Digital use by hospitals, clinics continues to grow

Growing costs are affecting every aspect of healthcare, including marketing. Fortunately for that segment of the industry, the addition of an important new dynamic currently is being accomplished despite the strong economic challenges.

Mid-South hospitals, clinics and medical centers are turning to digital marketing, including search engine optimization, mobile marketing and social media, for cost-effective ways to reach the growing number of consumers who look online for healthcare information.

The addition of digital marketing can be added to a total marketing effort without breaking a budget. Marketing teams need only decide what other segments of their overall effort should be scaled down.

“We have reallocated our funds from traditional marketing efforts to include our digital efforts,” said Jennilyn Utkov, senior director of marketing and communications for Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. “We must focus on how things are presented visually online, so we have invested more in video and photography to tie our message together."

Reducing expenditures in other areas seems appropriate because some tactics have become less effective as the Internet becomes a more important tool for an ever-increasing segment of the population.

According to the Pew Research Center, 72 percent of Internet users say they have looked online for health information within the past year. The Internet, paired with advice from referring physicians, is helping patients make more informed healthcare choices.

“Our audience mainly consists of 25- to 44-year-olds with children, and they rely less on traditional media and instead are accessing information online,” Utkov said.  “We must meet their needs and provide the right content in the right place for the right audience.”

Michelle Hodges, brand marketing director at Memphis Orthopaedic Group, warns that marketers in the healthcare industry shouldn’t lose sight of the overall picture.

“Marketing isn't just about social media or traditional media; it's any activity that moves a practice in a positive, desired direction,” Hodges said. “It takes a strategic marketing plan composed of many elements (including traditional media) supporting each other to move the needle forward, and targeting physicians and medical practices is a large part of that strategy. It's estimated it takes five or more encounters with a practice name for it be recognized.”

She said a mix of publications from general interest to niche such as medical media is a vital element in supporting brand recognition and growth.

“It's all about your marketing mix,” she said.

Hospitals such as Regional One Health advertise on traditional media platforms such as radio, television and billboards, but the marketing focus is on building brand awareness, not services, accordingly to Allison Vance, director of corporate marketing for Regional One.

“Consumers come to our website to take action. For example, they want to see what specific healthcare services we provide and find a physician,” she said. “They can access that easily from our site.”

Content management and search engine optimization is a key factor in delivering targeted, measurable results online. Healthcare marketers can identify information consumers are accessing and what information is critical. For example, Utkov can identify that Le Bonheur’s practical parenting blog on family-relevant topics is a popular feature on its website. In addition, content must be brief, specific and responsive.

“The average person online has an attention span of eight seconds,” said Darnell Settles, web marketing manager for Baptist Memorial Health Care. “A large percentage of (web) traffic comes from organic research, which means someone is actively looking for information, and it must be concise and extremely targeted.”

Mid-South marketing experts agree that mobile marketing is a growing trend. Consumers access healthcare information from their mobile phones. According to the Pew Research Center, 52 percent of smartphone owners use their phone to research health-related information, and 19 percent have downloaded a smartphone app to track or manage health.

“We track our web analytics and we have discovered that over half of our web traffic comes from consumers accessing our website from their smartphone,” Utkov said. “It is necessary to make your website readable from a smartphone.”

Consumers can access all Mid-South hospitals’ websites in a mobile format.

In addition, smartphone apps create convenience for patients. Baptist designed a smartphone app called “Minor Med Rest & Relax at Home.” Patients can pre-register and check in to one of their four minor medical facilities directly from their smartphones.

Health-related non-profits know that mobile marketing can assist them in their efforts. The Mid-South Transplant Foundation, the Mid-South’s federally designated organ procurement organization, plans to implement a program in which residents can register to become organ and tissue donors by swiping their driver’s license on a smartphone.

“Residents can go to our website and register to become an organ and tissue donor any time now,” said Randa Lipman, community outreach manager for Mid-South Transplant Foundation. “Eventually, donors will be able to register simply by swiping their ID on a phone. This is already being done by Donate Life Arizona.”

Social media gives hospitals and clinics the chance to share patient stories and connect consumers.  Marketing departments manage content, respond in real time to consumers’ questions and monitor dialogue on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“We strategically reach out to our clients and their needs on social media platforms,” said Ed Rafalski, PhD, senior vice president of strategic planning and marketing for Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare. “Facebook is effective in reaching out to cancer patients and support groups.”

The West Cancer Center’s “Fight On” campaign, a partnership with the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Methodist Healthcare, created a forum for cancer fighters, survivors and supporters to share their stories on Facebook.

Also, Le Bonheur uses its Facebook page to highlight practical parenting tips from its blog. Former patients can post testimonials directly on the hospital’s Facebook page.

Healthcare marketers research what social media platforms are appropriate for their audiences, which vary in age.

“We realize that not all demographics use Facebook, so our presence varies there,” Rafalski said. “Millennials, Generation X and Baby Boomers all have different needs, and we are doing research to find out where these audiences are getting their information.”

“Consumers have many choices for healthcare due to insurance increasing its provider networks and the evolution of retail clinics,” Vance said. “There are more options than there were five years ago.”

Mid-South healthcare marketers monitor those consumers’ needs regularly to provide them information that’s current and easily accessible.

“The field of healthcare is constantly evolving, and we must stay on top of marketing trends to move forward and thrive with the growing number of choices available for consumers,” Utkov said.