Involve staff in content creation

How to motivate busy caregivers to participate

Content creation is not limited to the marketing department. Get physicians, nurses, foundation employees, and staff to contribute their ideas, expertise, and personal stories. This will showcase different perspectives and help keep the content fresh through unique voices that will appeal to diverse patients. Many times, staff members are interested in contributing content based on their experiences, but they aren’t confident in their writing skills, or they simply don’t have the time. Some staff members may need to be convinced of the benefits of inbound marketing for themselves and the organization.

Content creators are often perceived as thought leaders in their industry, and staff members who participate will be able to gain credibility in the healthcare field and build their personal brand. Google Authorship is also changing the way that content is served by ranking content based on the author’s byline, and shows a headshot within the search. The more pieces of content that staff members have their names on, the more benefits they will see for both the hospital and their personal reputation.

To help non-writers get started, create editorial guidelines that staff members can follow. For those who don’t have the capacity in their schedule to create their own content, such as physicians, have a marketing specialist interview them and then create and author videos, blog posts, articles, and presentations on their behalf. It’s not realistic and doesn’t make economic sense to have clinicians create all of their own content, but they are great resources for health information that is relevant to your patients.

If the benefits to the hospital or practice itself isn’t enough, you can try educating staff about the individual benefits they will see if they participate in inbound marketing. For physicians, you can remind them that their content may help to drive business, which would mean new patients that can help them hit their quarterly goals. Being a published author can also lead to opportunities in the industry and in the community, such as speaking engagements, interviews for medical publications, or appearances at community events.

Is your hospital or practice currently using inbound marketing strategies?

Patients today want to be in control of their healthcare decisions by researching and digesting health information on their own terms through search engines and social media platforms. Outbound or traditional marketing messages may build awareness of your hospital brand, but inbound marketing can help hospitals and physician practices engage patients and provide the depth of information that traditional marketing doesn’t allow.  When given the adequate time and resources, inbound marketing can help position your healthcare brand as a resource for content-hungry patients, and provide clear results with measurable ROI.

To learn more, download the white paper

“Inbound Marketing: Nourishment for Content-Hungry Patients”