By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    benefits of using protein powder to build muscles
    Protein Powder for Muscle Mass: Everything You Need to Know
    December 12, 2021
    changes brought on by blockchain in healthcare
    Technology In The Healthcare Industry
    March 28, 2022
    What Does Core Body Temperature Say About Health?
    August 17, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    FDA Approves Diabetes Pill
    May 2, 2011
    Patient Gets Drunk on Hand Sanitizer
    June 20, 2011
    Cultivating Health Improvement
    July 20, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Hospitals and Social Media: Are You Engaging the Right Audience?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > eHealth > Social Media > Hospitals and Social Media: Are You Engaging the Right Audience?
BusinesseHealthSocial Media

Hospitals and Social Media: Are You Engaging the Right Audience?

Jonathan Catley
Last updated: April 20, 2014 8:00 am
Jonathan Catley
Share
4 Min Read
Hospital Social Media, Patient Engagement, Healthcare Marketing
SHARE

Many hospitals are using social media as part of a broader marketing strategy with the goal of engaging patients. A recent study, however, suggests that hospitals that actively manage their online presence may not be attracting the audience they had hoped to reach.Hospital Social Media, Patient Engagement, Healthcare Marketing

Many hospitals are using social media as part of a broader marketing strategy with the goal of engaging patients. A recent study, however, suggests that hospitals that actively manage their online presence may not be attracting the audience they had hoped to reach.Hospital Social Media, Patient Engagement, Healthcare Marketing

The 2012 study, titled “Active Social Media Management: The Case of Health Care,” which was conducted by Amalia R. Miller of the University of Virginia and the RAND Corporation and Catherine Tucker of MIT, suggests that actively managed Facebook accounts tended to engage hospital employees more than patients because their content was not specifically focused on patients.

Boosting user-generated content

More Read

Google Adwords, Campaign Optimization, SEM Marketing, PPC
Choose Carefully: Keyword Match Type Tips for Medical Search Marketing
Federal Legislation Introduced to Allow Telemedicine
New Technologies Are Defining Health Information Management
To Increase Physician Productivity, Focus on Tools for Support Staff First
Why Healthcare Needs to Be Communicated in 6 Words or Less

The study suggests that hospitals that actively manage their social media accounts, Facebook in particular, are successful in creating more user-generated content—one of the main goals of social media.

The study found, however, that this boost in user-generated content was being created by employees of the hospital, not patients.

Why? When hospitals posted more neutral content, such as achievements, general observations, or events, this content tended to engage employees rather than patients.The study suggests that users who already had strong ties to the organization were more likely to be interested in this type of content. When hospitals posted more patient-centric content, employee-related posts were lessened or eliminated.

Marketing—or something else?

Engaging employees is not necessarily a bad thing. Keeping employees happy and developing a sense of camaraderie is important to maintaining a positive work environment.

While this phenomenon may benefit the company as a whole, social media is usually considered a part of a hospital’s marketing budget. Additionally, this effect calls into question whether a hospital’s social media presence is serving its desired purpose.

By focusing content on patient-centric topics, marketers can re-focus their efforts to engage patients through social media.

Creating patient-centric content

Hospital marketers who want to engage patients should focus their content on clients’ needs and interests, and may want to consider starting a separate, private group for employees.

While it is tempting to post news that is organization-centric, this study finds that content of this nature is more likely to be of interest to users who already have a close tie with the organization—namely employees.

Patient-centric content may include:

  • Health information
  • Testimonials
  • Photos of facilities
  • Interviews
  • Events for patients, such as screenings or wellness exams

This study found that hospitals that actively managed their social media account can greatly reduce employee-centric engagement by shifting their focus to information that matter to patients. Managing your social media accounts should be approached similarly to creating content that adds value to your website.

Ask your patients what issues are most important to them. Patient surveys are an invaluable tool to gauge what information your patients are seeking. Use their answers as a roadmap to create content that will keep patients engaged with your social media presence. Creating patient-centric content will help hospital marketers focus their efforts on engaging patients and meet their conversion goals.

TAGGED:marketing
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Do You Grind Your Teeth at Night? Here’s How Night Guards and TMJ Treatments Can Help
Dental health
May 21, 2025
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
The Secret To A Confident Smile: Top Tips For Better Teeth
Dental health
May 21, 2025
Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025

You Might also Like

ideal doctor-client
BusinessFinance

In Search of the Ideal Doctor-Client: A Marketing-Savvy CEO

February 19, 2014
HIMSS 2014
BusinesseHealthHome HealthTechnology

A Meeting of Minds on the Value of Healthcare IT

February 22, 2014

How will Preventative Care Initiatives Impact Hospital Staff?

October 26, 2015

Stand Out from the Crowd? Think Again

February 3, 2015
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?