4 Social Media Trends in Healthcare This Year
Social media has touched every industry. Healthcare is no different. These four social media trends are shaping the way the healthcare industry handles patient care and service.
1. Video is King
Video is quickly becoming the main source of content for many brands. Cisco projects that 80% of online traffic will be driven by video content by next year. About 80% of social media users say they’d rather watch a video than read text.
When it comes to healthcare content, mobile video will likely be the best bet for marketers. Video content and live streaming has a unique way of engaging viewers.
Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health posts live broadcasts on their Facebook page regularly. Medical supplies company Avacare Medical routinely posts videos on their Facebook page that features educational or uplifting content.
Video will continue to drive traffic and engagement in the health care industry for the foreseeable future.
2. More Focus on Patient Communities and Groups
Caregivers and patients are creating and engaging with content at high rates. Patient groups and communities have 24 times more social media activity than health industry companies, according to PwC.
Health industry companies should focus on engaging with these communities and groups.
Patients routinely use social media to read reviews, gather information, share reviews and post about their own personal experiences. Social media can provide value to patients and health industry companies.
A study published in Surgery found that in a Facebook support group created by surgeons for liver transplant patients, 95% of members reported the group having a positive impact on their care.
3. Influencer Marketing Will Continue to Surge
Influencer marketing continues to surge in the healthcare industry. When Patient Leaders are featured in educational campaigns, health industry companies can ensure that accurate, valuable information is being provided to patients.
Over 90% of healthcare marketers who use an influencer strategy say that this is a successful way to connect with new patients or improve engagement with existing patients.
Influencer marketing, according to a Nielson survey, offers 11 times the ROI. More than 40% of consumers say that the information they find on social media affects the way they take care of thier health.
4. Messaging Apps and Chatbots Continue to Improve Patient Service
Chatbots and messaging apps will continue to improve patient service. These services allow health industry companies to engage and interact with their target audience quickly and in a more personal way.
There are more than 100,000 active bots on Facebook’s Messenger platform every month. Businesses exchange nearly 2 billion messages with their target audiences each month. There are more than 150 health chatbots on Facebook alone. Some answer general health questions, while others provide mental health support. Other bots are designed to help users reach their fitness and nutrition goals.
Using a combination of messaging apps and chatbots can greatly improve the quality of patient service.
Consumers prefer to interact with businesses via social media, according to SproutSocial, which found that 34.5% of consumers prefer social media. Just 16.1% preferred to interact via telephone, and 5.3% preferred in-person contact.