Write2Health Blog

Momentum: Biking & Social Media

/in , /by

In January, even in Atlanta, the weather is not always conducive to biking. A 50-degree day can seem pretty brisk when you’re creating your own wind chill. I miss those Indian summer days of fall, and even early winter, when my friends and I would put in 20 miles or more in an afternoon.

A few times, I’ve logged 30 miles!

If you’re NOT a cyclist, it may sound like a long hard ordeal. Here’s the thing, it’s really not that bad. In fact, it’s fun. And I’m no athlete.

I had to work up to those 30-mile bike rides—spending time at the gym on the stationery bike, elliptical as well as leg-strengthening machines. I’ve done plenty of shorter rides. Like I said, I’m no natural athlete.

It’s so worth it. Biking provides a great calorie burn. One of my friends has an Endomondo Sports Tracker that measures calorie burn based on distance, time, and ups and downs in elevation.

On a pretty much flat surface, a two-hour bike ride can burn over 1500 calories. Whoa! That’s like a whole day’s worth of calories. And if you’re with a friend, it doesn’t even seem like two hours.

So that’s why I bike. It’s an incredibly efficient way to burn calories. Plus, it gets me away from my laptop, away from my overly active brain, for a few hours.

What does all this have to do with social media?

Just like I need exercise, you know your company’s marketing requires social media. You may have already set up accounts, even posted a few items. But that’s where it’s stopped.

Or, you may have pushed the whole social media thing onto someone else. It’s too overwhelming; let them deal with it.

That certainly works well. But in doing so, you’re missing out on the fun. You’re missing the immediacy of being connected with your customers and your prospects. And you’re missing a great deal of good information.

It’s time to get into training mode!

Identify one social media outlet, and dive into it. Once you’ve figured out one, you can move on to another. Twitter is a very active platform for the health industry. It’s a great place to get started.

  • Put a hashtag like “health” or “healthcare” or “health IT” or “mHealth” into Twitter search, and you’ll find multiple companies to follow.
  • Put your competitors’ names into search, and start following them. Watch what they’re posting.
  • Once you follow a company, you’ll see their tweets – as well as their followers. You see who they’re linked with; perhaps that’s a prospective client for you. You can develop a relationship by commenting on someone’s tweets.
  • Put your own company’s name in search. Monitor the conversations. Ask questions; answer questions, and help people get the help they need. Twitter is a great forum for customer service.

Social media shows your company’s transparency. Prospects and customers love the one-on-one conversations and immediate care. Twitter is a great way to increase customer loyalty—and create relationships that lead to sales.

You may also find, over time, that these interactions stimulate ideas for new services, products and promotions.

Just like exercise, social media is one of those “gotta do it” tasks. But once it’s part of your routine, you’ll get more efficient. And you’ll see big benefits to your business.

Here’s a great article that will ramp up your company’s Twitter power.

To your success in 2015!

Write2Health Blog

Social Media Gives Your Biz Personality

/in , /by

For the past two years, I’ve been ghostwriting blog posts for a group of medical specialists. They practice at a major university – one that’s a rising star, Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

The hospital’s marketing team wanted a tool to recruit new patients in the tri-state region, and gave blogging a try.

It’s worked!

The blogs have been very successful in connecting medical specialists with prospective patients. Every doctor with a blog has taken on new patients.

In fact, the marketing department has been able to cut back significantly in advertising dollars—all because of the blogs. And, they’ve starting using the posts in employee publications, too, get even greater mileage.

Why are the blogs so effective?

They are written in the physician’s voice – which gives each blog a very distinctive quality. Each blog has a very conversational tone. The blog speaks directly to the patient in words that educate in a very personal way.

And, the blogs can easily give public relations a boost – spinning off the hospital’s U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospital rankings, for example.

It’s a doctor- patient conversation that works very well in this hospital’s marketing campaign. It is content that resonates with the reader in a very personal way.

It reminds me why blogging – and social media in general — is so effective. Social media, of course, includes blogs, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Vine and all the others.

Social media helps infuse a brand with personality. They tell the company’s story. They capture the passion and energy of individuals in the company. Essentially, social media humanizes the company, gives it a face and a voice – and connects on a personal level with your prospects.

Marketers are embracing social media like never before.

A new report shows that:
◾92% of marketers indicate that social media is important for their business, up from 86% in 2013.
◾68% of marketers plan on increasing their use of blogging, making it the top area marketers will invest in for 2014.
◾Spending just 6 hours a week on social media is sufficient to significantly boost your lead generation—and reduce your marketing expenses.
◾Nearly all – 92% of marketers – indicated that social media generated more exposure for their businesses; 80% reported increased website traffic.
◾Social media also helped 72% of companies develop loyal fans; 71% gained marketplace intelligence by listening to social media.

Is it time for your business to ramp up social media efforts? Is it time to start a blog? Let’s talk. I can help you set up an efficient social media plan that practically runs itself. Contact me: jeaniedavis1@gmail.com or call 404-457-3963. Would love to hear from you!

Source: 2014 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, published by SocialMedia Examiner.

Write2Health Blog

Why Every Health Company Needs a Blog

/in , /by

Are you ready for an amazing figure?

  • Over 152,000,000 blogs exist on the internet today, according to BestWebHostinggeek.com.

If you’re thinking “that’s way too many blogs,” look at this next figure….

Just as amazing:

  • Businesses that blog at least 20 times in a given month generate 5 times as much business as those who blog fewer than 4 times a month.

And this:

  • Businesses/Companies/Organizations that have 51 quality blog articles experience a 77% lift in median monthly sales.

How can a simple blog – a few paragraphs – have so much power?

As the article points out, “blogs play a HUGE role in purchase decisions.  This includes discovering products, reviewing products, comparing products, etc.”

To excel in business – whether you are a business or an organization – it is critical that you blog regularly.

  • A blog helps set your brand — your company — apart from the competition.
  • A blog is your chance to show the world – your potential customers — what you believe in. Why you started the business you own. Why you created the products and services you sell.
  • With a blog, you’re talking directly to your potential customers, and with others in your industry.
  • You can share news about your business. Share ideas. Dig into the nuances that make your solutions the best choice for the consumer.
  • If you keep up with industry news, take a few notes – and blog about it. Those webinars and teleconferences are prime fodder for blogs.

I know what you’re thinking. Too much trouble. It can’t really be worth the effort.

The truth is, the world is changing. You can’t deny it. Blogging is an integral part of business life – along with Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. If you don’t change with the times, you’ll get lost in the shuffle.

Don’t close your browser just yet. Blogging doesn’t have to be difficult.

The easy way to jump-start your healthcare blog

Sure, you don’t have time to write a daily blog – or listen to every industry webinar. That’s why you need someone who can write it for you.

  • You need a freelance/contract writer who understands the healthcare industry – and gets excited about      the details.
  • Your writer should have a journalist’s skills and report accurately — hitting the high notes, yet getting the critical details.
  • The ideal writer can decipher the technical details for non-technical readers.
  • The writer should dig a little deeper still – doing more research or follow-up interviews.

That’s why you need me – the healthcare writer with over 25 years’ experience covering news in this industry.

If it’s time to get help with your current blog – or jump-start a new blog – contact me at jeaniedavis1@gmail.com.  Or call 404-457-3963.

Source: http://www.bestwebhostinggeek.com/why-blog-check-out-these-interesting-facts-infographic.htm

 

 

 

Write2Health Blog

The Power of the Text Message

/in , /by

I’ve been writing case studies for an Atlanta software company — MyCareText — that specializes in creating text message systems for the healthcare industry. The case studies are revealing just how powerful this medium is.

One hospital system (in New Jersey) increased their revenue by $5 million in one year — simply by setting up a system of appointment reminder text messages that were strategically sent the week prior.  That’s huge! Too many people were forgetting their appointments, and all the “no-shows” resulted in significant lost revenue and wasted hours for professional staff. When the text message system was launched, the simple reminders took care of the problem.

Recently, MobiHealthNews focused on the humble text message in a monthly webinar. Texting is a powerful medium that is getting increased attention. I’ve provided some of the stats below–and they are impressive.

Texting May Be the Most Engaging Channel Today

If texting isn’t part of your marketing campaign – or a communications plan — you’re missing out.

“American Idol taught the U.S. how to text,” said Brian Dolan, editor of MobiHealthNews. “Europe was far ahead of US in texting until American Idol encouraged viewers to text ‘vote.’”  Today, close to 100% in US have cell phones; 81% write or receive text messages. “It’s the most popular activity on cell phones,” he added.

“Texting might be the most engaging channel,” Dolan said. “But it’s not being leveraged quite as much as should or could be.”

Major Health Institutions are Adding Text to Campaigns

Companies, nonprofits and federal agencies have all integrated texting into campaigns. Planned Parenthood, National Cancer Institute, American Diabetes Association are all using texting – as are Acuvue (contact lenses), Baylor Healthcare System and the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.

“This medium works when the organization is talking with many or one-on-one,” said Michael Sabat, with Mobile Commons, a software company specializing in text messaging.  “There’s a higher response in terms of prescription adherence, enrollment, behavior change and appointment reminders. We can reach part of the population can’t reach thru internet – people who check email at library once a week. Text reaches into these populations.”

Pew research data shows that the volume of text messaging increases in low income households in communities, he added.

Texting Cuts Through the Clutter — and Replies are HIGH

“Texting gets through the clutter – it works effectively at driving actions and driving outcomes we’re looking for – because people pay attention to this –more than brochures etc… drives higher action rates and outcomes.”

  • When a text call-to-action is included in media – print, radio, TV, live events, press, social media – the acquisition rate is 3-10x higher.
  • When sending appointment reminders people are 57% more likely to respond via text, versus answering the phone.
  • 66% of blood donors responded to text message appointment reminders; 42% responded to phone calls.

Because text is an opt-in format, it leads to higher conversion rates, Sabat said. “The text starts a conversation. Response rates to conversations are extremely high—80 to 85%. Texts are sticky. When you ask people something, they are extremely likely to reply.”

Live Chat Texting is the Next Big Thing

“Live chat via text has really caught on in the past couple of years,” said Sabat. “Planned Parenthood had hundreds of thousands of conversations – all one-on-one chats – which are proven to reduce anxiety, and increased appointments.” The chats are very simply triggered by message posted on a TV program crawler.

“If you offer people an instant way to make a connection, they will engage,” said Sabat. “If it’s too many, they’ll let you know. We’ll see it pretty instantly.”

Jeanie’s NOTE:  If it’s time to get help with your current blog, jump-start a new blog – or create case studies — contact me at jeaniedavis1@gmail.com.  Or call 404-457-3963.