Junto ("june-toe") is sponsored by Franklin Street, a branding and full service advertising agency specializing in health and wellness. We call the blog Junto in homage to Benjamin Franklin, who created the first "Junto" brainstorming group, which established the first American public hospital.
Naturally, we are all about the collision of healthcare and social media. So we couldn’t help but pick the brain of this week’s guest contributor, Reed Smith, an interactive healthcare consultant. Reed works closely with hospitals to weave social media strategy into overall marketing communications. Check out the conversation our own Stephen Moegling had with Reed recently on social media and healthcare.
SM: Your blog is called I am Reed Smith. So, tell us: Who is Reed Smith?
RS: You know I get asked that quite a bit! It’s funny, when you work in the space I do people have a hard time understanding how/why hospitals use social media. The next question is how did I end up doing this for a living? I spent several years as a hospital marketing director here in Texas then working for the Texas Hospital Association. I have always loved the web and new technologies, and while working at THA I produced a social media guide for hospitals. Doing this afforded me the opportunity to jump out on my own and now I spend all my time consulting hospitals on the use of social media and new technologies in the areas of communications, patient care, and physician relations. It is a blast and I feel very fortunate that I get to do what I love daily.
SM: What’s #1 thing you think healthcare providers should STOP doing with social media?
RS: Making excuses – I think we have an opportunity to really impact patient care and even access to care. Keeping our heads in the sand and doing the same things the same ways year after year only does a disservice to our institutions. We have a way to radically chance the game… We have the tools at our disposal to connect with consumers (patients, their families, and physicians) and have a meaningful dialogue. Patients are doing this more and more with each other, now hospitals need to get in the game. Of course some early adopters do this better than others but for the most part the industry is still very much behind the curve.
SM: What’s #1 thing you wish healthcare providers should START doing with social media?
RS: Monitor and Measure – I know this is really two things but for so long we have just resided in this space. Which being there and figuring all this out is a big step but it is now more important than ever that we spend time monitoring the existing conversations and measuring our activities. As spending continues to get cut we as marketers need to become diligent about ROI. As Chris Boyer would say financial ROI not friends, fans, and followers. Not that it is bad to keep track of your audience, but connecting our efforts in social media to money is a must. If we don’t I am sure someone in finance will, so do it proactively.
SM: How do you convince the C-suite that social media is a good investment for healthcare?
RS: Honestly, we have to make a business case for social. We have to stop looking at social media as a strategy and start incorporating these social tactics into existing growth strategies. Internal surveys may show that social is a great tool for internal communications. Weigh that against what is spent on printing for internal communications. Use simple tools like Google’s URL builder to track traffic from paid media vs. social media and see what cost savings can be accomplished. Ultimately, like most initiatives, success is driven from the top. I would encourage everyone to have a conversation with their CEO about social and understand the concerns, wants, desires, etc… This will go a long way.
SM: We love your Expert Interview series, but it’s time for you to be in the hot seat. So tell us, what is your favorite new app or device?
RS: My favorite new app is probably Instant Heart Rate by Azumio. Very cool example of how technology meets healthcare.
SM: Alright, time to get real. At Franklin Street, we love music. What one song pumps you up before the big presentation?
RS: That is great question… Right now I would probably say: “Say it Ain’t So” by Weezer
We are big believers in the power of digital media. Facebook and Twitter deserve most of the attention they seem to be garnering these days. Yes, digital marketing is the fastest growing segment in the advertising realm. However, in a world of social networks, infographics and Likes, we feel the need to defend the classic marketing medium: Television.
Demand for national cable TV advertising is up about 8% compared with last year.
Omnicom Group Inc. surveyed 1,500 consumers in the U.S., China, Russia, the U.K. and Saudi Arabia and found that “TV is a rich, powerful medium and advertisers should continue to be making great ads for it.”
According to Jonathan Barnard, ZenithOptimedia’s head of forecasting, “TV ads will account for 42 percent of the $216 billion ad market by 2013, up from 37 percent in 2005.”
According to MagnaGlobal, TV advertising will continue to grow about 8.3 percent through 2016.
Video continues to be the number one advertising medium with over 40% of global advertising dollars.
This all being said, we believe the time is ripe to push the proverbial envelope in healthcare marketing. Yes, TV is still king. But, integrating the up-and-coming digital realm with classic television spots reaches the best of both worlds.
We picked a few staff favorites. Here are a few examples of social media meets digital advertising meets television gold:
AXA A Dutch home insurance company intrigues costumers to follow a QR code to finish a mystery-laden commercial and ends at an app download. Perfect integration.
Mitsubishi 180LA created a portal for online test driving of the new Outlander Sport. Ingenious.
Hotels.com Travel company Hotels.com’s latest batch of commercials offer The Hangover like experiences without leaving the comfort of your cubicle. Television commercials direct consumers to a website that customizes content based on a few basic choices. By accessing Facebook profile pictures, a flashback scenario ensues. Hilarity ensured.
How have you integrated the old and the new? Have ideas for putting interactive to use in healthcare? Want to learn more about integrating digital media into a traditional campaign? Don’t be shy. Tell us!
As you may have noticed, the web is abuzz with talk about what (if any) impact the iPad will have on the healthcare industry. Countless blogs analyze the pros and cons of Apple’s newest addition – citing (among many other things) its potential to ease some of the hassle of patient record keeping, and the hardware’s incompatibility with healthcare essentials such as gloves and anti-bacterial cleaner.
The iPad, then, may not be the answer to all of your medical staff’s problems – but it can certainly help you build relationships with current and potential patients.
Today’s healthcare customers require access to custom, digital, on-demand features to keep them informed and educated about their purchase decisions. Last year, 103 million Americans went online to search for health information. Considering that people are more vested in healthcare than any other industry, it is essential that healthcare providers make pertinent information and two-way communication as readily available as possible.
The iPad is a sign of just how important it is to not only have an online presence, but an interactive online presence. Through building custom content – developing apps, posting videos, hosting Q&A sessions – medical care facilities are fostering mutual exchanges of information (and thus developing strong, lasting relationships) with their patients.
It is clear patients are hungry for this kind of exchange. One of our clients, Memorial Health Care System, has turned their website into a destination for medical information and inspiration. Visitors can watch informative videos of new life-saving and life-enhancing procedures, read and engage healthcare experts via blogs, download podcasts, and sign up for upcoming events. This interactive approach to healthcare marketing – involving patients in the conversation – has been wildly popular, drawing in thousands of participants since its launch in 2009.
It is this kind of accessible patient-doctor discourse that technologies like the iPad foster, and that leads to a more inclusive, comfortable, and effective medical atmosphere for patients and doctors alike.
For more information on how the iPad may affect the healthcare industry, check out the following articles and blogs:
