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Just a qucik word about Social Media and healthcare organizations.
Too many organizations (including healthcare) start off thinking about Social Media the wrong way. They look at Social Media as a short cut to success. They want the killer app, the next hot viral video, something, anything that will set them apart from the competition and make them a killing in the short term. At Smack Smog we see social media as a long term strategy that brings trust and accountability between an organization and the public.
The trouble with healthcare organizations in America these days is a lack of trust. It doesn’t matter if you are a primary care physician, an accountable care organization, HMO, medical group or hospital. The public just doesn’t trust you. You think that we chose your services because of the way that we feel about you but you are wrong. The public views you as leeches who just want to profit from our misery. Sure there are exceptions. It’s not hard to win us over ONCE you done something amazing for us. But until then we pretty much have disdain and mistrust for you.
The biggest and easiest way for the health care industry to utilize Social Media is to harness it to build trust. Create amazing content that is honest and straightforward. Help us the public to chose your organization because you’ve helped us and not just mailed us a pictures of people in lab coats with concerned looks on their faces. That era is dead to us. We want honest content, helpful content, content that lets us see who you are as an organization. Then we’ll trust you. Then we’ll chose you.
