Clinical Update TEN TOP TIPS Promoting your wound care centre


Clinical Update TEN TOP TIPS Promoting your wound care centre


" There has never


been a better time for wound centres to be actively networking on


social media sites.


However, common sense must be used... Be conscious of


patient privacy, local governance, and ensure that your wound centre has


an ongoing process for maintaining your social


media pages."


and building strong relationships within the industry, sub-industries and media is key. Public relations should never be just the press release. Writing and distributing the release is important, but centres must focus on the key components of the message that will ultimately reach the public.


5


VIDEO IS PERFECT FOR WOUND CENTRE MARKETING


The visual, easy-to-consume components of video marketing make it ideal for promoting wound centres. According to the Pew Research Centre,[3]


72% of US Internet users say that they


have searched for health information online. Video is slowly becoming an expectation for many patients who prefer images and graphics to traditional text information. Wound centres should take full advantage of video for patient outreach and advocacy. With advancements in HD video, it is easier and cheaper to create videos about your wound care team and programmes than ever before.


data it is important to collect contact information of your patients for marketing purposes. However, the patients must opt-in to marketing to avoid problems with spam and adhere to patient privacy laws. Patients with chronic wounds often have recurring wounds, meaning they are likely going to be repeat patients. Clinic staff should seek professional advice when it comes to patient list building, to maintain a strong relationship with both current and former patients. Email addresses can be used for email blasts and driving patients and caregivers to a centre’s social media channels to help them feel connected.


6


REFERENCES 1. NHS Choices (2012) Any qualified


provider. Available at: http://bit. ly/1g3HgYM (accessed 11.02.2014)


2. HIT (2013) How patients learn in the digital age utilizing technology for patient education. Available at: http://bit. ly/1dFENPo (accessed 11.02.2014)


3. Pew Health (2013) Highlights of the Pew Internet Project’s research related to health and health care. Available at: http:// tinyurl.com/njhofes (accessed 11.02.2014)


4. Goldman E (2013) How doctors should respond to negative online reviews. Available at: http://tinyurl.com/ln2lam9 (accessed 11.02.2014)


wound centres to be actively networking on social media sites. However, common sense must be used whenever you are communicating online. Be conscious of patient privacy, local governance, and ensure that your wound centre has an ongoing process for maintaining your social media pages. Each social media platform can provide


7


your wound centre with different marketing opportunities. Wound centres should develop their own presence on social media sites, regardless of their hospital system’s pages.


16


HAVE A PLAN FOR SOCIAL MEDIA There has never been a better time for


LIST BUILDING With the massive explosion of patient


Facebook is great for telling your story and


interacting with your potential patient base on a local level, while Twitter is an excellent way to find people in your area and drive them to your Facebook page. Google+ has value for search engine optimisation purposes to get patients to your wound centre’s website.


ENCOURAGE PATIENT REVIEWS Today, patients look to the Internet before choosing their healthcare service providers. They want verification from the community that a provider is honest and capable. Online reviews provide a two-way window for both doctors and patients to keep an eye on practice strengths and areas that could be improved. Many clinicians fear online patient reviews,


8


but even a negative review is an opportunity to publicly respond and show that you care. Last year, Forbes Magazine[4]


covered this topic,


stating that clinicians should embrace reviews and actually encourage them. However, if the majority of online reviews are negative you need to invest more time figuring out why patients are not satisfied with your care.


9


CREATE A BLOG AND UPDATE IT WEEKLY


Blogs are a great way of keeping wound care patients informed of the services that your centre offers. A blog is a valuable resource to educate your audience about how nonhealing wounds start and how they can be healed with advanced treatments. Blogs are also a great vehicle for posting case studies, graphics, videos, and other vital marketing information. Blogging is an effective way to use context- heavy keywords to create content for your social media channels and increase your website's search engine presence. In general, aim for one engaging post per week.


10


WHEN IN DOUBT, HIRE AN EXPERT


Marketing a wound clinic is hard work that encompasses many components and hours. Ensuring that clinicians are engaged in this important process should not be at the expense of their clinical commitments. Outsourcing marketing efforts to experts can be helpful. For many centres, this may be the most efficient route as it allows your centre to focus on what it does best, which is heal wounds and care for patients. n


Wounds International Vol 5 | Issue 1 | ©Wounds International 2014 | www.woundsinternational.com


Ten Top Tips


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30