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
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 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
    The key stakeholders involved in improving healthcare policy
    The Key Stakeholders involved in Improving Healthcare Policy
    October 26, 2023
    medical erros avoid
    How to Report Medication Errors and Why It’s Important
    November 17, 2024
    Essential Steps for Developing a Life Care Plan
    Essential Steps for Developing a Life Care Plan
    December 26, 2024
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Beyond the Buzz: A Practical Guide to Building an Online Healthcare Community
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 > Beyond the Buzz: A Practical Guide to Building an Online Healthcare Community
eHealthSocial Media

Beyond the Buzz: A Practical Guide to Building an Online Healthcare Community

Marie Ennis-O'Connor
Last updated: January 24, 2015 4:00 am
Marie Ennis-O'Connor
Share
6 Min Read
beyond the buzz healthcare social media
SHARE

beyond the buzz healthcare social media

The  idea of community is based around the concept that people gather together around shared interests or location.  Well-known marketer Seth Godin uses the term “tribe” in place of community, but the concept is the same:

beyond the buzz healthcare social media

The  idea of community is based around the concept that people gather together around shared interests or location.  Well-known marketer Seth Godin uses the term “tribe” in place of community, but the concept is the same:

More Read

rfid solutions in healthcare
How RFID Solutions Can Improve Patient and Doctors Experience
List of 20 Excellent Social Media Networking Resources for HealthCare
Searching Online for Health Information
How Health Innovators Can Foster Patient Empowerment
Must Have Apps for Nurses

“A tribe is a group of people connected to one another, connected to a leader, and connected to an idea. A group needs only two things to be a tribe: a shared interest and a way to communicate.” 
― Seth Godin Tribes:We Need You to Lead Us

Social media has accelerated the growth of community, allowing people to come together regardless of time or place.  To attract an online audience you need to consistently create and curate useful content. People will come for the content, but they will stay for the community.   

So how do you begin to build your own online health community?  

First you need to clarify your goals. When you are clear on what you’re trying to do and why, the next step is to find your audience.

build healthcare community

1. Set Up Alerts

Set up alerts using Mention and/or Google for relevant keywords; for example a specific health condition. Bear in mind that most users will be searching for discussions about specific diseases or conditions, followed by specific medical treatments and procedures, so set additional alerts for secondary/related keywords. Monitor who talks about your keywords and start to engage with them through Twitter. You’ll soon discover other potential community members and their related interests leading you to a deeper community understanding.

2. Health Discussion Forums

A key element of building an online community consists of finding places where you can engage with potential members, listen to their concerns and answer their questions. Forums are widely used for advice on health related topics. Use these as an opportunity to add your expertise and provide value to potential community members.

3. Twitter Chats

In my opinion tweet chats are a gold mine when it comes to finding your tribe and building community.These are pre-arranged chats on Twitter which include a #hashtag to link the tweets together in a virtual conversation. Most tweet chats follow a common format of a moderator who introduces pre-arranged topics relevant to the chat and keeps the conversation on track. The chats usually last one hour and a transcript of tweets is available after the chat has ended. A full list and a tweet chat calendar of meeting times can be found on the Symplur website.

4. LinkedIn Groups 

There are many health and medical related groups on LinkedIN but the quality of interaction can vary enormously. Choose which groups you join on the basis of the quality of its discussion. Weigh in on popular discussions by  responding to comments, providing your own insight or asking questions to generate additional comments. If your comments add value to these discussions, members will soon start to see you as a thought leader and want to follow you.  You can also start your own discussion group as a way of building community.

5. Google+ Communities

Google+ Communities are places where users can share specific questions,comments or content relating to a particular topic with other users who share the same interests. Communities can be public or private. 

Online Community Building: Do’s and Don’ts

  • Do determine when your audience is online and engage with them then
  • Don’t just post updates at times that suit you best 
  • Do find where your key audiences spend their time and focus on those channels
  • Don’t jump on every social media channel  
  • Do focus on quality over quantity
  • Don’t get hung up on follower numbers – aim for quality engagement rather than quantity 
  • Do listen to your community and address their legitimate concerns
  • Don’t engage with trolls or unwarranted criticism
  • Do reach out to key influencers to help you disseminate content
  • Don’t try to do it all yourself 
  • Do ask questions of your community to understand their needs better
  • Don’t assume you know everything about your audience

Using the tools and processes I’ve outlined above will help you find a community who will be interested in following you.  Once you’ve started to build your community, take time each day to interact personally by welcoming new followers, answering @tweets addressing followers by their name and thanking someone for contributing to the conversation.  Building a community is an ongoing process; it’s about building trust and conveying authenticity. Keep providing valuable and authentic information gathering insights as you go and you will be on the way to creating a strong, vibrant and connected healthcare community.

TAGGED:Beyond the Buzzcommunity
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

How to Evaluate Pathology Reporting Software

September 5, 2014

Healthcare’s New Imperative: Population Health Management

July 22, 2012

Back to Basics… The (lost) Art of The Patient-Physician Interaction

October 26, 2011

How Facebook’s Graph Search Can Influence Healthcare

February 5, 2013
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?