A simple hospital marketing tool.
Hospital marketing is a specialized field in charge of creating a campaign to attract both patients and doctors to its facilities. With the discussion of health care quality constantly in the news, it is important for hospitals to be creative to attract their intended audiences to use their facilities. There are a number of specialized agencies whose ideas have resulted in both awards and successful hospitals.
Utilizing Social Media
Popular social media sites and technologies can be a prime source for connecting to patients. The Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development, the premier marketing organization for 4,000 healthcare professionals, offers introductory courses to its members through its website. The social media primers include strategies for using blogging, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. Johns Hopkins Hospital, one of the premier hospitals in the country, uses these as well as audio podcasts to connect to patients.
Marketing Real Patients
Healthleaders Media's annual marketing awards are the Oscars of the hospital marketing industry. In 2009, Baylor Health Care System won the top award for a large hospital for its 2008 brand campaign. The documentary-style television ads featured actual patients describing their real health care experiences at the hospital.
Community Involvement
Nothing gets people's attention like direct recognition of their lives and rewarding their community efforts. SelectHealth in Salt Lake City, Utah, won the Healthleaders Media's 2009 marketing award for best health plan for its "Select 25 Awards Program". The program recognized those organizations in the community that promote fitness and healthy living or who serve special populations.
Attract Primary Care Doctors
Hospitals must market themselves to both patients and doctors. One of the key problems with health care in the U.S. is the lack of primary care physicians, according to Hospitalimpact.org, the first and only healthcare blog for hospital leaders. A recent study found that more primary care physcians are concerned with finding an organization that truly cares about them than making the most money. The results of the study, conducted by the Daniel Hanley Center for Health Leadership, found doctors want to work at a hospital that takes the time to understand and develop relationships with them and their families.
Tags: health care, both patients, both patients doctors, Healthleaders Media, hospital marketing, patients doctors