If your organization uses social media as a one-sided conversation, hear this: You may be missing out on a major brand-building opportunity known as "social listening."

By paying close attention to online reviews and comments, healthcare providers are discovering ways to engage their consumers more fully - and improve their patient experience as well.

Gain Fresh Insights to Optimize Your Offerings

For example, when a parent complained online about the excessive amount of time their child spent in the waiting room before surgery - on top of hours of fasting and rising early - their regional healthcare system heard them.

The organization's social media team alerted the hospital executives to the post, so they could personally connect with the family and, ultimately, review and change their pediatric surgery scheduling practices.

Since investing in a higher level of responding and reporting, the team has seen year-over-year growth in consumer engagement. That's what comes of listening.

Don't Have a Social Media Team? Adopt Best Practices.

Hospitals and practices of all sizes rely on social media to inform their customers and improve perceptions of their brand. But not all have the resources for a team devoted to social listening. No problem. Your marketing team, large or small, can create a response protocol:

  • Sort complaints and questions into categories.
  • Establish pre-set action steps for each category of complaint.
  • React immediately to patients still under your care.
  • Craft appropriate responses to ensure your patients have a positive experience.
  • Respond with honesty to fair criticisms.
  • Reach out privately to posters who may have commented in error.

More than Words: Respond by Making a Change

When a consumer complaint raises a real operational issue, consider going beyond sympathetic phrases to amend the situation. You might:

  • Use consumer feedback to improve the quality of care overall and boost patient satisfaction.
  • Streamline collaboration between department leaders and liaisons to solve operational or systemic issues.

Benefit from a New Perspective on Your Brand

Social listening helps you better understand your patients' experiences and the emotions they associate with your brand. With that knowledge you can:

  • Enhance your reputation;
  • Improve patient satisfaction;
  • Exceed consumer expectations; and
  • Grow your market.

CMG Health Marketing can help you learn more about the benefits of a smart social strategy to increase consumer engagement. Call us today.