Want a marketing bonanza? Hospices use social media
Facebook, Twitter, and blogs New ways to reach audience
Did you know that you have the ability to reach a potential 500 million people, and it doesn't cost you a dime? Five hundred million is the number of active Facebook users who spend more than 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook.1
"We've been on Facebook since December 2008," says Margaret Chatham, webmaster for Hospice of Palm Beach County, Palm Beach, FL. "We started the Facebook page after discovering that we would increase search engine optimization for our web site by linking to Facebook and setting up our own page," she says.
Search engine optimization (SEO), the process of improving the visibility of a web site by incorporating text, links, or specific coding within a web site, is only one potential benefit of using social media to promote your agency, says Merrily Orsini, MSSW, managing director of Corecubed, an integrated marketing, design, and public relations company based in Louisville, KY.
"I'm not seeing a lot of use of social media by home care companies," she says. There are, however, some home health and hospice agencies that are setting up pages to promote events, describe their businesses, and increase exposure, Orsini points out. "The use of Facebook, Twitter, or a blog that links back to your main web site gives you an opportunity to increase your exposure on the Internet and gives your audience an easy way to stay up-to-date on your activities," she says.
All of these methods also increase the likelihood that your hospice might pop up high on the list of search results when someone is looking for information on grief, death, hospice, or other related topics in your geographical area, Orsini explains.
Social media is a good outlet to reach people age 55 and older, a target market for most hospices, because this is the fastest growing age group on the Internet as boomers retire and choose social media as a way to stay in touch with people now that they have time, she says.
Although increasing your presence on the Internet doesn't cost anything, there are potential disadvantages that you need to keep in mind before incorporating social media into your marketing plan, suggests Orsini. Facebook and blogs that accept community comment do open the opportunity for negative posts, she points out. "The fear of this level of openness and transparency is one reason many agencies don't want to try social media," she admits. "Smaller agencies with limited geographic audiences may not be at as great a risk as a larger, multi-county agency, but even the larger agency can use social media if it is approached in the right way."
Hospice of Palm Beach County is a larger hospice, with almost 1,000 employees and 600 volunteers who serve an average of 1,200 patients each day in the home and in six inpatient units. "We have not had any problems with negative posts, but we also control what we post very carefully," says Jennifer Martinez, communications manager for the hospice. "Any requests for information that employees or physicians want posted on any of the social media must come through my department, Margaret and I review the item, determine the best location for it, and make the posting."
Of course, the possibility of a negative or inappropriate comment on the page does exist, but Martinez and Chatham minimize the risk by monitoring the Facebook page throughout the day. Martinez says, "We are probably on the site a dozen times a day." Chatham adds, "If there is an inappropriate comment, we just remove it."
Quite a few employees are "friends" on the hospice's page, but their comments are always positive and supportive, she says. "We are careful to never mention patients by name, and our employees understand that rule as well," Chatham adds. Employees are told not to mention details about patients that might lead to their identity, and if the hospice posts an item that might identify a patient, permission to use the story is obtained from the family, she says.
"Usually, we have comments from family members of former patients praising us or responding positively to one of our posts," Chatham says. "The page gives them an easy way to give us feedback."
Provide timely responses
In addition to monitoring the site for negative or inappropriate comments, Martinez and Chatham keep an eye on comments or questions that require a response from the hospice.
"It is critical that a hospice have a process in place to respond in a timely manner," Martinez says. The poster might want information on services, a referral to a resource such as a grief support group or an answer to a general question related to dying, she says. "We've established ourselves as a source of information, so we have to make sure we provide that information to maintain our credibility," she says
Developing a policy that guides the content and responsibility for social media is critical before starting a blog or Facebook page, says Orsini. The policy should address:
the goal of your use of social media;
how social media fits into an overall marketing strategy;
who is responsible for oversight of the social media;
what messages are appropriate for social media;
how messages will be posted;
how the results of social media will be evaluated.
"Of course, before you implement the use of any social media, make sure your web site is current, stays updated, and offers valuable resources," says Orsini. Resources can include articles of interest, free admission to an event, an invitation to a community seminar, or a newsletter, she says. "Keep in mind that the value of using media such as Facebook is to invite people to join your social network and to talk about hot topics for your agency."
Once you establish your site, you can expand its use as needed, she adds.
Don't forget that Facebook is only one form of social media, warns Orsini. "Blogs can be a very effective way to reach people in your audience," she says. "A blog gives you more 'real estate' on the Internet and gives you a chance to personalize your expertise."
By setting up a blog that features experts within your hospice, you can provide valuable information to patients and families, and you can link them to your web site, she explains.
Remember that social media is all about being personal, says Orsini. Don't just post facts and static information, she says. "Make a connection by promoting a speaker from your agency who is presenting a seminar at a local organization, or invite people to an event for your hospice," Orsini says. "The biggest mistake people make when trying to use social media as part of their marketing plan is not to recognize the opportunity to develop personal relationships through these media by presenting the information in a warm, welcoming manner."
Reference
1. Statistics. Facebook, Palo Alto, CA. Web: www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics. Accessed 09/01/2010.
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