Teens and college students are typically ignored by hospital marketers. That is quickly coming to an end, thanks to the rise of social media designed to build reputations that last a lifetime.
Think about it: Teens spend about 6.5 hours interacting with media daily, according to a recent report by Common Sense Media. While their attention span is distracted, they are paying attention to the people who work to build relationships with them. Witness the rise of the YouTuber and the popularity of Snapchat.
Why should a hospital or healthcare marketer engage? Because teens are influencing their parents’ decisions and building opinions about brands. It’s time to jump in and build a strategy for them.
How to Engage Teens and College Students on Social Media
The two best channels for engaging these age groups are Instagram and Snapchat. As of 2015, 61% of U.S. teen girls use Instagram, as do 44% of U.S. teen boys. 41% of teens are using Snapchat, and those numbers will continue to rise. Even more telling, the highest percentage of teens using Snapchat are those aged 15-17—including young women who are getting ready to make health decisions!
Both platforms are also designed for short, quick-bursts of information—just the right bite-sized content these groups like to consume.
With that in mind, here are some potential campaigns to think about:
- Health Education: Teens are confused about health issues and may not want to talk to their parents about sex, body changes, smoking and drugs. Healthcare marketers who want to build relationships with teens and young adults may want to think about Snapchat campaigns that give teens and college students valuable information about these issues.
- Nutrition: There is probably no health issue out there right now that is more confusing to all Americans—not just teens! Both Instagram and Snapchat are fabulous platforms to talk about food and nutrition. Building brand awareness through a nutrition channel on one of these platforms will win you follows, likes and a future consumer. And chances are, your advice may bleed up to their parents, who hold those ever-important health insurance cards.
- Stress and life transitions: College students growing up today feel tremendous stress—according to one study, 85% of them reported feeling depressed at some point. Their needs in stress reduction are unique—they are juggling classes, major life choices and sensitive relationship decisions. What about a campaign that directly addresses their feelings about stress and transition?
Using these platforms to talk to an ignored population about their specific needs is a long-term strategy, but one that will pay off. It’s the classic content marketing tactic: Form a relationship over the long term by building trust and brand awareness, not by selling. Just be sure to pick a topic of great curiosity and interest to these age groups and direct it toward them with empathy.
You can also reuse that content on Facebook to educate parents about these issues as well. Sparking conversations between these two populations will help strengthen brand awareness and make your health system the first choice when an immediate health situation presents itself.
Why Your Hospital Should Be on Snapchat
Snapchat, chatbots, Facebook Live…is your hospital ready?
After you read our ebook, you will be.
We’ve interviewed 10 healthcare social media rock stars and asked them what keeps them up at night—and what makes them excited to go to work the next day. You’ll learn to create click-worthy tweets, why you need to pay more attention to YouTube and discover an Instagram strategy that works for you.
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Our Rock Stars
In this ebook you will meet our healthcare social media rock stars, including:
- Alexandra Tursi, The University of Vermont Medical Center
- Amanda Todorovich, Cleveland Clinic
- Ashley Dinielli, UCLA Health
- Chris Sullivan, UVA Health System
- Cynthia Floyd Manley, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Dan Hinmon, Hive Strategies & Mayo Clinic Social Media Network
- Ed Bennett, Ed Bennett Consulting
- Emily Stieber, Henry Ford Health System
- Nancy Jean, Lifespan
- Wendy Wilson, Geisinger Health System
They answer important questions, including:
- Is Facebook still king?
- Is Snapchat a reality for hospitals?
- Will video and live streaming make a dent?
Download the ebook now to find out the answers to these and other pressing social media questions.
Download 10 Healthcare Social Media Rock Stars Share Their Best Tips.
