Not so long ago, marketers created a bright line between experiential and social marketing...
But the line is beginning to fade.
Let's take a closer look at what experiential marketing looks like in the age of social media.
Is it HIPAA-noia? A fear of lack of control? Whatever the reason, most medical marketers have been late to the social media party. All that, however, seems to changing according to a recent article on Portfolio.com: “This is new territory for medical marketing. Ten years ago, it was innovative if hospitals had websites. Now, medical institutions area tweeting, creating Facebook pages, making videos for YouTube and posting photos on Flickr.” While we cheer this growing acknowledgement of social media as a marketing tool, we wonder about the effectiveness of most hospitals' efforts as they "dip their toes into the water." Are they building engagement? Are they forming communities? Are they advancing their brand and differentiating?
Media Logic is working with Atlantic Medical Imaging (a multi-site radiology/imaging practice based in New Jersey) to establish thought leadership, create engagement and preference among patients (and prospective patients) and referring physicians, and ultimately drive utilization. At the center of the strategic social marketing effort is a blog featuring information on the benefits of low dose radiology, a key differentiator for the practice. We also use Facebook and Twitter to create a fan base, encourage interaction and drive traffic to the blog.
Even though the effort has just recently launched, we have used “best practice” techniques we have learned through our work with highly regulated industries such as banking and insurance to build-in security while optimizing engagement. Here are three key elements we believe are important in using social media for medical practices.
How would your company respond to an industry-wide downward spiral of price promotion, reduced productivity, unreliable performance and increased commoditization? Read how Media Logic client, MicroGroup, took the high road to stake its claim as a valued partner to OEMs.
For many marketers, their first foray into social media was putting up a Facebook fan page or Twitter account – to which they randomly posted random content. Of course, this experiment failed as they attracted only a small and ragtag assortment of fans and followers. The key to an effective social media plan is to establish the importance of strategic content. It is the act of creating (or uncovering) and distributing this content that will help you achieve your strategic objectives. Now that the shine is off social media, isn’t it time to put it to work for your organization?
So why are a series of active older adults declaring “I have SilverSneakers®” if they’re not actually wearing said sneakers? It’s the creative hook to a new TV spot that we developed for the nation's premier senior fitness program, SilverSneakers, from Healthways. The spot is designed to build name recognition for the SilverSneakers program, while demonstrating the end benefit of lifelong fitness — the ability to stay active, and enjoy life.
It’s time to join the conversation.
Online tools. Review sites. Social media. They’re radically changing the game - shifting the balance of power by placing control of the marketing process directly in the hands of your prospects.
Download Media Logic’s new paper, Forget the Funnel: A New Look at the Stealth Buyer, and see how changing your approach to B2B lead generation could mean greater efficiency, stronger engagement and better results.
This paper will help you:
The old days of pushing out advertising messages to prospects are over. The pubs are struggling. Trade shows don’t get the numbers anymore. DM and email aren’t driving response. So, how do you connect with prospects?
The funnel has gone leaky. Across industries, inquiries no longer track to sales. Prospects stay stealth and anonymous. People chat with their friends and followers about you behind your back and then show up at your storefront, website or admissions hall in numbers that mystify.
A recent Marketing Sherpa study of B2B customers and marketers showed that 8 out of 10 closed deals were the result of the customer finding the seller, not as the result of any sales or marketing outreach. Clearly it's time to rethink our conception of the sales process.