Seven reasons why health brand marketers must use social media

Health brands are ideally suited to social media.

Across this broad category (from disease management; health care systems and hospitals; home health services and products; medical devices and equipment; nutritional and wellness products; pharma and OTC) there’s the common denominator of people really needing and wanting what these tools allow health brand marketers to provide:

- informative, even life-changing content
- talking back and forth, sharing stories and even emotionally supporting people who share common interests, ailments or illnesses
- learning from friends and providers (locally and from around the world)
- saving precious time and expense

Ultimately, social media allows you to help create healthier communities. Which leads to healthier co-creators. Which leads to a win-win for your customers, your company and society at-large.

For those brands interested in maintaining their relevancy and their value to their customers (meaning everyone), social media must be integrated into your mix. The extent of your social efforts is based on many organizational factors. But at a minimum, you need to get in the game.

Here are seven big opportunities (reasons why) for health brands to use social media:

1. Demonstrate that you practice what you preach. Social media allows you to demonstrate that you live up to the promises you make to audiences. As the traction around “engagement” continues to grow, actions will continue to speak much louder than words.

2. What benefits your audiences benefits your brand. The future of marketing is about doing things for and with audiences – on their terms. There’s simply too much opportunity for conversations, comments and collaboration for traditional one-way, tell and sell communications to work the way they did years ago.

3. Build loyalty through your brand. This is not the same as trying to build loyalty to your brand. Key is to help people achieve more than they can on their own. Helping them do this is how you gain their attention, loyalty and trust (as well as forgiveness if you ever find yourself needing it).

4. Help people live longer. Research has shown that greater social engagement helps people live longer, healthier lives. Pretty important benefit for a brand to be able to contribute to.

5. Your participation invitation is already extended. Whether you sent a formal invitation or not, participants are already gathering around the conversation (and your company).

6. Listen for rich category and brand insights. Social makes it easy to find out what people really want and need – from the category and from your brand. Which makes it easier to listen for ways to make your offering better. Covet the opportunity to collect and act on this information.

7. It’s all about establishing and earning trust. Which is one of the most important and sustainable advantages a company can build in this environment. The companies who understand this, and pay it off with the right “social” etiquette (doing for others), will see the most benefit.

Are there other reasons that should be added to this list? Please contribute your ideas.

14 thoughts on “Seven reasons why health brand marketers must use social media”

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Eric,

This is great insight, and very helpful. For me a big one that we use when discussing “why” with clients to engage is – the coversation is happening whether your in it or not – the days of controlling the message are behind us, you must contribute to be relevant and to influence the dialog. More importantly, you’ll find that the community that follows your brand will value what you bring – and that value, if nurtured correctly will bring significant benefit to your brand.

Bob,

Thanks for taking the time to comment. Much appreciated, and glad you found worthwhile. As you point out, these conversations ultimately create more value for both customers and company. Regards, Eric

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Good article Eric. In reason #4, a media channel that can demonstrate a relationship between social engagement and better health is big. This not only does a lot of good but, in my experience, consumers who are pro-active about their health drive every health brand from insurance, cholesterol medications to dental floss. It seems a reason #8 is social media is likely to be the place where a health brand’s best customers are.

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Rob,

Thanks for taking the time to post your comment. Much appreciated. Good point about adding #8. Social channels, no doubt, are where more proactive customers are flocking as they take matters into their own hands.