MediaPost says, “Data is the new content.” And we certainly agree: data can be a great source for content, particularly in industries like healthcare. Often, in fact, it can be the best kind of content – relevant, timely, interesting and sharable.
In the MediaPost article, Steve Smith writes, “As much as data is a game-changer for ad targeting, I think an even bigger opportunity is in harnessing it as service media for consumers.” Smith points to the Sickweather app, which gathers data from social networks as its source for “600,000 illness reports a month.” The app’s creators call it “the world’s first Doppler radar for sickness,” and it notifies users when they’re in areas with high incidences of communicable illnesses, like the flu.
But the data’s more than an “FYI.” In addition to allowing advertisers to target consumers in affected areas with remedies, the app will connect users with healthcare providers. Smith quotes Sickweather’s CEO Graham Dodge: “We will eventually target ads based on the app user’s location to serve sponsored map markers for nearby healthcare clinics and hospitals, of which advertisers are already lining up.” It’s a rich, dynamic way to turn readily available data into content that both provides a service to consumers and establishes a new medium for healthcare marketing.
On a smaller scale, hospitals and insurers have similar data at their fingertips. And while they’re unlikely to establish a new ad platform, they’re certainly positioned to develop content that can offer important insights for their patients and customers.
For example, in the past, when seeing increased ER visits for conditions like frostbite (or, in a different season, heat stroke), a hospital might have issued a press release and talked to local media about prevention. A brief story would appear in print and online publications and air on local television and radio. Now, however, trend data from illnesses, injuries and insurance claims can be turned into content with broader reach and utility. Here are some ideas:
- Write-up articles and related stories to use as featured content on your website and your blog.
- Post pieces of data in your social media streams, engage in conversations about the data and encourage social sharing as a way for your fans/followers to keep their friends informed.
- Create direct, opt-in content streams (email alerts or mobile notifications) for patients and customers interested in the most up-to-date data on topics that interest them.
- Develop guides and FAQs to show your expertise related to the data and to be a resource for your patients, customers, staff and community.
- Produce short video segments that bring that data to life and film video versions of the content created for other media from the ideas above.
Want to discuss any of these in greater detail or customize a plan for turning your data into content? Drop us a note!