How To Use Social Media For Healthcare - Strategic Framework

I am often asked how do I tell my story in a way that will attract interest in the digital space? Perhaps the wrong question. The question really is what am I trying to achieve and from there your story be it as a health activist, health care professional or health organisation unfolds. It is all about being human, authentic and connection. Marry this with carefully considered strategic goals working in tandem to your business objectives and you have a powerful opportunity to build engagement. But it begins with a plan.

Any well designed social media plan for healthcare should consider the following the questions. If you take the time to work through the various issues impacting your business when you answer these questions you will be on your way to discovering the empowering benefits of using social media for patient education, peer to peer discussion, KOL influence and business development. This excellent prompt from the Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media is very similar to how I work with clients when we start out on their path to building digital embassies across the social ecosphere. Like an business consideration it begins with "why" you are doing it and "what" you want to achieve. The "how" to execute then falls into place.

Business Goals

• What business outcome do you want to support or problem do you need to solve?
• Who are the key stakeholders or community members (a.k.a., 'the audience")?
• Is your audience comprised of individuals, small groups, or formal organisations?
• What do you know about your audience?
• What demographic mix must you consider?
• What general health and literacy levels are present?
• How can social media tools be deployed to help you better understand your audience?

Desired Outcomes

• What do you want to change through your proposed initiative?
• Is that change on the individual, small-group, or formal organisational level?
• What do you want your audience to know/believe about your organisation?
• How do you want them to feel?
• What action(s) do you want them to take?
• Are those actions individual or collective?

Choosing Tools

• Which platforms could be most effective for connecting with your audience?
• Are you accounting for literacy levels and learning styles?
• How can social media tools coordinate with, support, and enrich existing traditional means of communication?
• Will video be helpful?
• How in depth would interactions need to be?
• Is the subject matter too complex for video?
• Are potential community members already gathering on a particular platform?
• How deeply do those platforms penetrate your audience?
• Is your project sufficiently compelling that it could inspire online community members to try a new platform?
• Must your online community be exclusive, or may anyone have access to materials and discussion?

Measurement

• How will you judge/evaluate the success of your campaign?
• How will you measure behavioural change?
• How will you measure attitudinal change?
• What actions taken by your audience will indicate successfully achieving your goal?
• Can you convert any outcomes to a financial figure, such as increased revenue or decreased costs, so you can calculate ROI?

Format for Plan

The following elements should be included in any plan:

• Executive Summary
• Background/Situation Analysis
• Business Goals and Defining Success
• Integration of Social Media Tools with Traditional Means
• Resources Required
• Timeline for Implementation
• Budget
• Measurement
• Conclusion

Once answered you will have a clear pathway forward and an understanding of how you can participate in bringing the social media #revolution to health care. You will have carefully considered strategic reasons for integrating social media into your health care marketing and communications.

Source: Mayo Clinic Center for Social Media

From here you can translate your plan in strategic content using and editorial calendar

You can develop your own template with seo keywords, key messages and more which is what I do or you can download a number of free templates such as the above

Note: If you would like to hear how a number of health activists and health care professionals have learnt how to tell their story in the digital space a.k.a social media and built thriving tribes numbering in the millions then come along to Healthivate - the bloggers conferences,. healthivate tickets available here.