YouTube, while notoriously responsible for the rise of Justin Bieber, the controversial popularity of "David After Dentist," and countless cat-centric videos, can also be a powerful marketing tool. But hospital marketers must follow a few critical rules in order for YouTube to enhance their efforts.
Lexington Medical Center, a 384-bed hospital in West Columbia, SC, adopted YouTube as a marketing vehicle early on, setting up their page in 2007 because it was a way for the organization to showcase its award-winning TV spots. Now, four years and 27,000 views later, Director of Marketing & Advertising Mark Shelley has a clear view of what works and what doesn't.
1. Play to viewers' emotions
This axiom is true of all healthcare marketing efforts, but it's particularly relevant when you are creating content for YouTube because Internet users are a less captive audience than television viewers. If you don't hook them within the first five seconds, they'll likely click away.
"Our cancer commercial and any of the more emotional spots receive the most views," Shelley says.
What's more, LMC recently won Medline's Pink Glove Dance video contest, which challenged hospitals to create fun breast-cancer awareness spots using their own employees. To date, LMC's entry has received more than 150,000 YouTube views. It won the national contest with more than 61,000 votes on Facebook.
2. Promote like with like
To use YouTube effectively for enhancing hospital marketing efforts, an organization needs to already have a solid social media foundation in place.
This is largely because the easiest way to promote your videos is through your organization's Facebook and Twitter accounts. Not many Internet users will search for your video or YouTube channel spontaneously—you have to steer viewers to your content.
LMC uses Facebook and Twitter as a primary means of driving users to their videos and YouTube channel. They also provide a link to their channel in press releases, Shelley says.
You could also feature your YouTube channel URL on internal and external print ads, perhaps including a QR code linking to your latest video.
3. Keep the message positive
Many healthcare organizations are hesitant to use YouTube—or any social media, for that matter—out of fear that anonymous Internet users may write unfavorable comments on their posts and videos. This is a legitimate worry, but hospital marketers cannot afford to ignore social media and expect to cultivate a new generation of brand advocates.
There are some steps marketers can take to stave off negative comments without disabling comments altogether. Something as simple as keeping your video content positive will encourage viewers to respond in the same vein. LMC, with its 27,000 views, has never received a negative comment, Shelley says.
Sure, the odd disgruntled patient or relative may leave a nasty comment on even your most touching, uplifting video. But if you manage site comments daily—and you should—you can delete the comment and hope few people saw it before you got to it. Or you can take a direct approach by addressing the comment head-on by publicly replying and asking that the commenter send you a direct email so that you can investigate and rectify the situation.
I recommend the second scenario. Not only are you creating a better experience for the unhappy patient or family member in that instance, but you are also demonstrating to everyone else who views your video that your organization listens to its patients.
4. Freshen up the content
"The key to using any social media is to keep it fresh and relevant," Shelley says. "There's nothing worse than to visit a hospital's YouTube channel or any other form of social media and see the same content that was there six months ago."
This is why creating a detailed, thought-out social media plan is critical to any marketing strategy. When you let a YouTube channel or any other social media platform stagnate, all of the prior effort you and your team put into it amounts to nothing.
But if you continually create riveting, on-message, timely content, your online audience will thrive, as LMC's has.
"If your content is solid, high quality and you produce enough frequency so that it's constantly being updated, then you're ready to start a YouTube channel," Shelley says.
Marianne Aiello is a contributing writer at HealthLeaders Media.