Before I start with this piece of article, I would like to share with all of you the fact, that, how social media and search engine works for augmenting one's Business. Two months back, I had my Root Canal Treatment done. My 7th molar was a real pain to me and rendered me sleepless nights. I contacted my Dental Healthcare service provider, with whom I in touch for many years. But, he seemed to be not very confident about the procedure, due to his advanced age and never performing RCT in his professional life. I started researching dentists from my acquaintances and peers. But, anyhow I could not make up my mind. Then, I started my journey on search engines and social media platforms. Finally, I hit upon an endodontist after finding him ranking on the first page of the search engine page and on most of the popular social media platforms with a 5-star rating from the reviewers. But, still, I was sitting on the fence. As the pain in my tooth was becoming intolerable, I decided to get the RCT done. Voila, it turned out to be a completely painless procedure and a grand success. The endodontist, nevertheless, being a very young person was marvellous.
Imagine a patient tweeting about your service or treatment he received from your brand. Or talking about a doctor in a public forum? A huge number of people are scouring the internet, and social media platforms looking for information like special services, medications, treatments, reviews, etc.…the list is endless. Whatever they experience is out on social media for others to see, refer or even develop an opinion about!
Have a look at some statistics below which will tell how people today use the internet for the healthcare industry.
Research in 2011 by Max Bupa has found that:-
One-third of Indians (39 %) go online for health information. The percentage of people using the Internet to find health solutions in other emerging nations is Russia (39 %), China (32 %), Brazil (29 %), and Mexico (27 %).
The primary use of the internet for health purposes is finding information about medicines (68 % of respondents) in all countries. Other uses include searching for information to make a self-diagnosis (46 %) and seeking other patients' experiences (39 %).
18 % of respondents use social networking sites to find out about healthcare issues.
As per getreferralmd.com, it states:
It's a fact that social media is an integral part of people's lives! and People today, are very opinionated and brands should be prepared to deal with it. Technology empowers people to share their every brand/ industry to have a social media strategy, more so for a healthcare industry that works so closely with people. It is one of the very few industries that need to emotionally connect with its consumers.
More than 8 in 10 people (81%) around the globe who have the internet use it to search for advice about their health, medicines, or medical conditions.
41% of people said social media would affect their choice of a specific doctor, hospital, or medical facility.
30% of adults are likely to share information about their health on social media sites with other patients, 47% with doctors, 43% with hospitals, 38% with a health insurance company, and 32% with a drug company.
90% of respondents from 18 to 24 years of age said they would trust medical information shared by others on their social media networks.
This is why it is imperative for healthcare brands to be on social media to educate and address their consumers' needs. Most importantly being on social media makes you accessible when the consumer needs you! It gives you a chance to show how receptive you are to their needs.
Mr A. Dasgupta, Manager of Brand & Marketing (South & West), Fortis Healthcare Ltd says "Today, healthcare marketing is considered to be a multidisciplinary area of public health medicine, and since it combines traditional marketing theories and principles with science-based strategies, it requires an ever-innovative approach. The goal of healthcare marketing is disease prevention, health promotion, and health protection, as opposed to traditional marketing which aims only to increase the value of a company or its merchandise. Therefore, it is safe to say, that Social Media Marketing has evolved to fit into healthcare, just as social networking has evolved to fit into a person's basic everyday activities.
Hence, social networking can no longer be an optional tool for healthcare marketing, if it is to continue to be of relevance." He goes on to say" In present times, a healthcare organization such as ours, should embrace and incorporate the booming technology that is social media so that the two can grow together and in peace. In doing so, healthcare marketing will not only lean closer towards achieving its unique goals but also establish itself as a branch of marketing that is here to stay for years to come"
For these states some strong reasons. He mentions Social Media opens opportunities for the Healthcare industry because of various reasons. It is a dynamic medium that allows efficient ways to address quality issues that would otherwise take days and months. One can provide updates that can be given and get almost instantaneous interactions from the public. Mainly he says "For generations, the healthcare industry has depended on word of mouth as its most enduring branding tool. Used correctly, social media does just that, in an exponentially augmented manner, leading to brand equity index growth."