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3 Steps Toward Facebook Dominance

 |  By Marianne@example.com  
   March 13, 2013

Facebook has been making headlines quite a bit this month, and not just because the social networking giant has updated its newsfeed (yes, again). A study published in the American Journal of Medial Quality last month found that hospitals with more Facebook "likes" tend to have higher hospital quality and increased patient satisfaction.

According to the study, which looked at data for 40 hospitals near New York City, Facebook likes have a strong negative association with 30-day mortality rates and are positively associated with patient recommendation.

Researchers believe these findings suggest that the number of likes a hospital has may serve as an indicator of hospital quality and patient satisfaction.

Of course, a lot of this is cause and effect. Top ranking hospitals would likely garner many Facebook likes even if their page was static, but many of the nation's best hospitals are doing some really interesting work in the social space.

To find out more, I spoke to Laura Nathan-Garner, program manager, integrated media communications, at Texas-based MD Anderson Cancer Center, which has more than 51,000 likes on Facebook. I learned that there are three building blocks at the foundation of a successful hospital Facebook presence.

1. Consistency
MD Anderson's Facebook page facilitators strive to create both a resource and a community for cancer patients, caregivers, and survivors. They do this, in part, by being there for their followers every single day.

"Since May 2011, we have posted and monitored Facebook seven days a week," Nathan-Garner says. "We do this partly to increase page engagement, but mostly because our followers—largely patients and families for whom cancer doesn't take a day off—appreciate that we're online and accessible every day."

Nathan-Garner and her team post two to three times a day, sharing content in the form of patient stories, tips for dealing with treatment side effects, and inspirational quotes. They strive to provide exceptional customer experience, addressing concerns on everything from scheduling appointments to parking.

"We 'like' every comment, with rare exceptions, and respond to each question immediately, working with our patient advocacy department, if necessary, to resolve problems," she says. "We hope our page's supportive environment will lead prospective patients to schedule an appointment at MD Anderson and lead others to become advocates for us."

At least one post a day comes from the hospital's Cancerwise blog, which also shares videos, podcasts, and other content. This brings us to the next key factor in a successful hospital Facebook presence— great content.

2. Content
The MD Anderson social media team spends about an hour each day crafting Facebook posts, including all facets of the process, from selecting the perfect photo, to developing teaser text, to deciding what time to actually share the post.

"Great content is probably the most important factor in keeping followers engaged and attracting new followers," Nathan-Garner says. "If you're not sharing content that's interesting and relevant to followers, they're probably not going to like, comment, or share it. They might even hide your page from their newsfeed or unlike your page."

Marketers also track how their Facebook audience responds to each post, and every type of post, and develop an editorial strategy based on the types of content readers respond to and engage with most. They are always on the look out for new types of content and new ways to share existing content.

"I suspect that many people become fans of our Facebook page, in part, because they're wooed by the content we share—mainly relatable patient stories and advice, as well as good visuals—and the levels of engagement we're getting from our followers," Nathan-Garner says.

"I think that shows prospective followers that this is a community where they can have a voice and where they'll gain something and be able to connect with others to whom they can relate."

3. Community
All of these aforementioned efforts are working toward one main goal—building a strong online community for patients, family members, staff, and other brand advocates.

"The community we've built on Facebook should meet the expectations that patients have for MD Anderson as an institution, and among other things, that's to be caring, attentive, empathetic, helpful, and authoritative," Nathan-Garner says.

"Our interactions with prospective patients and their families on our social media channels may be their first interactions with MD Anderson, and this interaction may make or break their decision about whether to seek treatment at MD Anderson or refer someone else here."

Nathan-Garner didn't want to speak directly to the American Journal of Medial Quality study correlating Facebook likes with quality, but she did say that MD Anderson promotes its high quality of care indirectly on social media.

It shares countless patient stories, most of which mention the high-quality care the patients received while at MD Anderson. It also shares blog posts and other content from its doctors and other experts and thought leaders.

"The most direct promotion of hospital quality on our Facebook page actually comes from our followers," she says. "We recently shared a blog post about what to expect during your first visit to MD Anderson, for instance, and we received 25 comments, almost all from patients praising the hospital."

Marianne Aiello is a contributing writer at HealthLeaders Media.

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