With the HCEA Annual Meeting around the corner, we’re looking forward to seeing the latest and greatest in trends affecting the healthcare industry—particularly as it adapts to new communications and marketing tools available.
Like many service-based organizations, prospective patients can come from anywhere at any time, and often want a solution to whatever is ailing them quickly, which makes websites like WebMD so popular. Enter any number of symptoms and voila! you have a diagnosis on the spot. While it’s accessible, it’s not always accurate, which is why healthcare organizations are challenged to find ways to provide future patients the information they need when they need it—and social media may provide the key to particular age groups like never before.
Consider this: According to The Pew Research Center, social networking among Internet users ages 50 and older has nearly doubled (from 22 percent to 42 percent) from 2009-2010, and ongoing growth is expected. While this age group may not be a priority for all organizations, it indicates that some marketing techniques are gaining popularity among unexpected audience members.
While social media can feel like it’s just for consumer- or patient-focused organizations, it can also hold the key for b2b organizations that are looking to connect with individuals in other organizations.
Regardless of what audience you’re targeting, If it didn’t work before, it doesn’t mean it won’t work now- maybe the timing just wasn’t right.
As communicators, finding the right tool for the right message is key, and when it comes to huge amounts of information or data, it can become an even bigger challenge. Just think about it: How much information does the White House put out on a daily basis, and how do they do it? Even newspapers and TV stations can struggle with this hour by hour when it comes to breaking news, and they need to put out information that is accurate, concise and interesting for readers and viewers.
Some innovators are finding solutions that bring data to life in an audiovisual way that communicates to its audience in an instant—and keeps your attention. When it comes to breathing life into traditionally boring information, these two videos are excellent examples of how to do it in a seamless, elegant way:
Exploring the history of 200 countries in four minutes
Via @TED_Talks, “Artfully visualizing our humanity”