How to humanize your hospital brand with Facebook Live

This relatively new tool can help your hospital brand with patient engagement

Facebook Live is revolutionizing the way we interact on social media.  For the last couple of months, we’ve watched as thousands of people tested out the new tool and streamed the good, the bad and the ugly. What makes Facebook Live unique from anything else on social media today is its authenticity. There are no edits, no filters and no turning back. It’s also completely interactive. Followers can immediately react to your video with questions and comments, which makes the entire transaction as seamless as recording in front of a live studio audience.

You might be thinking . . . how is Facebook Live right for my hospital or health system?

Here are some thoughts:

Live Events with Doctors

My colleague Kayla Germain recently wrote a blog post about the top five companies with the best social media presence and how hospitals and health systems can mimic their styles. Kayla mentions how organizations can use Facebook to promote educational offerings or invite patients to a free physical with a newly hired physician. With Facebook Live you can take this offering to a new level.

What if you had a doctor hold a 15-minute live event where he or she talked about wellness opportunities such as the benefits of colon screenings or early detection of breast cancer? Patients might be more likely to schedule an appointment with your doctor after witnessing them discuss these issues. We all know early detection saves lives. Colon screens, for example, can find precancerous polyps that can be removed during the procedure. Check out the CDC’s website to see which screenings are recommended for various types of cancer. 

What if every expecting mother interviewed each pediatrician in your practice before making a selection. Yikes! I did that in 2000. The doctor took 30 (un-billable) minutes to talk with me about his philosophies and his practice. Had I saw him live on social media, I might not have wasted his time. Another great benefit of Facebook Live is it gives audiences the sense that you are a real person. You are human. You make mistakes just like them. With Facebook Live, it is another way to show the world your personality. For doctors and other medical staff, that can be just as important as the academic skills you bring to the table.

Press Conferences

Imagine holding press conference using Facebook Live as your platform. The media could ask questions and make comments from the comfort of their couch. As the speaker, you can respond to these observations as they appear on your feed. In advance of your event, your hospital’s social media manager can promote the press conference on Facebook to spread awareness. If people miss the live recording, they can always watch later on.

You can read more about Facebook Live here.