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Empowering Providers and Health Care Leadership to Be Your Best Brand Advocates

By The SHSMD Team posted 03-09-2020 04:42 PM

  
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By The SHSMD Team

Social media is becoming a key component of health care marketing. According to Claire Simmons, director of clinical communications at Atrium Health, 40 percent of individuals choose their physician based on social media influence. Yet, many providers and those in senior leadership are reluctant to participate in this type of marketing strategy.

“When it comes to health care in particular, to our beloved doctors, it still feels a little bit new and it's not quite as prestigious as some of the other things they have been asked to train and implement,” stated Simmons. “And, let's be real, a lot of times they think, ‘this is something my teenagers do, why should I do it?’”

The reality is, social media marketing is a proven method for driving volume, expanding reach and improving upon an organization’s reputation. “It's a business tool, just like investing in new technology or hiring someone to be a part of the medical team. This is just as important,” added Simmons.

CEE Method: Connect, Engage and Empower

Simmons and her colleagues aim to incorporate the “CEE” method, which stands for connect, engage and empower. The goal is for corporate communications and marketing teams to convince frontline providers and senior leadership the value of social media, as well as to get them to engage on a consistent basis.

One of the most influential tools for demonstrating to providers and leadership the benefits of social media is engagement metrics. “They love data, they love research. And nobody can debate that,” shared Simmons.

Why Comprehensive Guidance Is So Important

Two additional adoption strategies are consistent communication and proper training. Per Simmons, one of the biggest mistakes is to lead a training and then simply say “good luck.”

“That's where having a really good communications and marketing team to support with content is crucial. A doctor's main job is to provide patient care. Our main job is to provide good content, and we know what sells. We like inspirational, motivational, aspirational – something shareable that grabs attention,” she explained. “It's not their job to figure out what that is. But, if we can give it to them and work with them to find amazing stories in those little nuggets of information, we can help them be successful. It's our job to partner with them. It's a two-way street. We can't rely on them to do it on their own.”

Simmons advised face-to-face training settings, where marketing team members can guide participants through the steps – from setting up Twitter handles to taking profile photos right then and there. She also suggested making the process fun; perhaps incorporating mini-contests to encourage them along the way.

Automation is also an effective approach. Simmons and her team use varying tools and technologies to make it easier on users. “With the click of a button, boom, they are sharing on their networks,” she noted. “Utilize that [technology] to make things as easy as possible, so in their minds they're not thinking, ‘this is an extra to-do. I don’t have time for this.’”

To access more helpful information like this on social media for health care marketing and communications, please check out our podcast series and conference session recordings.
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