Onslow Success Stories Reaching Key Patient Groups Through New Media
Reaching Key Patient Groups Through New Media: Onslow Success Stories
Jan 13, 2015
Social media is redefining how hospitals and healthcare marketers handle communications around their organizations; it is creating new rules and offering new tools for connecting with target audiences. The Onslow social media program used this new media as a means to create a connection with the community.
Onslow is located in a military-oriented community with the lowest median age (23) in North Carolina. Because of the high population of children – especially young children – our community is home to a disproportional share of mothers with children still at home. With military families moving in and out of the area on a regular basis, and with the steady deployment of troops to the Middle East, there are many temporarily one-parent families in our community who would benefit from a connection with other parents in Onslow County. This unique situation presented an opportunity for the hospital to reach out to these parents, to build a positive relationship, to make a meaningful difference in their lives, and to enhance the public perception of the hospital’s quality.
By providing meaningful and useful health care information in a completely new way, one that was more integrated with the community members’ lives and worked to actively engage them, the hospital was able to improve and enhance its relationship with the community and, as a result, improve brand awareness, stop out-migration and affect positive perception scores of the hospital for the first time in five years.
Additionally, our presentation will speak to the role of transparency in a social media campaign and will focus on enhancing communication with patients/target audiences.
Onslow is located in a military-oriented community with the lowest median age (23) in North Carolina. Because of the high population of children – especially young children – our community is home to a disproportional share of mothers with children still at home. With military families moving in and out of the area on a regular basis, and with the steady deployment of troops to the Middle East, there are many temporarily one-parent families in our community who would benefit from a connection with other parents in Onslow County. This unique situation presented an opportunity for the hospital to reach out to these parents, to build a positive relationship, to make a meaningful difference in their lives, and to enhance the public perception of the hospital’s quality.
By providing meaningful and useful health care information in a completely new way, one that was more integrated with the community members’ lives and worked to actively engage them, the hospital was able to improve and enhance its relationship with the community and, as a result, improve brand awareness, stop out-migration and affect positive perception scores of the hospital for the first time in five years.
Additionally, our presentation will speak to the role of transparency in a social media campaign and will focus on enhancing communication with patients/target audiences.
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Onslow Success Stories
Reaching Key PatientGroups ThroughNew Media
Who We AreTim Strickland, APR, FACHESr. VP, Director, PR/MarketingOnslow Memorial Hospital@onslowhospital
Theckla M. SterrettVP, Director of New MediaSaturday Brand Communications@heysaturday
Presentation OverviewOur goal for today:Present case studies that demonstrate how a community hospital uses new media and other online properties to connect with key patient groups to improve perceptions of quality within their community.
About the HospitalOnslow Memorial Hospital (OMH):• 162-bed acute care, community hospital• Located in Jacksonville, NC• Nationally accredited• Two recent expansions include:
• New State of the Art ER and Surgical Pavilion• Radiation Oncology Center
The Situation - 2009OMH losing market share:• Perception of quality: 58.4%• Preference: 26.7%
Patients often looked outside the community for “quality care”
Previous Marketing Efforts
• Traditional marketing had failed to create a connection with community and increase perception scores.
• Media focused on: TV, cinema, radio, outdoor & limited print.
Something had to change…
New GoalsMarketing set several 2010 goals:• Reinforce excellent care available locally• Improve perception of quality• Enhance word of mouth promotion• Become the hospital of choice
How?
Reaching GoalsDecision was made to focus on enhancing engagement with the community.
OMH’s definition of engagement:Become a meaningful part of the lives of the residents of the Onslow community.
Where to Begin?Any solid new media plan starts with a solid strategy, grounded in research.• Understand your target• Identify key service lines and/or patient
groups• SWOT analysis• Research is key
OMH CommunityVery unique local community:• Lowest median age in the U.S. (23)• Military community• Lots of young families with access to
technology• Disproportionate share of mothers with
children still at home
Healthcare Decision Makers
According to the PRC, Inc. Consumer Assessment Study for Onslow County:• In 76% of households, women are the primary
decision makers for themselves and their families
Identifying Key Patient Groups
After consideration of goals, local demographics and influencers, our target group was clear:
Expanding the Strategy
Determine how to reach moms.• Secondary research was critical
Additional considerations:• Hospital had limited staffing resources for
social media management • Budget was a consideration
Reaching Moms• “Women’s community was the most visited and
fastest growing internet category, tied with politics. The number of unique visits to women’s community sites jumped 35% to almost 70 million…”
• 88% of mothers say the internet has helped them stay connected to the world
• 85% believe technology has made their life as a mother easier
• 66% said they rely more on technology since they have become a parent
Reaching Local Moms• Transient population and steady
deployment of troops means there are many temporary one-parent families in the area
• Connection with other moms is critical for spouses of deployed troops
• Younger moms often look online for advice
The Opportunity for Onslow
Create a social network that facilitates interaction between moms in the community and the hospital.
Not Just Another Mommy Blog
Onslow’s unique value proposition for moms:• Focus on the local
community• Keep content anchored in
healthcare information• Connect local moms easily
with other local moms
MomTalk: The ToolsMoms are active, savvy web users; we needed to reach them via multiple channels:• Community site• Blogs• Facebook• Twitter• YouTube• Email marketing• Website updates for Onslow.org
MomTalk: Community Site•The “mothership” of our program.
•A network of moms connecting, conversing and learning.
•Focus on discussions and forums, as well as health articles.
MomTalk: Blogs•A place for real women to share their stories and discuss relevant issues
•Relevant healthcare information provided through a Community Manager
MomTalk: Facebook•A place for local women to connect
•Initially used to funnel moms to more content-rich areas
•Excellent driver of word of mouse
MomTalk: Twitter•Important for moms on the go
•Another means of driving traffic to more content-rich areas of the program
MomTalk: YouTube•A place for moms to connect with the hospital and interact with rich content
•A means for moms to upload and share their own videos
MomTalk: Email Marketing
•A way for the hospital to share timely and relevant healthcare information
•Facilitates word of mouth by sharing information affecting the entire family
MomTalk: Website Integration
•Social media integration recommended to connect hospital brand to social media program
•Live feeds and new content blocks promote relevant content
Rethinking Our TargetOur initial target: new/expectant moms
We quickly realized we needed to reach ALL moms with children in the home.• This led to development of 4 “cohorts” and
content targeted to specific age ranges
Cohorts
TummyTime
For expectant and new
moms
CuddleBugs
For moms of infants
and toddlers
TweenBeat
For moms of “tweens”
(ages 5 – 12)
RealiTeen
For moms of teens (13 – 18)
Immediate SuccessMomTalk launched late 2009, with media campaign in 2010
Immediate SuccessPRC February 2010 showed positive gains for the first time in 5 years:• Overall perception of quality rose to 63.4• Overall preference rose from 26.7 to 28.7
Additionally, births at the hospital reached record numbers by July 2010. All time record set in September 2010.
What Drove Success?Effective local strategy:• Local bloggers hired to create genuine
content• Popular topics included:
• Single parenting during deployment• Being a stay-at-home mom• Becoming a new mom• Raising children in a transient community• Local news and its impact on families
• Community Forums became additional areas for support
What Drove Success?Traditional marketing support• Mixed media campaign launched in January
2010• Call to action: Onslow.org
Media was critical in successfully driving moms to social media sites and promoting MomTalk.• It is important to remember that social does
not equal viral
What Drove Success?Health Information/OMH brand supported instead of interfered:• Health information pushed only when
relevant; relied mainly on “pull” strategy• Limited branding• Limited extraneous/irrelevant hospital
content
Focus: sites were by moms, for moms, about moms above all else.
What Drove Success?Responsive, flexible program was evolved over time to better suit moms:• Redesigned the blogs to improve the user-
experience• Addressed a concern that “TweenBeat” was too
broad• Renamed and refocused “TweenBeat” for middle
schoolers• Add a fifth blog for parents of elementary-aged
children• Redesigned community site, focusing on forums• Created a new MomTalk “hub” page• Rethought the role of health-care information• Improved the Facebook experience by creating a
MomTalk page
What Drove Success?
What Drove Success?
What Drove Success?
Phase II: Expanding Engagement
Hospital needed to engage the larger community.
The solution?
Lighten Up Onslow: The Tools
LUO: Website Integration
•Website was a key promotion tool and enabled OMH to promote ongoing registration
•Live news feed promotes “team of the week”
Phase II SuccessLUO added extra boost in online traffic:
Phase II SuccessPRC February 2011 study results:• Overall perception of quality rose to 66.4• Overall preference rose from 28.7 to 30.7
Two year increase in perception: 8 pts
ConclusionsSocial media has allowed OMH to:• Connect with existing patients in key
patient groups• Reach new patients in key patient groups• Create a personal connection with the
community • Provide useful information to our targets• Offer exclusive content• Promote the hospital’s brand and reinforce
quality in a non-intrusive, interruptive way• Increase word of mouth/mouse
Things to Remember• Don’t just dive into social media• Get to know your target• Research is critical• Measurement is critical, and
possible• Be transparent
Things to Remember• Maintain a dialogue with your
target• Be prepared to evolve and adjust• Use traditional media• Don’t be afraid to ask for help!• HAVE FUN!
THANK YOU!
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