Part 2: Interview With Jessica Levco: How Healthcare Systems Can Approach COVID-19 Content Marketing
Jessica Levco
Jessica Levco — healthcare journalist and content marketer — and I recently chatted about how important it is for healthcare marketing teams to communicate COVID-19 information as effectively as possible. This is part two of our discussion, but you can check out Part 1 here if you missed it.
Kadesha: What are you seeing resonate well with the users of health system websites? What are they clicking on, what are they commenting on, what are they sharing?
Jessica: People are really appreciating information that is easy to read, not overwhelming, and not scary. People want to know about visitor updates and guidelines. People want to know what the hospital is doing to prepare.
Here’s another example — Michigan Medicine. What I like about their website is that they have really straightforward news. It’s a bunch of press releases that say what’s happening, and they keep it pretty updated.
We all have those blogs that we’ve talked about from Cleveland Healthy to IU, which apply to patients. But at a time like this, it’s also nice to just have real, hard facts, such as this is how many people we’ve treated, and this is what we’re going to do.
Kadesha: I’ve seen some hospitals shy away from that. Some hospitals are comfortable publishing how many people have tested positive, how many people they’ve treated, how many of their providers have also tested positive. You also have some hospitals, where if they’re not putting it out there, their local news is.
Should hospitals be comfortable publishing those numbers?
Jessica: That’s a good question, and I think you could really go either way. You don’t want to hide — you don’t want to say that this isn’t happening. And people will eventually find out the numbers. If you don’t share the news, somebody else will.
As a hospital marketer, it’s a great opportunity for you to say, “This is exactly what is happening, and here’s what’s going on”. At a time like this, people are really hungry for facts and clear information.
Hospitals had a great reputation as being a source of news going into COVID-19. Now more than ever, they should highlight that even more.
Kadesha: I think you’re right, and I sincerely hope hospitals and health systems look at this as more than just a crisis but also an opportunity to really be a resource for their service area and their audiences.
We don’t want to seem opportunistic and use this as a time to shine. That shouldn’t be the motivation. But I think there’s definitely a hunger now more than ever for people to hear from their hospital. This is not just an attempt to put out something that people will only share — they actually will read it and engage with it. They’re waiting on it. Give your service area the information and insight that they want to hear specifically from you.
Jessica: Yes, and if your hospital CEO is already on Twitter, now would be a great time to start ghostwriting some tweets. I know now a lot of hospitals are doing town halls and they’re taping those, especially for their remote employees. This might be a great opportunity to start taping some of your town halls. It wouldn’t have to be the whole thing but maybe just determine that for the first 10 minutes of this town hall, we’re going to make this for the public.
Kadesha: Any other tips for health systems and hospitals that are looking to use content marketing to educate their audiences about this?
Jessica: Since they aren’t doing elective surgeries, now would be a great time to do any kind of highlights you can on your telehealth services. Maybe if you write a blog about stress levels, you put at the end, “We know this is a difficult time. If you need somebody to talk to, click here.”
It’s also really important for marketers to start tracking how many visits they’re getting through telehealth and through their content marketing efforts. In terms of any kind of cuts marketing departments might have to face, they can prove, because of this content, we’ve booked 15 new appointments through telehealth.
There are also a lot of people who have scheduled their bariatric surgeries, joint replacements — you don’t want to forget about those people or make them feel like since COVID-19 happened, I’m not going to get the surgery I wanted. It would be very depressing if you were a patient who was preparing to have this kind of surgery and then you don’t hear anything from the hospital. Nobody calls you, you can’t call them because the lines are too busy, and you’re just left waiting where you don’t know what to do. It would be really nice if you could do any kind of outreach to those patients.
Eventually, things will come to a new normal, and patients will still need their surgeries. You want to let them know that you are still thinking of them and you haven’t forgotten.
Kadesha: I also wanted to touch on some of the cuts, the furloughs, and all of these other ways that hospitals are trying to contain costs — understandably so. Have any of the hospitals and health systems that you’re in contact with had marketing cuts happen?
Jessica: As far as I know, everyone I know is still okay.
Kadesha: Wow, that’s excellent. We’ve definitely had clients have spending freezes and be requested to take pay cuts. I’m really amazed at how they’re still staying motivated — you still see them pushing out new content despite all that.
Jessica: It’s heartbreaking when the marketing department gets cut. Even though digital marketing teams are not on the frontlines giving actual care, they are on the frontlines of giving information.
Kadesha: And I think this is another opportunity to prove that value. This is your time to say, as the marketing team, we can keep the call volume down if we’re able to communicate properly. They can really show how they can be supporters of those front line workers and not add more of a burden to the system.
Jessica: Now is the time more than ever to literally track everything you’re doing and send it into somebody every week. Say, “Here’s what the marketing team is doing, and here are our numbers.” When cuts happen, I always feel like it’s marketing and communications teams, but you kind of have to toot your own horn and say, “If you cut us, this is what you’re going to lose.”
When cuts or furloughs happen, you don’t want to burn out your employees who are left behind. You’ve got to figure out ways to keep the workload manageable. It really is not fair if somebody gets cut, and the person who is left behind has two times the work. I think there would have to be some real talks with somebody in C-suite saying, “If this is going to happen, we won’t have X, Y, and Z.”
Kadesha: Exactly. It sounds like that’s a conversation, then, about priorities. If we’re going to cut the team, then we also need to cut the work volume. That means prioritizing what is the most important and what is the most effective.
And you’re absolutely right — if you’re tracking, you can answer that question easily. If you’re not, then you really need to look at what the most effective way is that you can serve the community and serve the healthcare system right now. Test it, see if it works, and if not, stop doing it. Like seriously, if your healthcare marketing team launched a podcast or e-newsletter in the last month, but it’s not getting any traffic, either tweak it or retire it. I think there’s definitely a habit in marketing teams of keeping things going that aren’t effective, but we don’t have the bandwidth or the time for that anymore.
Jessica: No, those days are over. So many days we used to know are over.
Kadesha: So many, but I’m looking forward to seeing how this changes things. I do think it’s going to be more positive changes than anything.
Jessica: Yeah, I agree. I think healthcare marketing will be different — in a good way.
If you’re looking to improve your COVID-19-related content marketing, we can help.
Content Takeover: If Millennial Physicians Aren’t Joining Your Medical Association, Try This
Dear Professional Medical Association Owner/Marketer/Etc.,
Are your membership numbers dropping?
It might be because baby boomer physicians are retiring (more than a third of all active physicians will be 65 or older within the next 10 years) and millennial physicians are taking over.
And they’re not joining medical associations in droves.
Not everyone agrees on the exact age that constitutes a millennial, although the general idea is millennials = those born between 1981 and 1996, so ages 23 to 38 in 2019.
It’s not that millennial physicians don’t see any value in medical associations — nearly 75% of physicians under age 40 believe that professional associations and communities are useful.
However, there are some revealing statistics that should be a red flag for associations:
- About 25% view associations as “old school.”
- 45% have left associations because they are too expensive.
- 55% say that professional associations and organizations are not tech-savvy.
Old, expensive, not tech-savvy — these are three things that will make millennials run for the door.
Also, while medical associations may provide valuable content, they have some stiff competition. There is plenty of free information on the internet, so strapped-for-cash millennials are a little less likely to shell out the big bucks for content they could find without spending a cent.
Embrace Millennials
You can’t afford to lose millennials. They are the largest generation in the US workforce, comprising about 35% of US labor, and that percentage is set to become even greater.
As baby boomer physicians retire, they may let their professional memberships lapse. You need to reel in millennial members in order to avoid taking a major financial hit and to ensure that young physicians are receiving the expertise that you have to offer.
So, what do you do?
Content is a craft: Perfect it. Curate content that appeals to millennials on every level. Millennials may be a little picky about what they open their wallets for, but they will spend if the product is valuable.
Millennials hate waiting and reading unnecessary content, so let’s just get this thing started already.
1. Create content that meets needs and piques interests.
No one likes to waste time reading content that’s not valuable to them, and millennials are no exception. When you’re putting together a content strategy (literally the most important thing you can do for your site), get creative and find topics that interest millennials. What’s keeping the boomer docs interested might not capture millennials’ attention.
What Do Millennials Want To Know About?
ℹ️ Evidence-based medicine: Millennials like data-driven information better than expert opinion or experience.
🗓 Work-life balance: 92% of millennials say that balancing work with family and personal responsibilities is important, but only 65% feel that they have achieved it.
💰 Finances: 75% of medical students who graduated in 2018 did so with debt — an average of $196,520. Finances are also a major contributor to the career paths that physicians choose.
📝 Future career options: 80% of millennial physicians want to work in a related field beyond patient care at some point, such as healthcare consulting or academic research.
2. Go mobile.
In the US, internet use on computers is declining. Instead, it’s all about smartphones. About 93% of millennials own smartphones. And among physicians under age 35, almost 90% use their smartphone for professional purposes.
This means that if they’re reading your content, it’s highly likely that they’re doing so on their phone. It also means that your content needs to be easy to read on a tiny screen.
Break text into small chunks rather than large paragraphs, and use lots of headers to break things up. Bullet points, lists, and mini infographics can also be invaluable for making text easier to read.
If possible, you may want to consider building a mobile app. Users spend 16 times longer on apps than on mobile websites. Just make sure to have a good app logo — 21% of millennials have deleted an app simply because they didn’t like the logo.
3. Don’t forget about visuals.
While on the subject of aesthetics…
Videos and images should be your best friend.
Be creative — 30-second “behind the scenes”-style videos, cartoons, infographics — you name it.
Just remember that while pictures and videos are great content tools, media platforms like Flash don’t always work on mobile, or take too long to load.
4. Meet millennials where they’re at.
If there’s one thing that millennials can’t stand, it’s being talked down to. They don’t want information “dumbed down” for them.
That being said, they don’t want boring, drab text and they don’t want to have to dissect each word to figure out exactly what the text is saying.
The trick is to get directly at eye-level. Write content that is conversational and in plain language, but not condescending or first-grade storytime in tone. Don’t be afraid to write in second-person and address the reader personally.
5. Don’t overcharge for content.
They won’t pay.
6. Remember that variety is the spice of life — and content.
In addition to varying content, change up how it’s presented.
There isn’t a magic length for content — in fact, people are very much divided on ideal length.
Millennials like short and sweet. But, there are topics that require a substantial amount of text, and some millennials do love to read longer content. Don’t set one specific length. However, if you notice that you’ve made a bunch of short posts recently, switch it up and do a couple of exposes (or vice versa).
For example, one of the next posts CareContent publishes should probably be shorter than this.
Also, vary up the authors. Some millennials respond to first-hand accounts, while others want a more anonymous voice.
Include millennial authors. More than 65% of millennials prefer to join an organization that was founded by peers their own age. While your founders may be older than the millennial generation, giving millennials a voice can at least frame your organization in a younger way.
7. Don’t call us millennials.
Millennials don’t like being called millennials. I’m going to switch to first-person here — as a millennial, I can vouch for this claim.
Even though we’ve proven to not be the duds we were predicted to be (well, for the most part), the damage has been done. The word “millennial” has a negative connotation, and is often associated with laziness and entitlement. So, it sort of rubs us the wrong way to be called that.
Okay, back to second-person.
8. Stay ahead of the game.
Millennials want what’s next. They don’t want to be left behind — which means you can’t afford to be left behind, either.
Revisit your content strategy frequently. The healthcare landscape is constantly changing — does your content represent that? Technology and ways of consuming information via technology are also always changing. Is your content optimized for those changes? Will the format and way in which the content is written — not just the actual content itself — appeal to your readers?
A Final Piece Of Advice
Do your research. And that means going to your target audience.
Ask your readers for their feedback and have them submit ideas for topics they want covered. You can’t give them what they want until you know what they want — and there’s no source better for figuring that out than their own mouths.
Sincerely,
A Millennial Who Doesn’t Mind Being Called a Millennial (but still, avoid calling millennials “millennials”)
Healthcare Digital Marketing In 2018: Putting Patients First
The start of a new year is a great time to take a moment and think about what we want to see happen next—not just in our personal lives, but in our professional lives and the industries we work in and for as well.
So, what do I want to see in healthcare digital marketing in 2018?
I really want to see healthcare become hyperfocused on patient and user experience, both online and offline. I want hospitals and medical practices to stop asking, “What do our doctors want—and what’s going to make us look smart?”
The question to ask instead is, “What do the patients want?” That answer is what should guide the next steps that healthcare digital marketing takes. And I think a key part of that answer lies in expanding ways that patients and providers can communicate with one another.
Embracing Patient-Friendly Communication In Healthcare Digital Marketing
I would really love to see healthcare embrace other ways of patient-provider communication.
For instance, I want to be able to email my provider. And when I say email my provider, I don’t mean through a patient portal. Patient portals are another user ID and password I have to memorize or find to do something as basic as emailing a question to my doctor. It’s just cumbersome.
There are plenty of ways to make this possible while still following HIPAA regulations.
I would love to see healthcare figure out a way for patients to connect with providers via email or even online chat. I have toddlers whose favorite toy is my phone. This means I don’t always have access to my phone.
In order to call a provider to schedule an appointment, I first have to find my phone. That can take more time than busy working parents or young professionals have available.
And I want to be able to connect with my provider on any device. So, if I’m sitting at my computer and need to connect with them, I want to be able to easily do that through email or chat. The same goes for my phone or tablet.
Who Benefits From Expanded Patient-Provider Communication?
The benefits of expanding the ways patients and providers can communicate aren’t one-sided in the patients’ favor. If patients could email their providers, this would give providers another way to share information.
We very much live in a digital world, so keeping patients engaged online is key to keeping them engaged offline, too.”
For instance, if multiple people are asking questions via email and providers are starting to see a pattern to those questions, that could mean it’s time to create web content around this topic to send out in an e-newsletter to patients.
This probably happens a lot seasonally—for example, during flu season. This year was a particularly devastating flu season, and I’m sure a lot of people have been calling their providers asking very similar questions.
It would be great if they could send those questions via online chat and the provider could respond with, “Here’s a podcast I just did about this exact topic.”
This keeps the connection between patients and providers going—and it keeps patients engaged with the hospital or practice online.
My hope for healthcare digital marketing in 2018 is that the patient experience takes center stage.
What do you want to see happen in the world of healthcare digital marketing this year? Contact us to see how we can help turn your organization’s resolutions into realities.
What We’re Thankful For In Healthcare Digital Marketing This Year
Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what we’re grateful for in all areas of our lives—and healthcare digital marketing is no exception.
At CareContent, we’ve got lots of reasons to be grateful. Here’s what our team is thankful for in the worlds of healthcare, healthcare digital marketing, and technology.
Kadesha Thomas Smith (Founder/CEO)
The main thing I’m thankful for is this grand awakening in the healthcare digital marketing world that content should be the first priority. A long time ago, Andy Crestodina, co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Orbit Media Studios told me, “They’re not there yet, but in about 2 or 3 years they will be, and then you’ll be well-positioned to be a leader in this area.”
Now, I finally see that happening. Healthcare organizations are finally realizing that the key to having a strong web presence is making sure that the content is well organized, well produced, well promoted, and well analyzed.
This is great for us at CareContent because this shift is directly related to what we do and the approach that we think people should take.
Changing The Way We Approach Web Content Creation
Because of this shift in the world of healthcare digital marketing, I’m really grateful that CareContent has been able to start tackling enterprise-level content strategy and content creation projects for hospitals and other types of healthcare organizations.
It’s been a really exciting experience for us to tackle these projects. We’ve been able to create and plan content that meets our clients’ goals, meets their audience needs, and helps them feel like they can indeed get a handle on their website.
In the process, we’re showing them that web content creation and management doesn’t have to be this ad-hoc beast.
I think the biggest thing of all that I’m grateful for is having a team that is willing to take on this new approach and these new projects—and do an excellent job. They’re a very adaptable bunch, always willing to meet the client’s needs quickly and flexibly.
Jennifer Martin (Content Director)
I’m thankful that augmented reality (AR) is evolving far beyond the cute critters in Pokemon Go. For example, the ARKit, unveiled for Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone X, will really make your everyday world “pop.”
Look through your iPhone or iPad’s camera, and you might see anything from a SpaceX rocket landing in your yard to career statistics overlaid on the heads of the pro basketball players you’re watching on TV, notes The Verge.
What does it mean for marketing? The chance to help viewers visualize everything from new home decor to the interior of a brand-new sports car. Watch for endless applications (and some app wars) in the future.
Ros Lederman (Content Development Manager)
I am thankful for the shift we’ve made at CareContent from mostly blog creation to more of a focus on websites as a whole. To be honest, when Kadesha first put out the idea of making this change, I wasn’t sure what to think or expect.
I knew the learning curve would be steep and the climb could take a while, but I’m truly enjoying the journey because I’m learning so much each and every day. Yes, this is somewhat sappy to say. But it’s true.
Samantha Gassel (Web Content Specialist)
I’ve been grateful that CareContent is spreading its wings beyond creating content, and moving toward creating the best places for our clients to showcase that content.
[Note: Sammi would also like to mention that because this is a Thanksgiving-themed post, the wings she mentions above are turkey wings.]
Nicole Pegues Riepl (Multimedia Content Designer)
I am grateful that healthcare digital marketing is steering toward creating more personalized narratives.
With so many touchpoints out there to the consumer these days, healthcare institutions have a great opportunity—and, I think, a great responsibility—to speak directly to prospective patients and caregivers, and to show how they’re actually improving outcomes, not just winning awards (although that’s great, too).
Linyi Zhang (Content Conversion Specialist)
I am grateful for the advancement of data technology. Analytics now supports almost every stage of the digital marketing process, from content creation to design. I am amazed at how fast it is spreading in the content world.
Analytics really deepens our understanding of audience’s preferences and helps deliver more relevant and valuable content to them. And it also changes how organizations think about the value of content and decide what content to produce.
Sometimes, this creative process becomes overly formulaic because of these quantitative measurements. But I am grateful that CareContent gives writers the liberty to be creative, even as our ideas are grounded in consumer insights. That’s what makes our approach unique and our content engaging.
Crystal Suh (Project Manager)
As a mom of two young children, I love anything that makes life easier. I’m thankful for technology that makes it easy to communicate with physicians from home—from emailing to sending pictures of rashes to video chatting. It’s nice to have options before deciding to trek to the doctor’s office.
At CareContent, we’ve got lots to be thankful for. What are you thankful for this year in the world of healthcare digital marketing?
Social Media For Healthcare Marketing: Snaps, Pins, And Shares, Oh My!
If you are one of the millions of adults in the US who use Facebook or Twitter, you’ve probably followed—or at least seen—a company’s account on one of these social networks. Many businesses create Facebook profiles (called pages) or Twitter accounts (called handles) in order to further their brand recognition and boost their marketing efforts.
But Facebook and Twitter aren’t the only networks to consider. As more social media platforms sprout up, businesses are taking advantage of marketing opportunities across platforms.
So, how are companies using social media for healthcare? Here’s a look at three of the more popular platforms: Snapchat, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.
Snapchat
How It’s Used In Marketing
Businesses can create their own Snapchat accounts. Snaps are used to create a tone for the company or organization, promote specials, and give followers a behind-the-scenes look at the business.
How It’s Used In Healthcare
There are two major players in the healthcare scene on Snapchat: Plastic surgeons and children’s hospitals.
Several plastic surgeons have garnered Snapchat fame by posting snaps from surgical procedures (with the patient’s consent, of course). These snaps serve many purposes, including:
- Marketing the providers and their organizations—and establishing themselves as experts
- Providing opportunities for medical students to learn about surgeries and explore the field of plastic surgery
- Giving prospective patients a chance to see what a specific surgery entails, and if it’s something they might want to pursue
Snapchat is also becoming a popular marketing tool for children’s hospitals. It makes sense—the target demographic for these hospitals is Gen Zers (between the ages of 10 and 22), and Generation Z accounts for more than 50% of Snapchat users.
Like plastic surgeons, children’s hospitals don’t use Snapchat solely for marketing. They also use it to engage their patients, promote fundraising opportunities, raise awareness about various health issues, and improve the overall patient experience.
The Downsides
Healthcare may be a growing presence in the world of Snapchat, but not everyone is on board.
One of the most vocal critics is Dan Mills, MD, president of the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Dr. Mills questions the ethics of using Snapchat during surgeries.
With the operating room staff occasionally cracking jokes, and breaking out the costumes and hats, and the front-of-office staff occasionally treating the Snapchat account as a way to perform a soap opera for viewers, Mills says that some offices are acting unprofessionally and with no integrity. He also raises concerns about patient safety and infection control issues.
How It’s Used In Marketing
Similar to Snapchat, Pinterest can be used to solidify a company’s image and tone. It’s also a way for businesses to establish themselves, so they can gain followers or customers.
The more a pin is repinned by other users, the more visibility the company receives. And if companies can get a good grasp on creating content that makes for shareable pins, they’re on the right track toward major visibility—pins on Pinterest are considered 100 times more shareable than tweets.
This may be partially due to the fact that most adults respond better to images and visuals more than text—and you would be hard-pressed to find a pin without an image.
How It’s Used In Healthcare
Hospitals large and small, from academic medical centers to community healthcare systems, have jumped onto the Pinterest bandwagon.
Each hospital has its own way of grouping pins, but most tend to have a few in each of these categories:
- General well-being: These are boards with titles like “Healthy Recipes,” “Mindfulness Techniques,” and “Exercise Tips.” Children’s hospitals also tend to have boards with parenting tips and basic information about children’s’ health and well-being.
- Medicine and health conditions: These boards have information about specific medical topics, like cancer, diabetes, or cardiac care.
- Patient stories and testimonials: These boards have links to personal narratives about dealing with a specific disease, and testimonials about the healthcare organization.
- Research: These boards feature the latest in medical research and technological advancements.
- About us: These boards include general information about the organization. They may highlight specific services or areas of interest—like therapy dogs, virtual tours of the facilities, a history of the organization, or suggestions for what else to do when you’re in the area.
The Downsides
There aren’t many downsides to Pinterest. Fortunately, Pinterest hasn’t been the subject of arguments about ethics. Since it’s generally run by hospital administrators, there isn’t a big concern about providers being distracted by it.
The only downside—if you can call it that—is that there are several rules governing business Pinterest accounts. In addition to the Acceptable Use Policy and Pin Etiquette Policy that all users must follow, businesses also need to stick to Pinterest’s business guidelines.
How It’s Used In Marketing
When LinkedIn was first created, it was mostly thought of us a place for businesses to post job openings and professionals to look for work. LinkedIn is still used for recruiting future employees, but its purpose has expanded.
As with other social media platforms, LinkedIn is a great way for businesses to gain exposure and build their brand. By creating an engaging profile, posting articles about the latest trends, and sharing informed opinions about those trends, a business can establish itself as a thought leader in the industry.
How It’s Used In Healthcare
Healthcare organizations are mainly using LinkedIn for one of its original purposes: recruitment.
For instance, WellStar Health System in Georgia uses LinkedIn to boast about its benefits packages, workplace culture, and provider resources. Reading Health System in Pennsylvania uses LinkedIn to highlight employee testimonials. At Florida Hospital, LinkedIn is used specifically to target potential nurses.
In addition to recruitment, healthcare organizations are taking advantage of the opportunity to build their brand and reputation. These organizations post several types of content, including:
- Humble (but proud) brags: If the hospital has a world-renowned cardiac care center, or was the birthplace of a current standard of care, they aren’t afraid to promote their accomplishments.
- Medical, health, and wellness articles: Readers can find information on breastfeeding or healthy eating, or learn about cutting-edge research. Companies can open up the comments section, inviting readers to engage with their brand.
- Hospital happenings: Organizations post promos for upcoming events or fundraisers, new hires, and information about what’s going on at the hospital.
- Current events: Many organizations tie their content into current events. For example, the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago posted a story about the upcoming solar eclipse and eye health.
- Patient testimonials: Whether the stories are about why patients chose the hospital, or about the quality of care they received, these testimonials can be an excellent way to bring in patients.
The Downsides
Businesses probably won’t run into many hurdles when using LinkedIn. As with Pinterest, there is little room for ethical ambiguity, and it typically does not distract providers from doing their job.
However, LinkedIn does come with its share of frustrations. Of the main social media platforms, LinkedIn has one of the lowest engagement rates—a measurement of how readers are interacting with the content (e.g., likes, shares, comments, etc.).
And, while the number of LinkedIn users is growing, membership is still significantly lagging compared to other platforms like Facebook.
That doesn’t mean that businesses should not use LinkedIn—they just need to stay on top of their other social networks as well.
Now that you’ve learned about Snapchat, Pinterest, and LinkedIn, you may be tempted to set up accounts on all three. That’s fine for some companies—but other companies benefit from quality over quantity when it comes to social media.
Bottom line: Choose your social media platforms wisely. Look for the platforms your target audience uses, and focus on creating quality content, rather than content on every single platform.
Want to learn more about using social media for healthcare marketing? Let the team at CareContent help.
Content First: 9 Signs It’s Time To Redo Your Healthcare Website
Yes, it’s probably time.
The fact that you’re even reading this blog post indicates that you’ve at least clicked around your healthcare organization’s website and either rolled your eyes, or just let out a long tired sigh.
Revamping your healthcare organization’s website is a huge undertaking: the content strategy, the content creation, the design, the UX. Then, after all that’s done, who’s going to keep the thing updated?
Or maybe you’re not sure. Sometimes, it can be hard to tell if your organization’s website needs a makeover. And I’m not talking about just changing the layout and color scheme. I’m talking about redoing the content on the site, too.
So, how do you know if your healthcare website is in for a redo? Here are 9 signs it’s time to do it—and put the content first.
First, there are the obvious signs:
1. The Content Is Out Of Date.
If no one is keeping tabs on when new content is published—or whether the published content is even still useful or relevant—then it’s probably time for a refresh.
2. The Site Is Difficult To Navigate.
If visitors can’t find what they’re looking for right away—like within a few seconds, at most—chances are they’re leaving. And that’s not a good thing. Hint: If people are spending a longer time on your homepage compared to pages about your services, then it’s possible that they’re not finding the right path to the information they need.
3. The Site Isn’t Responsive.
I really shouldn’t even have to say this, but here it goes. More than two thirds of all health-related searches are done on mobile devices, not computers, according to an August 2016 Search Engine Land report. If your healthcare website isn’t responsive, then … just … I can’t.
4. The Site Looks Outdated.
If people are looking for some Internet nostalgia, they’ll turn to BuzzFeed posts like “6 Websites You’ll Remember If You Grew Up In The ‘90s.” But if your healthcare organization’s site looks like it belongs in one of those posts, it’s time to redo it.
While these are all obvious signs that your healthcare website is due for an update, there are more subtle signs that many people overlook simply because they just might not recognize them:
5. You Called A Web Design Or Development Firm First.
If the last time you worked on your website, you called a web design or development firm first, you probably need to redo your site.
That’s because digital marketing is all about content.
If you did not take a content-first approach to your website and instead relied on a developer or design firm, it probably means you took your old content and placed it into a shiny, new shell.
But that content might not be performing the way you want it. Even if you redesigned your website as recently as two years ago, if you didn’t take a content-first approach, it’s probably time to take another stab at it already.
6. No One Is Tracking Your Analytics.
If you cannot point to the one person or team in your healthcare organization who can tell you how your content is performing, where traffic is coming from, how long visitors are staying on your site, and what content those visitors like best, it’s probably time to for a redo.
I say this from experience. When talking to clients or prospective clients who don’t have a dedicated analytics team or partner, the organization usually has some really outdated features or stale content on their website.
And the reason it’s become outdated is because no one is telling the organization that the content is not performing well. Analytics is all about how the content is performing.
7. Even Your Care Providers Complain About The Website.
It’s probably time to redo your healthcare website if your organization’s care providers say they want the website to be a much more robust resource for their patients.
A bad website makes providers’ jobs harder because they don’t have a centralized place they can point patients toward to get answers to those repeat questions.
If your doctors are complaining about what they think should be on the site, listen to them. What they’re really saying is, “We need to invest in our site in order to make it something that helps us help our patients.”
8. There Are No Interactive Elements On The Site.
If your site has no videos, graphics, or other elements that make it visual and interactive, it’s not going to rank well in search.
Plus, nobody wants to look at a big wall of text. Graphic elements break up dense text and keep people engaged. If your healthcare website doesn’t have visuals, it’s probably time to redo your site.
9. Your Healthcare Website Is Not Ranking In Search.
Ranking in search is so important because that is how people are finding their healthcare providers.
For instance, a September 2012 study conducted by Google found that 44% of patients who looked up information about hospitals on a mobile device ended up scheduling an appointment. That study also found that search brings almost 3 times as many people to hospital websites, compared to the number of visitors who arrive there without searching.
It’s not so much that your site’s landing pages need to rank. Rather, the pages for individual doctors—especially those rockstar doctors who have patients traveling long distances to see them—should show up on the side of a Google results page, along with a picture, quote, and updated office hours and locations.
Google is trying to compile as much information as possible to help people find answers instantly. If a person is looking for an answer or a service that your healthcare organization can provide, Google should know that.
So, if your web content is not ranking well in search, it’s time to redo it.
If you want to cut down on the headache and the hassle of a website redo, contact us today to talk more about how we can help you put content first in your next redesign process.
Health Acronyms: The Shorter The Better?
It’s An Acronym World (IAAW).
For better or for worse, everything can be condensed to an acronym. And while healthcare may not own SADBUS (Small And Disadvantaged Business Utilization Specialist), it does have its fair share of questionable character combinations. Well, more than just its fair share. Health acronyms are everywhere.
The Acronym Itself
Some acronyms make long phrases or names of organizations easy to remember, and they can certainly make writing or speech more concise. Certain acronyms even sound like what they’re describing, reminding people what they’re talking about in the first place.
Others are more trouble than they’re worth—they’re long, confusing, and sometimes even downright silly. And if you use them constantly but fail to explain what they actually mean, they can make readers feel uneducated and alienated.
The Impact On SEO
It’s also a mystery as to whether acronyms help or hurt search engine optimization (SEO).
When there’s an acronym that’s very well known, most Googlers will probably type the acronym into the search bar. But for lesser known ones, it’s less likely that people will search for the exact acronym.
For example, keyword research results for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that more users search for the organization’s acronym than the full name (100k-1 million vs. 10k-100k).
The lesser known “Home & Community Based Waiver Program” has the opposite results. The full name has low results—only 10-100 searches. But the acronym, HCBWP, doesn’t even have enough searches to have search data available.
Double Meanings
Some acronyms have more than one meaning, which can be confusing to both readers and search engines.
The acronym “AAA” is a perfect example. It can stand for American Automobile Association, American Ambulance Association, and 191 other meanings.
When an acronym has a double (or triple, or quadruple, or quintuple) meaning, it can quickly turn into an SEO nightmare.
The healthcare organization “Independent Practice Association” gets 100-1k searches annually, while their acronym, IPA, gets 100k-1 million. But IPA’s search top results are for the International Phonetic Alphabet, India pale ale, and Innovations for Poverty Action. So, ranking for IPA in healthcare might be a little more difficult.
The Trick
If you’re going to use an acronym, always spell out the actual meaning of the acronym early in the text.
The Worst Offenders
Enough about how acronyms work. Let’s give out some awards for the best (a.k.a. worst) health acronyms.
KCTCCB4MIOBHCP (Keep checking the CareContent blog for more information on best health communication practices).
What Surgery Taught Me About Marketing To Millennials (Part 1)
On Christmas Eve, I sat down to read a book—and in doing so, managed to tear my meniscus. I didn’t realize the extent of my injury, but for weeks afterward, I joked that it was the world’s first recorded instance of reading-induced knee pain.
A month later, I mentioned the pain to a chiropractor, Paul Fisher, DC MS, during an evaluation for my chronic headaches. He examined my knee and said he was concerned that I had torn my meniscus. He suggested that I get an MRI.
This is where my lessons in healthcare and marketing to millennials began, including what NOT to do. Here are 3 things I learned before the surgery.
1. When Marketing To Millennials, Be Upfront About Costs, Insurance—And Red Tape.
I called the imaging center and asked for a cost estimate for my MRI. The answer was not pretty: More than a month’s rent (keep in mind the cost of living in Chicago), since I hadn’t met my deductible. Ouch.
I thought I’d be clever and pay Dr. Fisher for 3 months of care in advance, which would meet the deductible. I could stand the pain for a couple of weeks while they processed my payment. Then, I could get the MRI and insurance would pay for it.
Here was the problem: Dr. Fisher’s office had to process my payments as services were delivered, not all at once. That meant it would still be a while before my deductible would be met. Fantastic.
So, I did the next best thing. After my first couple of payments were processed, I scheduled the MRI. I still paid a good amount of money for it, but it also helped me reach my deductible. Keep in mind, it was mid-February and I had been in pain for nearly 2 months. Money was taking a backseat to the urgent need for relief.
And when the MRI indicated a possible tear in my right meniscus, I called the orthopedic surgeon the very next day.
2. Please, Give Us A Single Point Of Contact.
At my appointment, I was introduced to both the surgeon, Gregory G. Markarian, MD, and an administrative staff member, Monica, who would be handling my case. This is what the system did right. It proved to be one of the most helpful aspects in coordinating my care from that point forward.
Whenever I had a question or update, I called the surgeon’s office and asked for Monica. She got the answers I needed. She even gave me her email address, so I could send her scans of paperwork without having to track down a fax machine, or find stamps and an envelope to snail-mail it. This was very much appreciated, given that I was hobbling around.
For instance, it was important to me that the surgery was done at a hospital that was 100% covered by my insurance. Unfortunately, this meant I would have to go to the suburbs, about an hour from my apartment. Because I don’t have a car—and couldn’t drive myself home afterward, anyway—this also meant my parents had to drive in for the surgery. (They live 7 hours away.)
These different factors made scheduling the surgery akin to putting together a jigsaw puzzle without any idea of what the final picture was supposed to look like. But Monica collaborated with Dr. Markarian and found ways to make it work. She was like a personal agent for healthcare. That’s the only way to go.
3. There’s No Such Thing As Getting Too Much Information Ahead Of Time.
It’s called front-loading, and it saves a ton of panic later.
Here was my little tangle of snafus: The surgery was scheduled for a Friday afternoon in early March.
All was well. But then …
I found out that I would have to fast for 12 hours before the surgery, since I was undergoing general anesthesia. I can barely fast 8 hours overnight for the blood draw at my annual physical without becoming lightheaded and nauseous. A daytime fast was out of the question.
With the surgery date only a week away, we scrambled to reschedule it for a morning appointment.
All was well again. But then …
I learned I had to find a physician to complete my medical clearance exam. But I didn’t have a primary care doctor at that time because my old physician didn’t accept my new insurance plan.
Finally, I tracked down a doctor and she signed off on the medical clearance. We got the surgery rescheduled for first thing in the morning on Monday of the following week.
All was well yet again. But then …
The Wednesday before surgery, I found out that I was supposed to have had blood work done during the clearance exam. No one had mentioned that, so it hadn’t happened. Now the surgery was up in the air once again.
I was ready to hang my head in despair. Fortunately, Dr. Markarian got wind of my panic and explained that the blood work could be done at the hospital the day of the surgery.
Everything was back on track. Would have been nice to arrange the whole thing up-front, though.
Details. We need details.
Coming up in part 2: What happened when the day of the surgery arrived—and 3 more lessons it taught me about marketing to millennials.
12 Reasons To Consider A Content Marketing Agency For Healthcare Content
You’ll often hear of content marketing as “feeding the beast.” That describes the ongoing labor of creating content to keep a content strategy working.
Although many healthcare organizations have embraced the importance of content marketing, many are struggling to produce enough content to keep their key patient audiences engaged. Even a weekly blog can become a challenge.
So, here are your options:
- Continue to crank out content yourself—when you and your team have time.
- Hire freelancers.
- Hire more full-time employees, who will be dedicated to content.
- Contract with a web design or branding agency you’ve already worked with.
- Partner with a content marketing agency.
Shameless plug: This blog post will endorse option five, because, well, CareContent is a content marketing agency.
Here are 12 reasons why the first four options don’t stack up to partnering with a content marketing agency.
Option 1: Crank out the content yourself.
Why this doesn’t work…
If you spend most of your days creating content, you probably aren’t focusing on strategy or promotion or the other moving parts that make content marketing successful.
You’ll also have to stay on top of all the changes in search algorithms, social media, design, and content marketing trends. Content marketing has become so competitive that if you’re not going to do it well, it’s best not to do it at all.
The title of this blog is Out-By-5. That’s probably not what you’re doing if you’re creating content. Most of the time, content is added to an already long to-do list.
Option 2: Hire a freelancer.
Full disclosure: Before CareContent, I freelanced for healthcare organizations. Okay, carry on.
Why this doesn’t work…
Freelancers have limited skills. They usually won’t know how to optimize a post for search, create visual designs, or develop and execute a plan for promoting the content. And, you may still need to do significant editing. Freelancers rarely have outside editors review content before they give it to you.
Freelancers have limited time. You’ll have to budget your content marketing projects based on the availability and capacity of just one person. Unlike a content marketing agency, the freelancer is probably not allowed to delegate work among a team.
Freelancers are cumbersome. Managing a group of freelancers can be a headache—answering their emails, tracking their invoices, negotiating rates, remembering what that rate was. And if your favorites are unavailable, do you have time to recruit replacements?
Option 3: Hire full-time employees to do it.
Why this doesn’t work…
It’s not just another person. It’s a team you’ll need to hire—and everything that goes with that: salaries, plus all the benefits like health insurance, sick days, holidays. Not to mention the time you’ll spend helping that person climb the learning curve and managing their workload.
Full-timers tend to get stuck in meetings. Once they’re in your organization, how much time will they actually be able to sit, head down, to focus on creating content? Most healthcare marketing managers and coordinators have so many meetings that they can’t focus on content until after 5.
If you hire someone to write the content, it’s unlikely that the person will also be able to optimize the content for search, add visual design, self-edit, keep up with best practices in content marketing, etc.
Option 4: Let your agency of record do it.
Why this doesn’t work …
It might not be their primary skillset. You originally hired them for branding, web design, or advertising. Those capabilities do not usually translate to content marketing.
They might try to subcontract with a content marketing agency and mark up the price. That means their content services will come at a higher cost than if you’d partnered with the content marketing agency directly.
Even if they create content, they may be missing other elements. For example, if some of your content was best formatted as an infographic, a patient guide, a podcast or a quiz could they do that? Or would they be limited to one type of content?
Here’s the bottom line: Content comes first. It shouldn’t just be riding shotgun. It should be the driver of every website, social media channel, and digital campaign. It’s time for healthcare organizations to add a new partner to their vendor speed dial: A content marketing agency.
The 12 Moving Parts Of Healthcare Content Marketing
All you need for successful healthcare content marketing is some copy and an image, right? Wrong.
Here’s the reality: Your team will need to master at least 10 additional skills in order to make sure your content marketing efforts are effectively drawing in patients.
Here are the 12 skills of content marketing you need if you want to do it right:
1. Content Strategy
All good things start with a plan. A content strategy helps you determine why you are creating content, how you should distribute it, and, most importantly, to whom. It’s your blueprint for creating content that strikes a chord with your identified patient population. And yes, the content strategy needs to be written down, not in someone’s head.
2. SEO
Your healthcare content needs to come up in search for people to find it. You can make that happen with search engine optimization, or SEO. Identify popular search terms on your topics, and organically incorporate them into your content. Don’t forget to apply your optimization tactics to other forms of reach, such as email marketing and social media.
3. Content Creation
Ah, the meat and potatoes of your process. Feeding the content creation beast isn’t such a daunting task with a solid editorial calendar, good writers, and streamlined workflow. Always aim for clarity in your writing, avoiding healthcare mumbo jumbo. Also, ask yourself whether you are really addressing the questions and concerns of your audience.
4. Editing
Never underestimate the power of a well-polished piece. Grammar and typo fixes aside, editors fill in content holes, check facts and flow, and ensure a post maintains your organization’s writing voice. A strong editor can take a writer’s work from good to great.
Also read: Which Does Healthcare Content Marketing Need More: Strong Writers Or Strong Editors?
5. Visual Design
Articles with images get 94% more views. But are you using plain stock photos? How many other healthcare organizations are doing the same? Aim for originality—start with simple infographics and branded image/text complications to really make your posts pop. Use visuals to break up copy and as aides in content promotion.
6. Content Management
Whether you’re posting hourly or monthly, you’ll need a comprehensive content management system (CMS) to host and format your content. Look for a CMS that easily allows your contributors to collaborate and create compelling layouts. Security, version control, and metadata management are also important.
7. Content Distribution
Your goal is to create engaging content. Your other goal is to ensure that the content is read and shared. Develop a plan for posting to your main methods of distribution (frequency and timing for your blog, social media, and emails). If there’s room, adapt content for those specific platforms.
8. Social Media
Facebook, Twitter … whatever your platform, make it a goal to consistently promote your content on social media. And think of these platforms not only as promotional vehicles, but also as your ears to the ground. Observe what your online community is saying matters to them, and adjust your content topics accordingly.
9. Analytics
Analytics determine whether your content is reaching its intended audience and meeting your marketing goals. Make this step a priority. Employ tools like Google Analytics to gather and automate data collection—and be ready to make changes if you see areas for improvement.
10. Email Marketing
Email marketing is still a useful channel for sharing content. Keep your correspondences relevant and succinct with links that work. Trying to generate an email list? Instead of pop-up opt-in boxes—which could annoy visitors—prominently feature a subscribe section on your blog’s main page, and a variation of it at the end of each post.
11. Web Development
While not a necessity, learning web development basics could be instrumental in delivering higher quality content over time. Knowing basic page structure and HTML can provide you with the tools to create content that shines on your healthcare organization’s blog platform.
12. UX Design
Organized content that’s easy to find, search, and navigate is no longer an exception—it’s the rule. And with 30 to 50% of internet searches taking place on mobile, good user experience (UX) design must extend beyond desktops. But no need for separate strategies. Simply consider creating content components that are easily transferrable on multiple platforms.
