Lack of Social Media Strategy Is Harmful to the Health of Your Brand
From time to time we come across health care groups that are clearly struggling to understand the digital space and how powerful social media has become. From just a short visit to a website, a quick scan of Facebook page or a Twitter account, it is pretty easy to see who is in the (social media) game, who thinks they are in the game, and who has missed the game completely. So, in the spirit of all those warnings that accompany health-related advertisements, we think that social media needs a warning, too!
Hospitals, clinics, doctors, medical providers should be warned: A lack of a social media strategy can be harmful to the health of your brand.
We think the warning should be accompanied by these excellent points posted on Bloomberg Business Week by C. Edward Brice:
1. Believing that if you build it, they will come. Just because you brand a Facebook page, YouTube channel, Twitter feed, or blog does not mean that you are using social media.
2. Not being authentic. You will soon be sniffed out if all you’re doing is using social media tools to promote your one-sided message and make sales.
3. Thinking you are in control. If you think you can control negative comments on your blog or other avenues, you will soon learn that you can’t.
4. Not listening. Social media is about open, two-way dialogue that entails both giving and sharing.
5. Thinking social media is not work. Social media is the most unscalable tactic there is in digital media. It takes a human being on the other end of the channel to engage and converse.
6. Not knowing your audience. Lacking an understanding of what your audience is passionate about or wants to engage in will result in a poor experience both for you and your audience.
You’ve been warned! We’re here to help—see your GWT provider, ahem, account exec, today!
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