Social Media Marketing for Healthcare

Social media marketing can help healthcare organizations and marketers engage with patients, promote new relationships, and improve the reputation and credibility of doctors.

According to research:

• 57 percent of patients decide where to get treatment based on a provider’s social media presence.
• 60 percent of doctors feel that social media marketing helps improve the quality of care they give patients.

Managing and marketing a healthcare organization? Here are some social media marketing ideas for healthcare to help improve your presence and strengthen your relationships with patients.

Social Media Marketing Ideas for Healthcare

Establish your social media communication protocol

One of the challenges facing healthcare marketers is determining how their social media efforts can affect patient privacy and compliance with rules and regulations like HIPAA.

This can be easily overcome as long as you have a well-thought-out social media protocol in place. Establish a solid set of guidelines when communicating on social media. Consult with your PR and legal teams as you develop your protocol. Have a system and point person in place for responding to reviews, comments, and questions on social media. And if you’re sharing health tips, industry trends, and medical information online, first talk to experts and researchers on your team before you hit “Publish.”

A communication protocol will help you use social media with due care and diligence, without running into privacy issues, compliance concerns, and other things that could get in the way of your efforts.

Use social media to educate your audience

Social media marketing for healthcare can improve your brand reputation. It can also help make you more trustworthy in the eyes of healthcare consumers.

But be careful not to be overly promotional and tout your practice too much. Use social media to educate your audience, too. Become a leading source of helpful information for them.

Spread the word about important health and medical issues. Join awareness campaigns and social media conversations on what’s happening in the industry. Create infographics that make complicated health information easier to understand. Provide relevant and useful content to your audience in ways that inspire and encourage them to take part in wellness and improve their quality of life.

By doing so, you can more effectively foster trust-based relationships with existing and potential patients, while also drawing attention back to your practice or brand.

Answer questions and respond to inquiries

One of the most effective ways to bolster your social media presence and improve patient satisfaction is to stay responsive to your fans and followers.

As a healthcare provider, you’ll likely get a lot of questions, inquiries, comments, feedback, and reviews. It’s important that you do not ignore these. Make sure you are always ready to engage with the voice of the patient.

Answer questions posted on social media comments and forums. Monitor and respond to reviews posted on websites like Vitals and Google. Share links to studies or blog posts that could be of use to your community of followers. You can even host a Facebook Live stream or Instagram or Twitter Q&A in order to connect with your followers and address their most pressing questions.

Use social media to showcase the people on your team

A lot of healthcare content on social media can come off as a bit sterile. To combat this, it’s important that you’re able to show some personality and humanize your organization.

One great way to do this is by introducing your social media audience to your doctors, nurses, paramedics, and administrative staff: the people who deal with patients every day. After all, they’re the face of your organization.

Talk about their experience, achievements, and skills. Post pictures of them in their element, or while helping patients or participating in a community activity or event. This adds a measure of humanity to your healthcare practice, making you more relatable to your community of fans and followers.

Leverage patient reviews as testimonials

Online reviews posted by your patients can serve as powerful social proof for other healthcare consumers.

According to research:

• 60 percent of all adults have used the Internet to look for information about healthcare providers.
• 62 percent of healthcare consumers turn to reviews to find a new doctor.
• 8 out of 10 patients (82 percent) say that reviews influence their willingness to be treated by a doctor.

Don’t hesitate to share your best reviews on social media or on your website (with a testimonial widget). You can even create video testimonials from patients who are happy with their experience. Of course, always make sure that you are in compliance with HIPAA guidelines. Never forget to get permission for any information you want to share.

Related reading: “How to Respond to Reviews Under HIPAA Guidelines”

Harnessing the power of online reviews will help you improve patient access, boost patient acquisition, and enhance your brand reputation on social media.

Aim to comfort and inspire

In the face of a health problem, minor or major, patients could often use a dose of comfort and inspiration.

Social media is an amazing platform for healthcare marketers to comfort, inspire, and display empathy. So use it to demonstrate the kind of patient experience you’re delivering. Paint a picture of your doctors’ bedside manner. And show off your efforts to make patients feel as comfortable as possible under the circumstances.

In 2018, online reviews influenced 66.3 percent of consumers when they were looking for a new primary care physician, which is the second-highest influence of any industry.

More than ever, patients are visiting multiple websites to find a new healthcare provider, and reviews are influencing their decisions.

Healthcare Review Site Statistics

Before we look at which sites you should be monitoring, here are some interesting numbers worth considering:

• A staggering 94 percent of Internet users who have visited a doctor reviews site consider the reviews useful. (Institute for Healthcare Policy, 2014)
• 85 percent of patients are not comfortable choosing a physician if more than 10 percent of that physician’s reviews have a one-star rating. (Digital Assent, 2013)
• About 1 out of 3 patients use either industry-specific medical review sites or more general consumer review sites as tools for finding doctors or healthcare providers. (American Osteopathic Association, 2014)
• 47 percent of patients who look up a physician online feels differently about that physician after reading his or her profile and reviews. (Vitals, 2013)

By claiming a listing on major healthcare review sites, healthcare organizations can increase their online visibility, review volume, and patient acquisition. Here are the 12 sites where a listing can attract more patients.

• Yelp
• Healthgrades
• Vitals
• Wellness.com
• Google My Business
• ZocDoc
• RateMDs
• Dr. Oogle
• Doctor.com
• RealPatientRatings
• RealSelf
• UCompareHealthCare

1. Yelp 

Yelp is commonly known for its restaurant listings and reviews, but the idea came about because co-founder Jeremy Stoppelman was sick and found out that it was difficult to find any doctors in his area. Today, the popular site features more than 171 million reviews, and reviews on healthcare organizations account for eight percent, or more than 13 million, reviews.

You can claim a listing by signing up on the Yelp for Business Owners page. First-time Yelp listing owners should also take a look at our comprehensive Yelp business guide.  

2. Healthgrades

Along with Yelp, Healthgrades ranks as today’s most trusted site for online reviews and ratings of doctors, dentists, and hospitals. The site lets users browse and find specialists by location, by specialty, by condition, and by procedure. All in all, Healthgrades features over 1.1 million provider listings and seven million reviews and ratings.

You can learn to claim and update your free profile on Healthgrades with our short, yet detailed guide.

The site also has advertising programs for providers looking to promote their practice. If you’re managing or marketing a hospital or some other healthcare facility, you can also check out Healthgrades’ solutions suite to drive growth, increase engagement, and improve quality and clinical performance.

3. Vitals

Another leading resource for healthcare reviews and information is Vitals, which features over 1 million physician profiles, 165,000 facility listings, and more than 9 million reviews and ratings. Vitals’ database allows users to search by specialty, name, location, condition, and insurance.

You can claim a Vitals listing by following the directions on the site’s signup page. On the listing, you can manage and edit information, including display name, practice address, specialties and expertise, and education and awards.

4. Wellness.com

In addition to healthcare listings, Wellness.com features multiple resources for all kinds of health and medical information in the form of wellness blogs and interactive visitor surveys. Listings include including ratings, reviews, accepted forms insurance, certifications, and more.

You can get listed on Wellness.com by enrolling in the site’s Wellness Provider Program. There are three tiers within the program, and they all include the ability to create a listing. However, the mid- and high-tier packages include other benefits such as additional exposure on “major search engines” and listing placement on competitor profiles.

For more information, check out the Wellness.com Business FAQ Page.

5. Google My Business

Google is the world’s biggest search engine, and it has also quickly become one of the most powerful local business discovery engines on the Web – thanks to services like Google Maps and Google Search. Survey data shows that Google holds 57.5 percent of all reviews, which is further proof that a Google My Business listing is absolutely necessary.

To create or edit your restaurant listing on Google, visit the Google My Business page. You can also check ReviewTrackers’ guide on how to claim your listing via Google My Business.

6. ZocDoc

ZocDoc offers a platform for booking appointments instantly. The site features doctor reviews, office addresses, and open appointment times. Patients can even use it to fill out basic forms that are typically part of the waiting room experience. It also has a free mobile app to help patients find and book appointments with doctors using their mobile devices.

To claim and manage your listing on ZocDoc – as well as enable instant online bookings and build positive reviews – go to the site’s “Getting Started” page.

7. RateMDs

RateMDs is home to over 2.5 million doctor ratings and 1 million reviews along with current health trends coverage and medical specialties information. It also lists and rates top hospitals and facilities across the US based on review information such as cleanliness and value. For individual providers, reviewers can provide ratings based on punctuality, staff, helpfulness, and overall knowledge.

Doctors and healthcare providers can claim their listings by clicking on the “Claim Doctor Profile” on the top right of the site’s home page.

8. Dr. Oogle

Dr. Oogle specializes in dentist listings and reviews. Each listing also includes a list of the most used keywords from reviewers, office hours, coupons, and photos and videos. Reviewers can leave text feedback and an overall rating. However, they can also rate the experience based on multiple factors such as results, cost, and hygiene.

Those who want to claim a listing can do so with their email address, Facebook profile, or Google profile.

9. Doctor.com

Doctor.com is a platform that lets you tap into multiple healthcare networks on the Web, and it covers an audience of about 30 million people each month on popular review sites, like Google, Yelp, Bing, Vitals, and Healthline. However, it also features listings on its own site.

Signing up for Doctor.com gives you visibility on the sites across its network, as well as access to review generation tools, your practice’s own Showcase Page, and experienced practice consultants. Each profile can include a provider’s information on training, certification, hours, accepted insurance plans, and payment options.

10. RealPatientRatings

RealPatientRatings owns one of the largest databases of verified plastic surgery patient reviews. The reviews generated by the site all come from a survey completed by real patients who have completed a qualified visit to a doctor’s office. Currently, the site features over 189,000 verified reviews. Site visitors can filter reviews by provider or a specific treatment.

Surgeons can sign up for RealPatientRatings by visiting Vizium360, which created the RealPatientRatings platform.

11. RealSelf

Another site specializing in cosmetic treatments is RealSelf, which has over 20,000 physician listings and 9.9 million consumers that visit the site every month. Patients can find a provider through the site’s “Treatment Finder” tool.

Providers can include multiple elements on their listing such as deals, links to third-party sites, and a Q&A section. Those interested in a listing can go to the site’s claiming page and enter information about their board certification, name, email address, and website.

12. UCompareHealthCare

UCompareHealthCare allows users to search for doctors, medical professionals, hospitals, and nursing homes by location, specialty, or doctor name. The site offers highly comprehensive comparisons of healthcare providers based on data available from federal and state government agencies and multiple third-party sources. Chances are that your practice is already listed on the site, but if you would like to add your listing, contact the UCompareHealthCare team.       

Best Practices for Maintaining a Healthy Listing

Once you’ve created or claimed your listing, you can follow these best practices in managing your online reputation.

• Update your information. Always ensure that the information in your listing is up-to-date, accurate, and complete. Incorrect listings set up a bad first impression to patients, and it might convince them to look for another provider.
• Respond to reviews. On sites where you can, respond to what patients are saying about your practice. This allows you to minimize the impact of a negative review or reinforce the great user experience detailed in a positive review. More importantly, this helps build patient engagement. However, make sure that responses are HIPAA-compliant to avoid financial penalties.

Reputation management for doctors continues to be more important with every passing year.

A 2018 PatientPop survey revealed that 80.3 percent of providers are aware of the importance of a strong online reputation, but most of them don’t know how to alter their online reputation in a positive way.

This is a massive problem. Without the right tools and methods at your disposal, you are not using online review sites to their full advantage, which means you lose out on better online exposure as well as patient retention and acquisition.

However, it’s easy to turn things around in due time. We compiled a list of the most vital tips that serve as a starting point when you’re in charge of reputation management for doctors. They include:

• Claim a listing on multiple review sites
• Generate and respond to patient reviews
• Improve the patient experience
• Develop effective patient engagement

Claim A Listing on Multiple Review Sites

Online reviews are quickly becoming an important factor in a patient’s healthcare decisions. A 2018 survey revealed that online reviews 66.3 percent of consumers when they were searching for a new primary care physician. That is the second-highest influence of online reviews across all industries.

Patients are leaving reviews of their provider on multiple sites across the web, which makes it important to claim a listing on as many relevant review sites as possible. Doing so not only increases your reputation; it also helps with patient acquisition, especially if your current patients provide rave reviews.

There are multiple sites that are obvious choices for a listing such as Google My Business and Yelp. You should also claim profiles on healthcare-specific reviews sites like Healthgrades, Vitals, and ZocDoc, which attract hundreds of thousands of viewers on a regular basis.

Generate, Respond, and Display Patient Reviews

Reviews are the backbone of any online listing. They serve as social proof that real people actually visited a physician and the ratings and text reviews accurately describe their experience.

They’re also the first step in establishing a doctor’s trust and authority, which makes them paramount to their online reputation.

Generate Reviews

It isn’t just enough to have a few reviews up on a listing; you’ll need to get more reviews in order to raise a doctor’s profile. Research shows that a majority of consumers (69 percent) see reviews older than three months as irrelevant to the current experience.

What’s more interesting is that the PatientPop survey revealed that 71.3 percent of providers only receive reviews from at most five percent of their patient base. In other words, a small volume of reviews doesn’t bode well for a doctor’s online reputation, which makes review generation important for any medical practice.

You can get more reviews by sending reminders to patients after their visit. This can be in the form of a short email, SMS message, or a small handout. There are even software solutions that allow you to automate review requests, which allow you to automatically ask patients for reviews after their visit.

These requests should include a simple thank you message in addition to a request for them to leave a rating and/or a review on the review site of your choice.

Before you send these requests, make sure that you are abiding by the review site’s guidelines when it comes to asking for reviews. For instance, Yelp frowns upon businesses asking customers to leave a review because it believes that any form of feedback should be unsolicited.

Respond to Reviews

Even with the reviews flowing in at a constant rate you should take some time to respond to both positive and negative feedback. Many practices have a fear of responding to feedback because it might put them in a bad light.

In fact, the PatientPop survey showed that only 18.4 percent of providers have any sort of process in place to follow up with negative patient reviews. With a well-crafted response, you can address any issues that the patient while saving face with prospective patients.

When responding, make sure that you first thank the reviewer for their feedback. This shows that you deeply care about their review. If it’s a positive review, reinforce some of the features or experiences featured in the review, but make sure that you follow HIPAA guidelines when responding. Even if a patient mentions their specific treatment in the review, don’t repeat it in your response.

Make sure that you also share the feedback with staff members to show that their efforts actually make a sizable difference in the patient experience.

If the review is negative you should still thank the reviewer for the feedback. You can then follow up with an apology for the issue and urge them to take the issue offline. Not only does this prevent further escalation in a public forum but it also prevents you from violating HIPAA guidelines, which come with substantial financial penalties.

Improve the Patient Experience

Patient experience encompasses everything from the initial appointment setup process to the time when the patient gets a follow-up call after the visit. Practices should do everything in their power to make sure that the patient experience is as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Creating a great patient experience is yet another major factor for prospective patients. A report from The Beryl Institute says that 91 percent of consumers view the patient experience as “significant to their healthcare decisions.”

Superb patient experience doesn’t just factor into a physician’s online reputation; it also helps with patient retention and higher revenue. The Advisory Board Company released a report showing that the average hospital sees an increased revenue of more than $22 million from a mere 10 percent increase in customer loyalty.

You can easily find areas of improvement in the patient experience by getting valuable customer feedback. Reviews serve as one avenue of feedback, but you can also utilize surveys like HCAHPS or create your own set of questions to get valuable insight from patients.

Increase Patient Engagement

Patient engagement is an all-encompassing term for patient communication. Specifically, it’s a model that utilizes effective communication to create patients that are knowledgeable and accountable for their own health.

Better engagement with easily accessible information. Patients don’t want to jump through too many hoops to look at their medical records or learn more about a diagnosis so make the process easier for them.

Providers should also focus on adding some personalization to every interaction with a patient. This helps establish trust, but it tells the patient that the provider is highly invested in their well-being.

In time, this will create a better provider/patient relationship, which leads to happier patients that want to write reviews. After all, there’s a higher likelihood that patients will leave a review after a positive experience.

The First Steps to A Better Reputation Management for Doctors

Changing course for a better online reputation with these tips won’t be easy and it won’t happen overnight, but it can change things for the better in the long run.

With rave reviews, top-notch patient engagement, and excellent patient experiences any provider will see more revenue in addition to patient retention and acquisition.

Patient satisfaction surveys are one of the best ways to gauge the patient experience and understand your healthcare group’s online reputation.

Why does that matter? Having a positive reputation is a major factor for 60 percent of consumers looking for new providers. In other words, it’s a key part of your patient acquisition strategy.

Healthcare organizations are already aware of the HCAHPS survey, but creating a custom survey has its own benefits. We’ll give you some best practices for creating these surveys so that more patients provide the high-quality feedback you need to improve their experience.

Where Surveys Fit in Managing an Online Reputation

A survey from PatientPop shows that most healthcare professionals are aware of the impact that a strong online reputation has on acquiring new patients. Unfortunately, 55 percent of respondents don’t know how to improve their own online reputation. Utilizing surveys can be the first step to repairing or improving that reputation.

Unlike reviews – which are always public – surveys can be internalized, which makes it easier to address and resolve any negative feedback. You might think that most of the experience is top-notch, but patients are not satisfied with the friendliness of the staff. Surveys can help discover this pain point quickly so that you can turn around and find ways to improve staff morale and presentation in front of patients.

You can also use surveys to gauge reaction to specific parts of the patient experience. For instance, you might want to make some new additions to the waiting area. You can narrow down the choices, and then present them to patients as a survey after their visit. When asking the right questions, surveys can bring in vital insights to a healthcare organization.

One option is the HCAHPS survey, which is the standard for gauging the experience of any healthcare provider. In some cases healthcare groups, like Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, use HCAHPS with advanced survey software to gain additional information on the sentiment or perception on multiple providers.

However, you should also take advantage of the many platforms that allow you create and send your own survey to patients after their visit.

There are different methods and questions in a custom survey, but before you even start a survey template keep these best practices in mind.

Make Each Survey Personal

Details matter especially when it comes to getting feedback from patients. Don’t just put “Dear Patient” at the beginning of the survey. Make an effort to include their name or other specific details that were part of their visit. These details show patients that their opinions are highly valued and that you care about the provider’s quality of service.  

Make Each Question Simple and Easy to Understand

Like any industry, healthcare providers utilize a lengthy lexicon specific to medicine. You should try to not include that same jargon in patient surveys. If you must put it in the questions, make sure that you define it well enough that anyone can easily understand it.

A Short Survey is the Best Survey

Time is a major factor when it comes to surveys. One piece of research showed that 10 percent of mobile users tend to abandon surveys after seven minutes. Desktop users will stick around for a bit longer at a four percent abandonment rate, but it jumps to six percent at the nine-minute mark.

The seven- to nine-minute window might seem small, but making short, and personalized questions within that time frame can yield valuable data.

The First Step to A Better Online Reputation

Patient satisfaction surveys are the best way to improve the experience for every patient, and it pays off. Exemplary care, attentive staff, and short wait times can all result from survey data.

Patients will notice the improvements over time, and with the right prompting they can even generate rave reviews. Generating first-party reviews and sharing them on your organization’s website can even bring you more exposure and potentially new patients through higher search rankings.

It doesn’t take much to create a survey, and the right questions can give health organizations the data they need to improve the current experience and acquire more patients in the long run.

Online Reputation Management for Dentists

Your online reputation affects your dentistry practice’s bottom line.

More than ever, existing and potential patients are relying on the Internet to find more information about you. They’re visiting multiple online review websites and reading dentist reviews to help them decide whether they will pay you a visit or choose to go with someone else.

By staying on top of your reviews, and by applying best practices in reputation management for dentists, you put yourself in a position to maintain a healthy, positive online reputation – while minimizing the impact that negative dentist reviews may have on your practice.

The Impact of Reviews on a Dentist’s Reputation

Running a dentistry practice? In case you didn’t already know: online reviews posted by patients can make or break your online reputation and, ultimately, your practice.

Reviews are changing the way people seek healthcare options and medical information. And they’re changing the way medical professionals like doctors and dentists market their business.

• According to research by 1-800-DENTIST, 70 percent of consumers say online dentist reviews are just as important as a dentist’s professional credentials. This marks a huge jump from the 53 percent recorded only 3 years earlier.
• Searches for online reviews of dentists also continue to grow. Dentist review searches are now up to 27 percent.
• Related research also found that 60 percent of all adults have used the Internet to look for health information or information about healthcare providers. Moreover, 62 percent of healthcare consumers turn to reviews in order to find a new provider.

These numbers show that reviews shape your online reputation as a dentist, more so than your sales and marketing communications, or even your level of professional expertise.

Simply put: reviews from other dental patients lend credibility in the online marketplace.

Reputation Management for Dentists: Best Practices

Monitor your patient reviews. Don’t be afraid of reviews and how these might harm your business; instead, actively monitor your online presence so that you are aware of what is being said about your practice, and where.

This helps prevent you from getting blindsided by negative feedback; more importantly, it creates an opportunity for you to respond, communicate openly with patients, and change the conversation.

Claim your business listings and review site profiles. Whether you like it or not, your practice is probably already listed on a dozen or so local business directories and online review sites (likely more).  

Claiming your listings and profiles allows you to actively manage the information displayed on those sites. It’s a way of planting your flags on important digital properties where customers and patients can find you.

Distribute patient satisfaction surveys. Patient satisfaction surveys are one of the best ways to gauge the patient experience and understand your practice’s reputation.

One option is the HCAHPS survey: the standard for gauging the experience of any healthcare provider.

In some cases, however, providers like Nicklaus Children’s Hospital use HCAHPS with advanced survey software to gain additional information on how patients really think and feel about your practice.

Respond to patient feedback. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which is designed to safeguard patients’ health information, makes it a little tricky for healthcare professionals to respond to reviews.

Be sure to avoid referring to any specifics about medical care or the patient’s identity when responding to patient feedback on online review sites. At the same time, craft your response in such a way that it demonstrates your genuine desire to engage with the patient and solve any issues raised.

Read this guide for examples of how to respond to reviews while remaining compliant with HIPAA guidelines.

Encourage your happy patients to share feedback. One of the difficulties people have when choosing a dentist is that it’s not easy for them to know the quality of the dentist’s work. Another major concern is that they don’t know whether a dentist is trustworthy or not.

By asking your happy patients to give you an online review, you can amplify your online presence and build your online reputation on the strength of positive patient experiences.

Add reviews to your website. Embrace patient feedback and reviews, and use them to your advantage.

Incorporating reviews on your website provides visitors with the kind of social proof they need to have confidence in your practice; it’s also very effective in improving your visibility in search engines and generating more calls from patients.

The use of senior care reputation management is crucial in the industry. More Baby Boomers are retiring and their children look online first to find the best care available.

One way facilities can distinguish themselves from the competition is by maintaining a positive reputation in their online reviews.

In fact, our research shows that 82 percent of those looking for assisted living facilities will read online reviews as part of their research process.

Online reviews also have financial benefits. 73 percent of people in the same research study said they would pay more for an assisted living facility with positive reviews and reputation.

Creating a favorable online reputation sounds daunting at first, but have no fear. We have some senior reputation management tips that can help you attract potential residents as well as some of the best hires from within the industry.

Senior Care Reputation Management Tips

The success or failure of your senior care facility’s digital reputation rests on online reviews. To create a favorable standing with potential residents, you need to keep in mind the Three B’s:

• Be Empathetic
• Be Informative
• Be Thankful

Be Empathetic

The search process for the best senior care is intimidating and stressful. One way consumers will decide if your facility is the right choice is by how you react to reviews.

Before responding to feedback, think about the reviewer’s state of mind. What made them curious, happy, or angry about a specific aspect of your facility? Do they think you’re treating their loved one with the best care or are you lacking in some areas?

Once you figure it out, respond in a kind manner. Don’t escalate the issue to a point where you can’t control the outcome. There might be some pre-approved lines for you to use when responding to specific comments, but try to make them sound natural.

People want to get a response from you. Just make sure that you sound sincere and caring for every review.

Be Informative

Another facet of senior care reputation management requires you to have the right information on hand. Providing correct and accurate facts in your responses makes you an authoritative figure, which can increase the trust and confidence a potential resident places on your business.

However, you shouldn’t try to correct everything someone says in a negative review because it might backfire on you. In these situations, it’s best to find a way to resolve their issues away from the public eye.

Some solutions include setting up a private phone call, corresponding by email, or sending them to your help desk service (if you have one). This type of redirect is also beneficial in regards to the HIPAA privacy laws.

Be Thankful

Whether your reviews are favorable or negative, it’s important to thank people for their feedback. After all, they took time out of their busy daily schedules to write feedback.

Saying “thank you” is one of the easiest things to do, but it also carries plenty of weight. It shows that you care about their feedback, and sets a positive tone for future conversations.

Prospective customers can easily see your positive tone from a few exchanges, and that might be enough to convince them to learn more about your facility.

Senior Care Employee Branding

Having a positive reputation isn’t just for your potential residents. It’s also an effective way to attract more people to your team. The demand for caregivers, nurses, and coordinators is high, and you need to find ways to stand out.

With the right staff, you can create a culture where people are proud to work in your facility. They become ambassadors of your company brand, which can attract a higher number of potential employees.

One piece of research shows that 94 percent of job seekers will apply for a job if that company actively manages its employer brand. Another study shows that companies with positive employer branding get twice as many job applications.

Consider the idea from a financial perspective: with an effective employer brand, companies have a 28 percent increase in retention and a 50 percent decrease in the cost per hire.

Teaching employees about your brand gives them a stake in its success, which can lead to increased motivation in the workplace. That type of positive environment can bring favorable employee reviews on websites like Indeed and Glassdoor.

Managing the Online Reputation Cycle in the Senior Care Industry

Senior care reputation management and employee branding are part of an effective business strategy cycle. With the right response methods to reviews, you create a positive reputation for your facility.

This, in turn, allows you to create employee branding that makes people proud to work with you. Reviews left by employees contribute to your overall online reputation, which can attract more applicants and creates a better hiring process.

The tips above should be enough to get you started, but if you want to make it easier on yourself you can use reputation management software like ReviewTrackers to manage the many aspects of your senior care facility.

A positive online presence for healthcare professionals is a must, which makes it critical to manage Vitals reviews.

Vitals.com features over 1 million doctors in its database along with 165,000 facilities. Consumers use Vitals to find information on a potential healthcare provider, and they rely on feedback from other users. A Software Advice survey showed that 72 percent of patients use online reviews as the step to finding a new doctor.

Vitals says it currently features over 9 million ratings and reviews, which makes it a definitive source for the healthcare community. Here’s how you can join Vitals and manage reviews.

Claiming Your Vitals Profile

1.Fill Out the Form

The signup page will ask you to complete a form. You’re required to fill out information such as your first and last name, the name of your practice or hospital, address, phone number, and an email address.

2. Update Your Profile

The essential information for your Vitals profile can be narrowed down to your name, address, and phone number. However, adding other specific information about you and your practice brings more credibility. Additional details you can put on your Vitals profile include:

• Years of experience
• Insurance types accepted
• Languages spoken
• Education
• Specialties and expertise fields
• Board certification

Vitals gathers data from multiple sources such as medical boards, hospitals, federal websites, and “third-party affiliates” to corroborate any information on current listings.

These sources are also why Vitals claims to have “all actively licensed physicians in the United States.” However, some physicians might not have a listing on Vitals for numerous reasons such as:

• They moved to a new located and haven’t been noted as a practicing doctor in the area
• They changed their last name, which isn’t registered yet
• They are practicing overseas and their U.S. license might be expired, which might not be noted in the Vitals database.
• They recently received their license, but it doesn’t show up yet on Vitals’ records.

Everything You Need to Know About Vitals Reviews

Vitals’ Review Policy

Users have a five-star rating system at their disposal when giving feedback to a doctor. In addition to an overall score, users can also give a rating across different categories such as:

• Accurate Diagnosis
• Promptness
• Friendly Staff
• Easy Appointments
• Appropriate Follow-up
• Wait Time

The Vitals review system will only let you submit one review for a doctor every month. This provides a more accurate picture of recent patient experiences with a doctor and prevents those with a grudge from spamming the profile page with inaccurate ratings and reviews.

In terms of text feedback, Vitals doesn’t edit any published comments or ratings from users. However, it does moderate each review so that racist, derogatory, and offensive comments don’t show up on review pages.

Anonymity is also provided to users when they give reviews. The main reason for this method is privacy, especially when it comes to medical issues. HIPAA privacy laws also have some weight on this issue.

Responding to Negative Vitals Reviews

Negative reviews are inevitable. Our research shows that patients are 34.7 percent more likely to leave reviews about their physician after a negative experience.

However, you still have an opportunity to change their sentiment by responding to their review in the right manner. Thank them for writing a review, and be informed of their issue when you write a response. If possible, try to redirect them to a department that can handle patient issues (if you have one).

By settling these issues privately there’s also a possibility that the reviewer can change their review and come back for another appointment.

Tracking Reviews on Vitals and Other Sites

Keeping track of reviews on Vitals can be difficult, but looking for feedback across multiple review sites is even more time-consuming. You have to claim your practice’s profile on each site and monitor them frequently to ensure that you don’t miss any critical reviews.

However, there’s an easier option available. With review management software like ReviewTrackers, you can monitor and respond to every negative review from one dashboard. You can also use ReviewTrackers to find trends in reviews and discover new ways to increase your online reputation to attract more patients.

Survey research shows that 66.3 percent of consumers view patient online reviews as influential when finding a new primary care physician.

What’s more important, however, is that patients have a higher likelihood of leaving positive reviews on their provider in 2018 compared to 2017.

This only further cements the fact that online reviews for doctors are more important than ever. More positive reviews mean a better online reputation, which can easily help you attract and retain patients. To get more reviews, we suggest the following tips:

• Start asking your patients for reviews
• Improve the patient experience
• Respond to current patient reviews

Start Asking Your Patients for Reviews

Patient satisfaction surveys have long been part of the post-visit playbook for healthcare organizations, but hospitals and healthcare organizations also need to start asking their patients to leave them reviews on public-facing review sites like Google, Yelp, Facebook, and Vitals.

The truth of the matter is that people won’t leave a review unless you ask, and review sites are where your new patients are checking before deciding to book an appointment.

To ask your patients for reviews in a thoughtful and meaningful way, you’ll want to time your review request email campaigns so that they occur at an appropriate time.

For example, a hospital doesn’t want to ask people for reviews while they are undergoing a difficult treatment, and a cosmetic surgery clinic doesn’t want to ask people to review them while they are still recovering from surgery. Pick a sensible time to contact patients, and automate your review requests.

Get More Reviews by Improving the Patient Experience

A study from Prophet and the GE Healthcare Camden Group revealed that 81 percent of consumers are “unsatisfied with their healthcare experience.” That’s a staggering statistic especially when you consider a 2018 report from The Beryl Institute, which says that the patient experience is “significant to the healthcare decisions” of 91 percent of consumers.

These findings suggest that today’s healthcare consumers are more vocal than ever about the patient experience. They are looking beyond medical skill or quality of diagnosis in order to assess other aspects and interactions across the continuum of care such as bedside manner, office environment, and customer service.

Providers will need to go beyond the traditional “fix-what’s-broken” approach and place their focus on delivering better patient experiences. Healthcare is no longer just about treating illnesses and preventing disease; it’s about creating a stress-free experience and cultivating a meaningful doctor-patient relationship.

By creating a better patient experience, you create something that people are actually ready to promote online.  

Get More Reviews by Responding to Existing Reviews

When consumers leave reviews, they expect a response to their feedback. Unfortunately, two-thirds of consumers never get a response, which is a lost opportunity.

Responding to reviews shows that you care, which is absolutely vital for any healthcare organization. Patients want to know that their reviews count for something and that it can affect the way a provider perceives patient care and experience.

It might seem easy to respond to every patient review, but organizations also need to be aware of existing HIPAA guidelines, which protect patient data. Violating HIPAA rules when responding to reviews bring potentially massive penalties in the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.

One way to avoid having this issue is by creating pre-drafted responses like those created by the marketing team at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. Marketing coordinator Saran Zamora said that these responses not only tell the reviewer that the hospital is aware of their comments, but also encourages them to take the conversation offline to provide more detailed feedback.

With a carefully-worded response, any healthcare organization can leverage each review to improve the experience and show current and future patients that every piece of feedback is valuable.

The Voice of the Patient is More Persuasive Than Ever

The Voice of the Patient is louder and more persuasive than ever, with healthcare consumers turning to online reviews, social media, and healthcare sites to find a new doctor, make a decision about hospitals, and learn more about the quality of care.

Maintaining or improving a group’s online reputation requires listening, managing, and responding to patient reviews and feedback. Over time a review request process might be needed to further encourage patients to leave reviews.

All of these methods systematically improve ratings and generate the kind of social proof that helps patient acquisition. Related research also found that reviews tied to review requests recorded higher ratings than did unprompted reviews.

As the clout of healthcare consumers grows, so do their options. To encourage patients to promote their organization online, providers must first be able to listen to feedback, foster trust-based relationships with patients, and consistently deliver experiences that captivate and go beyond achieving better health outcomes.

There is a vital shift happening right now in healthcare marketing and patient acquisition.

Consumer expectations have changed, and the old fee-for-service and fix-what’s-broken approach is no longer enough.

To effectively drive patient acquisition, healthcare marketers must not only navigate quickly shifting marketing channels; they must also cater to an increasingly wired populace and a growing class of savvy, empowered consumers want more options, fairer prices, greater convenience, and better interactions across the continuum of care.

Looking for new ways to acquire new patients and grow your practice? Here are 4 patient acquisition strategies that you can implement today:

Healthcare Marketing Strategies to Drive Patient Acquisition

Start a Patient Newsletter Campaign

Staying engaged and in regular communication with your current patients beyond their regular visits can make a big impact on your patient acquisition efforts.

With a patient newsletter campaign, you can foster trust-based relationships that help encourage preference and inspire loyalty. It also allows you to demonstrate to patients how much you appreciate their business, as well as build the kind of goodwill essential to generating recommendations and referrals.

What should be on your newsletter? Well, the content doesn’t have to be overly promotional. You can discuss industry trends or new tech in your area of practice, talk about your outside interests, or introduce your staff. You can also link to your social media profiles and occasionally send out patient satisfaction surveys.

Outside of the patient newsletter, you can also personalize your patient engagement and communication efforts by sending automated messages and notices, such as birthday greetings, appointment reminders, and event invites.

Use Social Media to Achieve Greater Visibility

Modern healthcare consumers typically begin their investigation online.

According to research, 68 percent turn to online reviews, social media, and health research sites to find a new doctor, make a decision about hospitals, and read information about quality of care.

Building a high-quality social media presence can help you achieve greater visibility in the eyes of those who are searching for providers. So post regularly on your profiles. Respond to patient questions. Share meaningful content about what’s happening in your area of practice. Add a “Schedule / Book an appointment” option on your Facebook page and Instagram bio. And find a way to integrate with your social media presence any patient acquisition software or appointment booking platform you’re already using.

A strong social media presence can boost your patient acquisition strategy by simplifying access for healthcare consumers and making it easy for your patients to encourage referrals.

Monitor Online Reviews and Patient Feedback

Here are some of the latest stats highlighting the importance of online reviews:

• A half-star increase on third-party review platforms increases the likelihood that an appointment is filled by 10 percent. (Digitizing Doctor Demand [PDF])
• 52 percent of US Internet users are likely to use sites with reviews and ratings of doctors and hospitals, while 49 percent want to use healthcare-related sites with product ratings and reviews of medicines and other healthcare products. (Deloitte)

• Approximately 85 percent of consumers are now at least “moderately likely” to choose a doctor over another based on high ratings and positive reviews. (Vitals)

• 63 percent of patients think physician review sites are either “very important” or “somewhat important.” (Journal of the American Medical Association)

• 51 percent of people check reviews to assess their doctors; 47 percent of those who looked up physicians online felt differently about the physician after viewing their profiles and reviews. (Vitals)

• 62 percent of survey respondents said they turn to online reviews as the first step to finding a new doctor. (Software Advice)

There is compelling evidence that online reviews, ratings, and patient feedback posted on sites like Yelp, Google, Facebook, Vitals, Healthgrades, and RateMDs (among others) serve as one of the most important sources of information for healthcare consumers looking to choose a provider.

Monitor your reviews. Respond to patients, while maintaining compliance with the privacy guidelines of HIPAA. And learn how to use patient feedback in order to truly understand your patients, as well as manage high-impact trends and issues affecting the patient experience.

Another way to harness the power of reviews is to collect patient testimonials. These serve to highlight your experience and achievements, while also creating powerful social proof that inspires consumer confidence and fosters patient loyalty. Add your best reviews to your website and share them on social media; you can even create video testimonials from patients who are happy with their experience.

Trust us: being smart and savvy with online reviews will help you improve patient access, boost patient acquisition, and enhance your brand reputation.

Get Involved in Company Wellness Programs

Businesses of all types and sizes are developing company wellness programs in order to promote employee health, happiness, and productivity. For this, they will need experts, which is where you (or your team of healthcare professionals) come in.

Getting involved in company wellness programs is an excellent patient acquisition strategy. Whether you’re simply offering advice or information or partnering with company executives to set up workshops, lunch-and-learn sessions, or seminars, company wellness is a great platform for acquiring new patients.

As you get involved, don’t forget to hand out your brochures, contact information, appointment scheduling details, and other promotional materials to the company employees.

Final Thoughts

Having an effective patient acquisition strategy should be a top priority for any healthcare marketer. With so many new channels, and with trends always evolving, you have more opportunity than ever to win over new patients, raise awareness about your facility or practice, and deliver patient experiences that captivate and go beyond achieving better health outcomes.