Social media when applied in healthcare often comes down to risks versus rewards, because the risk of saying something in a social channel that may violate patient confidentiality is simply too great for some providers.
As I mentioned in Customer Strategist Journal's "Creating a Social Media Agenda for Healthcare," this dilemma is no longer a valid reason to shun social media. In 2012 it's time for healthcare companies to take their social policies off the shelf and put them to use for customers and patients. Consumers expect to interact with their physicians, insurance providers, and hospitals on a personal level via social settings, participate in health-related communities for peer-to-peer support, and get answers to their important medical questions in real time. As a result, healthcare providers must stop ignoring those channels, and start using them to drive their businesses.
That means that healthcare companies must enter 2012 with a clear set of social media priorities, an associated budget that identifies investment resources, and a well-developed perspective on social's business impact. The social media priorities should be documented in a plan, supported by key stakeholders in the organization, and aligned with the company's overall business and customer strategy. The same journal article maps out a five-part plan to success.
Additionally, to help chart your course for social media success in 2012, we've provided a Social Media Agenda Readiness Checklist. The checklist will help to gauge where you stand in social media preparedness and serve as a barometer of the six stages (understand, embrace, observe, explore, include, brag) in the journey. Download it today to check your score.
By Marc Ruggiano, partner, Peppers & Rogers Group