Healthcare Tweet Chats Allow You Talk About Your Specialty
More patients are using social media to find health care provider information
If you think your patients aren’t using social media to search and share healthcare information online — think again.
A study released by PwC Health Industries entitled “Social Media ‘likes’ Healthcare,” states that “33% of consumers in the U.S. use social media channels to find health-related information.” And with ever-increasing ease of accessibility through mobile applications and other platforms, that number will continue to rise.
While most patients’ social media interaction involves searching and discussing symptoms, many users search social media sites to find out more information on hospitals and health care providers — either organizations they’re already aware of, or new ones. Because of their tendencies to shop around online first and seek others’ opinions and shared information, 57% of consumers said a hospital’s social media engagement affects their decision to seek treatment at that facility.
So what does that mean for hospitals and doctors today?
Historically, healthcare organizations have been late to climb on board the social media train. So, these newly published statistics should act as more motivation for health care providers to start their social media campaigns today. If you think about it in terms of the ability to reach as many patients as possible, there are currently 900 million users on Facebook and another 10.4 million on Pinterest. Those are great platforms to disperse information about your hospital or practice. It’s time to put your best foot forward out on the social landscape. By establishing a social media presence and publishing information, you are taking hold of a great opportunity to engage with people searching for information and potentially drive traffic to your website where they can attend seminars and schedule visits.
The PwC study also acknowledges: “Health organizations have an opportunity to use social media as a way to better listen, participate in discussions, and engage with consumers in ways that extend their interaction beyond a clinical encounter.” Some social media sites that may be beneficial to hospitals are Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, FourSquare, and YouTube. With these sites, you have the opportunity to answer general, non-personal questions, post news or relevant information to your patients, and provide them with some health care tidbits.
To find out how MDnetSolutions can help you with your social media strategy, contact us. Call us at 888-986-3638 or e-mail info@mdnetsolutions.com.
Why should you have a custom Facebook page?
By now I’m sure just about everyone is aware of the fact that it’s a good idea for your small (or large) business to be on Facebook. It’s a great vehicle for brand expansion that will give you both a larger net presence and a new channel to interact with clients, other businesses and anyone else who might stumble across your Facebook page.
However, after a while just about every business’ Facebook fan page starts to look the same. So, how do you create a Facebook experience that will stick with your users?
A custom landing page is a great way to give your brand’s Facebook page a personality beyond the standard wall, info and photo tabs. It can be as simple as an eye-catching graphic with a clear call-to-action, or as complex as a multi-page mini store.
Now that Facebook allows page administrators to implement custom pages using iframes, instead of their proprietary FBML application, just about anything can be added to your landing page to enhance a user’s experience with your brand on Facebook.
Check out a couple examples that will help get your thought process rolling:
The Threadless Facebook page is a great example of adding a new layer of interactivity. Users are given the opportunity to ‘Like’ and comment on individual designs as well as browse new additions to the Threadless catalog, which works very well in the social context of Facebook.
Taco Bell also does a great job of offering exclusive content and a more interactive experience on their custom Facebook pages. Through providing access to non fast food related content they are able to connect with a demographic who might not otherwise consider checking out the Taco Bell facebook page.
Another interesting use of Facebook comes from Motorola. They take the interactivity a step further by offering customer support through Facebook. Not only does this offer customers the chance to connect more directly with Motorola, but it also allows users to connect to each other and create a community around Motorola.
Finally, check out what we did with the Elevated Third facebook page.
A Facebook landing page isn’t a replacement for a full-featured, search engine optimized website, but it is a great opportunity to reach a new audience through a powerful and extremely popular medium.
If you’re going to put the effort into creating a unique landing page for your brand, be sure to leverage the social plugins Facebook provides to help you drive traffic there. With a variety of plugins, ranging from the simple Like Button to integrated comments and registration, there are plenty of ways to integrate your main website and Facebook landing page to be sure your brand gets the exposure it deserves.
Why you need an optimized mobile website
Do you really need a mobile website? The short answer to that is Yes. Most of your patients have a mobile phone, right? If you want to control how your brand appears there, then you need an optimized mobile version of your website. Let MDnetSolutions design a mobile website for you that is easy for prospective patients to find, view and use. We can customize your site to allow visitors to sign up for a seminar, make an appointment, or get directions to your location quickly and easily. And with set-up prices starting as low as $249, there’s no reason not to Go Mobile!
With a mobile website from MDnetSolutions, your patients will see you. Now.Learn more about our affordable mobile websites by contacting Carol O’Dell at carol@mdnetsolutions.com or 888.986.3638. To visit the MDnetSolutions mobile website, scan the QR Code below. Need a scanner for your smart phone? Download a free scanner app to your mobile device by going to either iPhone app or Android app. If you’re viewing this from your mobile, click here to check out our mobile website! |
Do you know the benefits of having a mobile website?
People are searching on their mobile phones more and more nowadays. In fact, in some countries such as Japan, there are more searches done on a mobile phone than on a computer. So what does this mean for your business? Well, if your company does not have a mobile ready website, then chances are you are not being seen when your customer base is looking for you. Many regular websites will translate to be seen on smart phones, however they can often times be more difficult to navigate than a mobile ready website and there is only so much zooming in and out that a user is willing to do.
Some websites don’t translate at all. Meanwhile, mobile ready websites are streamlined and work perfectly on a user’s phone. Typically people searching with their mobile phones have a higher intent to buy, so why would you want to place any obstacle in their way that would keep them, from buying from you? Many times mobile searches are done while the user is out of his or her home and away from a computer. There is a chance that if they cannot access your website, they will check it out later when they are home, however there are many things that can hinder that. For instance, your competitor may have had a mobile ready website and earned their business, or they simply forgot by the time they got home.
Another new benefit to mobile ready websites is that Google is now sending out Googlebot to specifically crawl through mobile sites to help determine their rankings. This is great because a huge percentage of your traffic comes from Google, so you definitely want to be well loved by them. Having a mobile website means that you can engage with your customers where they are looking for you and it means that you will find favor with the search engines. How can you deny your business this boost?
Need more information on mobile websites? We’ve got the answers! Contact MDNetSolutions today to get all the details.
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QR Codes and Mobile Websites, a Match Made in Heaven!
Happy 2012 to Everyone! We’re starting the New Year off with the perfect idea of combining two of the latest technological advances and how you can make them work for your practice. Throughout the year we’ll be sharing other great ideas on ways to make your practice grow, so stay tuned!
It seems like everyone has a website and certainly everyone has a cell phone, but not that many practices have a mobile website and we’re wondering why that is. Have you ever tried to navigate your website on your cell phone? If your website is not optimized for a mobile device, you’re probably looking at itsby-bitsy type and struggling to figure out how to make sense of it all.
Once your website is optimized for a mobile device, there’s a way to drive people there that’s quick and easy – the QR code!
Having a QR code that scans to your mobile website is a terrific idea on many fronts! Your visitors can sign up for a seminar, access the seminar location via a quick click to a map and even make an appointment, all in an easy-to-read mobile format. Or they can call you with a simple push of a button. Want to provide access to a procedure video they can watch from their mobile phone? No problem! Have an idea for shotgun marketing? QR codes are great for that flyer at your seminar, water bottle or t-shirt – put a QR code on it so people can quickly point and shoot.
So give it a try and scan our happy QR code above! We can build your mobile website for you and get your QR codes set up pronto! In fact, call 888.986.3638 and mention this email and get 20% off of our $249 one-time set up fee! From there, it’s simply $59 a month to host your mobile website and QR code.
And for a limited time, if you scan our happy QR code above, you’ll receive a 50% discount off of the set up fee! If you don’t have a QR code scanner and you have an iPhone or Android, you can download a free scanner app to your mobile device by going to either iPhone app or Android app. Already viewing this from your mobile phone? Click here to go to our mobile website.
The simple QR code and your mobile website – a match made in Heaven!
Want to learn more about how MDnetSolutions can help your practice grow? Contact Carol O’Dell at carol@mdnetsolutions.com or 888.986.3638.
Practice Marketing Essentials for 2011
Difficult economic conditions and changes in insurance laws have made strong marketing efforts an increasingly high priority for many medical practices. While most physicians are well aware of this fact, determining what measures to take and how to take them can be difficult. The following are a few suggestions to help your medical practice make the most of its marketing budget in the coming year.
Have a Plan in Mind
As the old adage goes, “those who fail to plan plan to fail.” Make sure you have a specific plan of action to be enacted throughout the course of the year. Changes may be necessary as time goes on and new information is gathered, yet it is better to have a clear direction and to make adjustments as needed.
Remember the Many Forms of Promotion
Advertisements—print, online and other media ads—are a powerful tool in spreading your practice’s message, but keep in mind that there are many other ways to catch the eyes of potential patients. Articles, press releases, blogging and search engine optimization are among the methods capable of boosting your reputation.
Know Your Unique Strengths
There is probably something that your practice does better than its competitors. Perhaps you serve an area that others do not, or maybe you offer a relatively new procedure. Whatever your competitive edge is, incorporate it into your market research. For example, if your treatment is shown to be especially helpful to patients with diabetes, you may wish to learn about the consumer behaviors of the diabetics in your community.
Keep the Lines of Communication Open
Make sure you take advantage of opportunities to communicate with potential patients with whom you’ve made contact as well as your current patient population. Direct mail and email messages can be used to welcome patients, remind them of upcoming appointments or even wishing them well on their birthdays. These may seem like small gestures, but research has shown that efforts by healthcare providers to communicate with patients are significantly effective.
To find out more about Marketing Essentials for a better 2011, contact MDnetSolutions today.
Patient Demand High for Social Media Interaction
According the HealthCare New Media Marketing Conference, about 60 million people share their health experiences on the internet. Online health communities such as MedHelp.org and EverydayHealth.com have been steadily gaining visitors in the last several years. In March, WebMD.com has begun an initiative called Health Exchanges to include more patient interaction on its site. Another site, ShareCare.com, is being built by former WebMD head Jeff Arnold and Dr. Mehmet Oz of “The Dr. Oz Show”. The growing demand for healthcare social media is now difficult to ignore.
“Users are increasingly sharing medical experiences with each other and are seeking advice from other patients, and potentially from brands,” writes Joan Voight of the internet marketing blog ClickZ. At MDnetSolutions, we believe that social media is a great opportunity for you to communicate with, advise and encourage your patients. For more information on our social networking solutions, contact us today!