Healthcare content strategies during COVID
Doctors and health professionals are no longer the first opinion when patients have questions about their symptoms, possible illness, treatments or anything else health-related: Doctor Google is. You may not even be second if family or friends get to these health-minded searchers first.
Just search “COVID” and Doctor Google gives you a whole slew of information:
- A map of your area highlighting cases
- Expandable knowledge panels with information on how it spreads and health info including symptoms
- A link to Google’s own self-assessment tool
- And even another panel listing coping mechanisms.
For someone searching for information on COVID, or trying to find out if they need to get tested, or where to get testing, they need to wade through all this information to maybe get to your website.
This demonstrates the importance of having high-quality content not just living on your website, but visible, so that people can find it outside of your website and outside of Google:
- On your social media pages, including YouTube
- Through sponsored content (perhaps through a local news outlet or magazine)
- In emails going to their inbox
- Online advertising that reaches them where they are (and follows them around)
- And via mass media tactics such as TV and radio to stay top of mind and easily recognizable
In this year’s Trends Report we gave some ideas for starting your own content hub to educate and delight your patients. Today I’d like to link out to some of our favorite examples of exceptional healthcare content hubs that you can use for inspiration.
- The Well by Northwell is a beautifully designed content hub, created to educate and inform audiences while building brand loyalty. Many of the blog posts have a “Next Steps and Helpful Resources” section at the bottom, which can keep readers engaged instead of feeling like they’re being pushed to book an appointment. They also include CTAs to subscribe to their weekly newsletter.
- Health Essentials by Cleveland Clinic features a clean interface and comprehensive library of resources; this site allows users to easily find information on any number of health-related topics.
- UH Health Talks has a massive library, archiving all of their video webinars and organizing based on topic. Chances are you’re probably creating a lot of COVID-related content. Are you housing it all in one easy to find, easy to navigate place?
- UCLA Health Connect is another nice, clean content hub that lives separate from the main website. In between content sections, they include quotes from patients and care compliments to increase positive brand perception.
Finally, when creating your content, don’t forget to spread moments of joy. Americans are hungry for good news, and sharing positive stories from the healthcare heroes can make a big impact on morale in your community.
White Plains Hospital has been sharing videos and photos of patients being released after being treated for COVID. This kind of content is hopeful and encouraging for the community members and also lifts up and thanks the doctors, nurses and staff.
Methodist Hospital in San Antonio has a video series called Methodist Moments, highlighting positive stories from employees and patients including a cancer patient thanking her Nurse Navigator, an Environmental Service Specialist keeping the rooms clean and sanitized, and a couple who got married in the hospital while the husband was battling COVID which went viral.
Further reading on content and social media marketing:
White Paper: Social Standards Guide
How Healthcare Marketers Can Shake Up Their Digital Status Quo