Time for Some Healthcare New Year's Resolutions

It’s that time of year for many people to head off for a festive break before social media marketing strategies seeing out the year. It’s a time for reflection – on what has been good and bad about 2015 – and the chance to make pledges to do things better in 2016. Healthcare has seen some real evolution this year. The value of patient engagement has started to be truly recognized by all the other stakeholders to elevate patient centricity above being another buzzword. In addition, the potential for big data to revolutionize management of wellness and disease is also becoming a reality as technology advances and allies with a growing focus on personalized healthcare, shifting everyone’s focus. Patients: become more active in your own health At the vanguard of patient empowerment we are seeing individuals who are tracking their own health using all the tools now available to them. But more than that, they have the confidence to know their voice has at least equal weight versus others in staying healthy and treating any disease. They are no longer passive recipients of medical advice; they are proactive champions of the quantified self and challengers of traditional health system hierarchies. In 2016, more patients should move down this path and engage on even terms with the other stakeholders. It will benefit everyone. - Healthcare providers: accept your role has changed In light of patient empowerment, healthcare providers – doctors, nurses and all others on the front line of medical intervention – should accept that the dynamic of their role has changed. Yes, time is extremely limited; yes, the hours are social media marketing manager long; yes, resources are limited; and yes, there is a great deal of misinformation to contend with. But fighting it will not change the direction of travel. Instead, use your medical expertise and training to help guide patients though their journey and, in doing so, keep learning yourself. Your role is critical so don’t stand still in such as fast-changing environment. -

Learn Something New!

This is another one of those activities that can get pushed aside, but the marketing with social media opportunities are endless, and most of the time you don’t have to leave your desk. Is there a topic that interests you? Research it and take an online course. Many are free – even if they originate in the hallowed halls of Ivy League institutions like Harvard and Yale. Maybe these are too general to be of great value to a business owner? Then try a YouTube search. The first result I got was “Top 500 Free Online College Courses.” There are also online education emporiums like Khan Academy. But keep in mind that learning something new doesn’t necessarily require a formal class. If your neighbor is a Quickbooks expert, why not ask for a brief lesson? Clean Up and Focus Your Data. If you have a mailing list it is absolutely guaranteed to contain some bad addresses and/or emails. These need to be cleaned up, and while it may take some time it’s worth doing. One, you are sending emails to non-existent people, and there really is no point to this practice. And two, you increase the risk of being labeled a spammer. Clean up your list – some will be easy, obvious corrections and some will need to be deleted, but you’re in business to market to people who can actually buy things. Then, segment your list – send targeted messages to sub-groups within your existing list. This personalization does wonders for stats like open rates (14% higher) clicks (58% higher) and unsubscribe requests (9% lower). Manage Your Blog Comment Spam. Chances are, if you have a blog and happen to take a few days off, you will return to a big steaming pile of curious blog remarks about obtaining prescription drugs or how to control your pets. You will also get a few pings from strange websites with titles social media marketing software like “Why I Love Your Blog” or “Premier Power Oxortey.” Controlling comment spam is part diligence, part technology and part gut instinct, as it is not always easy to tell legitimate comments from spam. But it is important. Allowing nonsense remarks or bad links to your blog will ultimately hurt your credibility with readers and could hurt your search rankings.

Be more Social – online that is.

Have you abandoned your how to use social media for marketing followers in the midst of the holiday rush? This year, we’re committed to speaking and listening to our fans! Although we can’t say “‘yes” to everything, we’re going to say it as much as we can. It’s important that we build a good relationship with our fans, and not just continuously promote our products. We’re passionate about what we sell, and that’s what we want to share with our fans.Make no resolutions. Let’s be realistic for once: no one keeps their resolutions. Why not sell exercise equipment in the first week of January, and then snack foods for the rest of the year. Now that’s what we call understanding your customers. :) Join Something The collective wisdom of a group is something you can never experience alone, sitting in your office. There are professional groups all over LinkedIn and other online forums. Use them! All generally welcome new members and all are generous with their knowledge. Best of all, you will open up networking opportunities many magnitudes faster than if you did this through one on one meetings. The old school groups like the Elks, Rotary Club, and Kiwanis can also be very helpful. These folks often have deep roots in their communities, making them great resources for the small business owner. Sure, none of these are glamorous endeavors, but they are all useful and focused on growing your business. Make success your number one resolution social media marketing courses for the new year. Regulators: think beyond medicines Regulatory approval for medical apps and engagement with new technology companies like 23andMe has shown that regulators, such as FDA and EMA, are accepting that controlling use of medicines is just one aspect of their role. Delivering the right outcomes often necessitates a mix of medicine, support and technology. In 2016, the regulators must continue to upskill around being able to assess which interventions will make a difference, traditional medicine or not.