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Most hospitals and health systems have embraced social media as a means to support and engage their patients. Here is what three health system marketing leaders say about the shakeup of healthcare marketing by social media. 

• Amy Stevens, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Tidelands Health in Murrells Inlet, SC: Stevens sees social media as a way to talk “with” someone as opposed to talking “to” someone. It removes the middleman and allows them to engage directly with consumers and consumers to engage directly with them. This type of two-way conversation creates an opportunity for better listening and more agility.
• Lori Howley, Executive Director Corporate Communications and Chief Marketing Officer, MelroseWakefield Healthcare: Howley says that by providing the data, means and platforms to provide personalized messages and content that is meaningful to consumers, social media has made an indelible mark on healthcare marketing. Communications with consumers can occur in real time, thus supporting consumer needs and interests, building trust with your brand and delivering satisfaction. It is important to deliver the right content, but it is also important to avoid over-communicating or miscommunicating.
• Sandra Mackey, Chief Marketing Officer, Bon Secours Mercy Health: Social media has changed the way society communicates, thus changing the way healthcare marketers communicate. The days of the “hard sell” are gone. Social media provides a way to better understand customers and engage with them in a meaningful way. Analytics allows for learning more about consumer interests, which leads to being better able to identity consumer preferences and deliver what they want and need.