
