Even providers with small marketing budgets can implement YouTube strategies that resonate with patients in meaningful ways.
On a recent episode of the TV game show Family Feud (yes, it's still around, though the show is on its sixth or seventh host) the following question was posted to players: When are people most likely to watch online videos?
One of the top answers: While waiting for your doctor.
Assuming a game show survey of 100 people is an accurate representation of public perception, it appears that people think hospitals and YouTube already go together... if not for the reasons we'd like. However, many hospitals are producing quality video content and posting them on the Google-owned site, reaching thousands of patients in a number of meaningful ways.
According to a 2013 study by Indiana University, by October 2012, 634 (11%) of 5,754 U.S. hospitals had created a YouTube channel. Of those hospitals, 65% had posted 50 videos or fewer, with 14% having posted 0 videos.
Of those videos, 30% had 10,001-50,000 views, and 22% had 50,001-200,000 views. The most popular types of videos posted by hospitals were advertising videos (34.49%), informational videos (36.37%), educational videos (25.32%), and entertainment videos (3.82%).
"Hospitals lacking robust marketing and communications budgets may be more likely, not less likely, to consider technology investments a major priority," Cindy Smith-Putnam, Executive Director of Business Development, Marketing & Community Relations at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center said in the study's conclusion.
Rachel Greenup, MD, speaks in a YouTube video for Duke Medicine |
"This is because compared to traditional communication channels... web sites and social media are relatively less expensive ways to interact with prospective consumers, with the added benefit of facilitating more two-way (rather than one-way) communication."
With that in mind, let's look at some of the most effective ways hospitals are connecting with patients on YouTube.
1. Profiling Physicians
Duke Medicine joined YouTube in 2007 and has since gained 3,848 subscribers and nearly 2.5 million views.
One of its longest playlists, with over 100 videos, is called "Meet Our Doctors," profiling a variety of physicians. Each branded video is about 90 seconds long and features individual providers explaining their backgrounds, why they decided to work at Duke, and talking a bit about their approach to care.
"My patients are really brave and courageous and going through a really tough time, so it's such a privilege to be a part of that," says Rachel Greenup, MD, a breast surgeon, in one such video. "I feel really strongly that loving your work and being a part of that experience where you have the opportunity to cure people of their disease or help guide them through their disease process is really something many people don't have the opportunity to do, so if when I approach each patient and each day with that mindset it helps get me through."
Imagine how powerful that message—spoken by the surgeon herself—would be to a patient choosing where to get treated.
2. Highlighting Service Lines
University of Maryland Medical Center, which joined YouTube in 2007 and has 4,629 subscribers and more than 3.5 million views, recently uploaded a seven-minute-long video about its Liver Center.
The branded video introduces viewers to the center through the eyes of a patient, following his case study and introducing you to his doctors and providers along the way. "That was one of the best things to ever happen to me, coming to the University of Maryland," the patient said in the video. "I love this hospital and I love my doctors."
Not only does the patient's narrative take viewers through every step of the Liver Center's process and introduce each member of the care team, but it acts as an educational testimonial about that service line.
3. Featuring Specific Condition and Treatments
Since Mayo Clinic joined YouTube in 2006 it has gained more than 17,000 subscribers and achieved nearly 12 million views. Its robust video uploads cover a variety of topics, but the ones that caught my attention were those that deal with specific conditions and their treatment options.
A number of conditions are featured, from heart disease to hysterectomy to ulcerative colitis, and the videos range in length from two to seven minutes. By focusing on the conditions and their treatments, Mayo is able to showcase their expertise and also boost their search ratings for those looking up information about these ailments—since YouTube is owned by Google, that means any keywords featured in video titles will boost search engine optimization.
(Sure enough, the first video result found when I Googled "ulcerative colitis treatment" was the Mayo Clinic clip.)
4. Sharing Patient Stories
MD Anderson Cancer Center, which has more than 2,000 subscribers and 2.5 million views, reaches online users by sharing patient stories and case studies. It has 11 videos on its "Patient Stories" playlist that follow families and patients through their care journey.
The stories are told entirely by the patients and their family members, each singing the organization's praises for their quality of care and patient experience. One story, titled "The upsides of having cancer" features a young woman who had ovarian cancer who describes her positive experience at MD Anderson and explains that, had she not had cancer she wouldn't have discovered her love of blogging and would not have adopted her daughter.
YouTube gives providers the chance to share stories like this without paying for a costly TV spot. Though MD Anderson's YouTube account has its stats disabled, "The upsides of having cancer" video has received 2,235 likes, and likely many more views.
5. Hosting TV Ads
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) joined YouTube in 2007 and has 774 subscribers and more than 937,000 views.
The organization uses its YouTube channel to host its TV spots which feature its cardiovascular service line, patient portal, cancer center, cerebrovascular and stroke care, and more. It may seem like a no-brainer to feature this content on YouTube, but you wouldn't believe how many hospitals I've come across that have YouTube accounts with no ads posted.
Some of MUSC's ads have been viewed over 500 times. While that may not seem like a lot compared to the viewership a network TV spot can reach, the viewers watching the videos on YouTube are likely more engaged because they either searched for related key words, were already on the hospital's video channel, or were sent the video by a friend or relative.
6. Creating a Social Media Hub
While it seems many hospitals have chosen not to do this, YouTube allows organizations to brand and customize their channel. University of Michigan Health System has done an excellent job of this by creating an eye-catching layout that highlights their video content and links users to their other social accounts, including Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
The health system, which joined YouTube in 2008 and has 2,800 subscribers and 3 million views, has divided its videos into five categories: Featured, patient stories, patient education, research & innovation, and physician profiles. Everything is laid out in a way that makes you want to click around and listen to what each of the video's speakers has to say.
Beneath the video features, the health system has embedded its Twitter feed and invites users to "Join the conversation" by adding a comment via YouTube, Facebook, or Twitter. The top banner of its channel page reads like a website, allowing users to find a doctor, look up directions, and learn more about the health system's services.
YouTube has proven to be a critical application in any hospital marketer's social media tool belt. By following the lead of the organizations listed here, maybe the next time a bored patient opens his YouTube app, the video they find will have been posted by you.
Marianne Aiello is a contributing writer at HealthLeaders Media.