Marketshare for Healthcare

In several recent posts, we’ve explored the ways in which a well-researched content strategy sets the stage for a successful online hospital communications strategy. Whether it’s your website, an email marketing plan, or a foray into social media for your hospital, content is the foundation of a meaningful online presence – one that communicates your brand promise clearly and consistently to doctors, patients, and their families.

Consider, however, the ways in which you encounter digital content throughout your week. Email messages appear in your personal and hospital email accounts by the minute. With a ding, your Blackberry or iPhone announces new messages awaiting attention. News feeds carry headlines designed to drive clicks – from tweets sent by healthcare thought leaders to content feeds from major national publishers.

But at what point does it all become noise?

Recently, we wrote about UX (User-Experience Design), a research-based discipline that guides the creation of sites that drive profits. Rooted in strategy and based on defined business goals and desired customer behaviors, UX ensures that users find the information that’s most important (and profitable) on your hospital website.

In exploring the topic, we likened UX to digital wayfinding, the setting of guideposts that connect individuals with what they’re seeking (and what you want them to find). But you can’t have an effective sign without effective content – and that’s why the marriage of CS (Content Strategy) and User-Experience Design is the true formula for hospital websites with impact.

The words branding and marketing often travel together, which makes sense. Your hospital has undoubtedly allocated significant resources to developing a marketing plan designed to make space for your message in your marketplace.

But your brand also lives inside your organization. At every turn, your hospital employees are part of the patient/family experience of the brand, shaping how your hospital’s message lives and breathes. The patient/family experience thereof can also shape future physician referrals – positive experiences with your doctors and service lines create positive referrals for the physicians in your network.

So what message is your hospital brand communicating internally?

If your answer is “I don’t know,” your hospital has a great opportunity to leverage digital content in support of your hospital branding initiatives. Business intelligence shared internally via well-organized content that is strategically disseminated can make a big difference in the eyes of your hospital...

Ever wonder what people are saying about your healthcare brand on some of the most popular social networks like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace?  To get a taste in a matter of moments, we recommend that you head over to Google and check out their updated search features. It’s a great way to take the pulse of your healthcare brand…kind of like an online check-up!

Here’s all you need to do:

Go to www.google.com Type the name of your organization into the search box and click search Click on the “more” drop-down on the left side of the page and click updates. Now explore what the masses are talking about. Keep in mind that this is a free service and won’t have all the bells/whistles/capabilities of a paid social monitoring tool – but why not become familiar with this free way to get a glimpse into the vast amount of data available?

Not only can you monitor your healthcare brand on the major social networking sites. You can also search discussions on forums and...