5 Hospitals Crushing it on Social Media

Is someone searching your hospital on social media going to be wowed by what they find — the warmth, reassurance and sparkling personality?

If the answer is no — fret not, we’re here for you! These social media tips for hospital marketers will help you power up your social channels and attract new consumers.

And if the answer is yes — congrats! But we’ll bet you can still find some helpful tips here to help you go even further with social.

Show the Personality Behind the Hospital

Finding quality content to post probably isn’t an issue: Delight potential patients with a video of a pediatrician performing magic tricks. Inspire them with the cafeteria’s healthy Taco Tuesday options. Move them to tears with a patient testimonial.

But do you know the best ways to showcase and amplify this content? To help your content reach its potential, Ahava Leibtag, our founder and president, hosted a healthcare marketing webinar: “Cure Social Media Fatigue: 2019 Trends in Healthcare.”

Here’s a sampling of the takeaways.

Watch the webinar or email info@ahamediagroup for the slides.

Focus on patients

Let your staff’s passion for their patients shine through in your social channels. Highlight inspiring stories and meaningful interactions.

And focus on everyday encounters, not just lifesaving moments.

For instance, we love this post from @UCLAHealth’s Instagram that highlights the volunteers who knit hats for newborns. (It is scientifically proven that no one, absolutely no one, can withstand an adorable newborn in a knit hat.)

Right back @you: And keep tabs on mentions of your hospital. You’ll want to share any positive stories that patients are posting about your organization or staff.

Here are more ways to make an impact using patient stories.

Hospital doing it well: UCSF Medical Center

Take advantage of video

Video remains a top way to connect with patients on nearly every social channel:

• Facebook videos get 59% more engagement than other posts (BuzzSumo).
• On Twitter, a video is 6 times more likely to be retweeted than a photo (Hubspot).

And of course, you can post on YouTube, the granddaddy social channel of video.

Video lets you take potential patients inside the hospital. Show them what they can expect during treatment. Or virtually introduce them to the talented, compassionate staff that will be caring for them.

Need ideas? Here are 4 ways to add video to your marketing strategy.

Hospital doing it well: Northwell Heath

 

Start using Instagram Stories

Stories (available on Facebook too) are a great way to get your content in front of an audience:

• 61% of marketers plan to invest more money in Stories ads in 2019, according to Buffer’s State of Social Report.
• 1/3 of the most viewed Stories on Instagram are from brands, according to Instagram’s blog.

We also love Stories for hospital social media because they’re:

• Visible all day: Don’t worry about the ideal time to post. Stories are shown for 24 hours.
• Downloadable: You can download your Stories to use on other platforms or in other pieces of content.
• Discoverable: You know how you see Stories from people or brands you don’t follow? That means potential patients may see yours.

If you’re not sure where to get started, here are 5 ways to build a content strategy for Instagram.

Hospital doing it well: Cleveland Clinic

 

Research before you write

It always comes back to homework, doesn’t it?

• Keyword research helps ensure you’re following SEO best practices so your content (such as your Pinterest board descriptions) shows up in search.
• Keyword-rich transcripts of YouTube videos help people find your videos as well.
• Hashtag tools like RiteTag and me help you zone in on the right hashtags for each post. Because while #FunnyHashtagsAreCute (go ahead and use them!) — they won’t help people discover you.
• Share content from reputable sources while you’re doing your research.

Hospital doing it well: Boston Children’s Hospital

 

Include a clear call to action (CTA)

Ready to pat yourself on the back for using Stories, creating video and finding the perfect hashtags? We want to high-five you too!

But first, make sure you include a strong CTA on your posts.

Where you lead, they will follow you: Share that moving patient story or that cute picture of the therapy dogs. But lead followers somewhere afterward.

Do you want them to sign up for your newsletter? Make an appointment? Visit your website? There’s a good chance they will if your content spoke to them. However, without a CTA, scrolling on by (bye-bye!) is guaranteed.

Need help writing a strong CTA? Try these 5 tips for crafting a compelling CTA.

Hospital doing it well: Cedars-Sinai

Make Your Hospital’s Social Accounts Healthier

Suspect your hospital’s social media accounts could use a check-up? Watch our recent webinar, “Cure Social Media Fatigue: 2019 Trends in Healthcare” or email us at info@ahamediagroup.com for the slides.

In the webinar, Ahava provides:

• Do’s and don’ts for every social media channel
• Plenty of examples from real hospitals
• 3 easy workarounds for adding links to Instagram posts

Want More on Hospital Marketing?

Get the eBook