India has over 260 million active social media users with Facebook being the biggest social network with around 241 million users. LinkedIn has around 42 million users and Twitter has 23.2 million active users. As mobile data plans become more affordable and ubiquitous, access to the internet in India should become more widespread in the next several years. These statistics show that Social Media is a goldmine for companies trying to find a footing with their target customers and the trend is here to stay. Choosing to participate is not an option anymore, but the ability to sustain and ensure scalability.
Before we move on to our topic for today lets share a quick overview of the current healthcare industry scenario:
India has a lot to cheer about. The nation’s healthcare industry has shown a robust growth rate in the past few years due to a number of factors – rise in per capita income, awareness about health risks, cost-effective service, growing adoption of health/ medical insurance and accessibility to better healthcare. Government too has taken many steps in this direction and made healthcare accessible to states with weaker medical infrastructure. Set up of ‘National Health Mission’, allowing 100% FDI in the medical field and reduced taxes are some of the initiatives. Medical tourism too is booming in our country and is expected to grow at 30% annually. India offers plenty of opportunities for both national and international players.
So why is there a disconnect with the ‘digital savvy patient’ who have information at their fingertips with easy access to peer groups and expert forums for quick reviews and feedback. The acceptance of social media in the healthcare industry has been exceptionally slow and cautious. And the reasons for the same have been discussed here.
In the recent times, however there has been an increase in the usage of social media to build awareness towards a sudden outbreak or general day to day guidelines for overall well being.
Benefits of A Social Media Presence:
- Real time interaction – the first and the most obvious benefit of having a social media presence is it allows doctors and medical experts to connect real time. And the more one communicates with their audience the more strong a relationship they firm with their target audience.
- Raise Awareness – There are plenty of new drugs and mode of treatment that are being introduced in the industry. Doctors and Healthcare Companies attend conferences, seminars and trade shows on a regular basis to keep pace with these developments. Social Media can be a great way to pass out such information to the audience at large who can benefit greatly from such advice. Healthcare industry must provide trusted information on crucial and life saving medications such as vaccines, immunizations, flu, virus, dengue, malaria etc.
- Counter Misinformation – Nearly 90% of older adults have used social media to seek and share health information. At the same time there is a lot of misinformation on health on social networks. The ones which create a sense of panic and negativity in the audience should be addressed by veterans.
- Crisis Communication – More people now get their news from social media than from newspapers. That makes social media a key place to share breaking information. It’s a perfect platform for critical instructions during a health crisis.
Tips and techniques that can aid HealthCare Experts to stand out on Social Media Channels:
- Humor – Healthcare is very heavy on information and the content can get very tiresome for the audience to read and comprehend. Humor is a great way to combat the seriousness of the industry and to stand out as well. Funny videos can be a great way to send your message across effectively.
- Provide Helpful Information – Use your social media page to share links to case studies and blogs that might help your followers to understand certain illnesses and ways to prevent them from causing serious damage.
- Infographics – are a great way to create easy-to-absorb content across channels. They enable marketers to share information in a lucid way which creates a lasting impression in the consumers mind.
- Testimonials – Written or Visual Testimonials are great tools to create genuine and lasting relation with new and existing customer base.
- Reviews - Empower your patients to market for you. Reviews are an incredible way to boost credibility and gain visibility.
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