MDNews - Minnesota

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING: Treading an Uncertain Path by Jonelle Todd T he ProPer role of social media in promoting healthcare products and services remains shrouded in uncertainty among marketers. "Attitudes on the Use of Social Media in Healthcare Communications," a study published in the Journal of Communication in Healthcare in 2013, surveyed 107 healthcare, pharmaceutical and life sciences executives about their social media views and practices. The researchers learned, among other eye-opening findings, that half of the compa nies represented in the sur vey were not participating in social media. Researchers attribute that, at least in part, to lack of guidance by federal regulators. getting the word out + Eight y-five percent of respondents believe social media should be a permissible mea ns for hea lt hca re a nd pharmaceutical marketers to promote to professionals. + Eighty-one percent believe healthcare and pharmaceutical marketers should be allowed to present information to the general public via social media. appropriate for healthcare communication? The respondents' ratings: + YouTube: 68 percent + LinkedIn: 62 percent + Facebook: 60 percent + Twitter: 42 percent + Flickr: 32 percent visible oversight + Only 8 percent believe the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has adequate resources for effective oversight of the use of social media by healthcare and pharmaceutical companies. + Likewise, 8 percent believe the FDA is doing a good job of regulating social media use by healthcare-related marketers. more than 23,000 posts and tweets on the Facebook and Twitter pages of 172 U.S. hospitals. They found that: + Information flow on Facebook and, to a greater degree, on Twitter is predominantly one-way, rather than a dialogue between the hospital and the public. + Traffic begets traffic on Facebook: The more visitors a hospital attracts to its Facebook page, the more "likes," comments on posts and recommendations the hospital can expect to receive. ■ PR e ac h i n g to th e choiR? a StudY iN the journal Information Systems Research in 2013 revealed that when healthcare companies trust and transparency + Almost half believe marketers use unbranded websites to lead consumers to their brands. make social media posts consisting of general information or the organizations' achievements, it does prompt comments — but from + Thirty-six percent believe marketers manipulate blogs and discussion boards. employees rather than consumers. The authors suggest that content from external users can be enhanced Social Standing W h ich so cia l med ia ch a n nels a re 42 | Twin Cities MD News ■ MdNewS.CoM Building the Connection Researchers at Indiana University analyzed if companies' posts focus on clients.

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