17

Apr. ’12

Creating a Successful Healthcare Social Media Campaign

Creating a successful healthcare social media campaign is no different than creating a social campaign for just about any other business. While it will have to be tweaked as you are dealing with healthcare issues the goals remain the same. These goals usually consist of communicating with your current customers, driving new customers to your business and raising your brand awareness.

Using expert web design companies to consult on your social media is good idea to make sure you get the right message out in the right way. Here are a few tips on how to run a Healthcare social media campaign that will make your practice or hospital jump to the top of the heap:

Publicize an Event – Using social media to publicize an event your clinic or hospital has coming up is a great way to draw in more participants. Health related events like high blood pressure clinics or pre-natal care groups are easily highlighted with a tweet or post on your Facebook page. Use Twitter to send out a quick message about your event and direct them to your Facebook page for more details. As your patients and clients spread the word to their social networks you will see your attendance explode.

Patient Groups – Getting patients together that have similar conditions is a great way for patients to ask questions about how they are feeling and symptoms they might be experiencing. It can be a great way to get expectant mothers together so they can talk about what to expect as their pregnancy continues and any other issues that might come up. Keeping expectant mothers engaged and aware of their pre-natal care is a huge benefit. Setting up a Facebook page and group for these clients is an excellent way to benefit your patients.

Media Attention – Most journalists are using social media these days and getting their attention via Facebook or Twitter is a great way to get nationwide coverage of your hospital or clinic. You can also use your blog to bring issues that are important to your patients to the attention of other healthcare professionals and industry experts. A blog is a good way to educate your patients and clients about new techniques and medications that are coming to market as well. Having a blog is a great way to establish expertise and attract the mainstream media.

Podcasts and Videos – Using podcasts and videos to explain more minor medical issues or discuss lifestyle changes can be a great way to reach a lot of people without spending a fortune. The videos and podcasts can help your patients become healthier which in the end will lower visits as well as insurance costs. Using your Facebook page and Twitter to promote your podcasts and alert your followers to new ones will expand the circle of people that see them.

Creating a successful social campaign does not have to be difficult but in many ways it is often best left to a professional. Hiring the best web designers Milwaukee, WI

to help you create your website and social media campaigns is a great way to ensure

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15

Mar. ’12

Healthcare and the Importance of Social Media

Social Media is everywhere these days and the healthcare industry is starting to get invested. While many health care providers, hospitals, and insurance companies have gotten in the game there are still are many hospitals still sitting on the sidelines which is a mistake. Social media can have a huge effect on healthcare providers located in Madison, WI an across the country. Here are just a few ways that social media can be used by insurers, hospitals and doctors:

Events – Social media like Twitter and Facebook are great ways to let your patients or customers know about upcoming events. These events could range from fundraisers to flu shot clinics to the schedule of the blood mobile. Sending out a short tweet with the details and a link to your site or Facebook page that has more in-depth information is a great way to keep in touch with patients and an easy way to remind them about important events.

Health Reminders – Social Media can be a great way to make your customers or patients aware of health issues. If you are having a clinic on how to keep your heart healthy or free blood pressure checks this is a good way to remind your clients about certain health issues. This can help prevent disease and catch things before they get out of control and the costs really go up. Using tweets to remind expectant mothers about prenatal care can save money and prevent premature babies, it’s a win-win for everyone.

Fundraising – This can be a great way to make people aware of your fundraising efforts. If you are having a silent auction you can tweet about the latest items up for bid. Fundraising dinners or luncheons can be announced on your Facebook page or by Twitter; it is even possible for people to RSVP via your social media pages.

Managing Your Social Media – Once you have jumped in to the social media world you will quickly realize that it is a full time job. Keeping your Facebook page up to date, responding to Tweets and joining conversations can take a tremendous amount of time. In many cases it is better to outsource your social media management to a third party company like Austin Web Designers. These companies will take the information you send them and make sure your network is aware of what is going on at your clinic or hospital.

Consultants – If you want to keep control of your social network in house you might want to consider hiring a consultant to train a staff member to take over your social networking duties. Mayo Clinic which is one of the leaders in the social networking field for healthcare providers has started a consulting arm that helps hospitals and

healthcare providers take advantage of social media. They can help train your staff on the advantages of using social media and how to make the most of your existing social media. If Mayo is too expensive you may want to search web design companies Milwaukee to find a local shop that can help you up your social media game.

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25

Feb. ’12

Should Private Practices be Using Social Media?

Many doctors that own a small private practice are wondering, should I be using social media? The answer is a resounding yes. Healthcare is a great industry to use social media and it can grow your practice as well as make your clients healthier and it might even help free up your schedule a bit. Here are a few ways that you can use social media in your small private practice:

Health Tips – Keeping your patients healthy is your main goal as a doctor. Letting your patients know about ways to stay healthier can be a great way to cut down on office visits and keep them healthy. You might Tweet about flu shots when the season starts or heart healthy foods to your patients that have heart issues. You might give your patients the option of receiving a variety of different Tweet messages that are broken down by topics or health issues.

Practice Info – You can use your Facebook page and Twitter account to keep your patients up to date on your practice. If you are going to be closed for the holidays or are bringing on a new doctor or nurse you can let you patients know with a quick update. Your patients will appreciate the update and you don’t have to worry about people showing up at your closed office.

Blog – You should set up a blog on your website that you hired web design companies to build. You can use your blog to talk about general health problems and what can be done to prevent or treat them. Introducing new drugs is a great way to use your blog, if a new treatment is hitting the market many of your patients might be interested. You can also talk to them about new procedures that your practice is offering. It is important that you don’ t constantly market on your blog. Be sure to offer your patients advice that is useful to them and not a constant barrage of marketing.

Events – If your practice is offering free blood pressure test or discounted flu shots you should send out a Tweet to alert your patients. A heart healthy workshop or a local lecture from a heart specialist is another reason to reach out to your patients. You can use Facebook or Twitter to let them know about upcoming events that might be of interest to them.

Don’t Over Do It – One of the most important things in social media is to keep your posts and tweets to the point and interesting to your audience. Do not go overboard and barrage them with a dozen messages a day.

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01

Jan. ’12

Selling Ultrasound Equipment with Social Media

Selling ultrasound equipment is tough. There are many resellers in most markets and a few national retailers make it difficult to compete on price. If you own a small ultrasound or medical equipment business you need to take any advantage that comes your way. Using social media to help you keep in touch with your customers and draw in new clients is an excellent way to expand your business. Following are a few tips on how to make use of social networks to help sell GE Ultrasound and other medical equipment:

Facebook – Use this site to keep your clients aware of what is going on in your business and the medical imaging world in general. Status updates can alert customers to sales, or specials that you are running on installation or repairs. When a new Siemens Ultrasound model hits the market you can let your customers know via a status update on your Facebook page. Be sure to ask your current clients to like your Facebook page and make their social network aware of your page, you never know who will be in the market for medical equipment.

Twitter – This social networking medium is an excellent way to send out a quick bit of information with a link to your website or blog for more detailed information. Linking to medical articles that are relevant to your customers needs is a great way to use Twitter and show your clients that you are always looking out for their best interest. While it can be tempting to send out a Tweet everyday, don’t over do it. The last thing you want is your clients ignoring your Tweets because they are getting too many.

Website – You need to have a website. You should have one that is professionally designed and that is updated on regular basis. It should be interactive and let potential customers browse your product line and get answers to the questions they have about new and Used Ultrasound equipment. Customers should be able to schedule service and repairs through your site and chat live with a salesperson if they questions.

Search engine optimization is important and is a chore that should often be outsourced to a professional. You want to be sure that your site ranks high in search results and this will require some linking articles as well as constant updates to your site and blog that will put it at the top of search results. This is tedious work and SEO is a bit of an art form so hiring a professional is something that you should give some serious thought.

Blog – A blog is a nice addition to a website letting you make your current customers aware of the latest trends in the industry as well as new models that are hitting the market. You can offer advice on how to use and maintain their equipment as well as new technology that might be a better fit for their patient load. A blog not only gives your current customers a reason to return to your site but also can help with search engine optimization which will push your site higher in Google search results.

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