The Main Artery

Most healthcare marketers are participating in Facebook by now.  One of the questions we’re getting from our clients is how to use Facebook to effectively engage specific patient  segments.

In our view, women are prime candidates for targeted heart and vascular Facebook efforts. More than many, this population’s diagnosis involves long-term, evolving lifestyle questions and changes.

And, according to istrategylabs, they’re on Facebook more and more:

• Women make up 54.3% of the current Facebook audience, a 145% increase over last year.
• Specific age segments are growing even more.
• Usage by 35-54-year-olds  grew 328% last year to make up nearly 30% of the total audience.
• The 55+ segment grew a whopping 922% to make up almost 10% of the total audience.

Carla Bryant, Vice President of Navvis and Company, recently did a webinar about the advantages of a Women’s Heart Facebook page.  She talked about achieving multiple goals, including:

• Attracting women who have an interest in heart health
• Creating a connection among women with your brand
• Engaging women in taking ownership of their heart health
• Raising awareness of heart risks and symptoms among women and tying in your program’s expertise and capabilities
• Promoting events – screenings and educational seminars
• Connecting women to relevant content that expands their knowledge of heart health
• Positioning your experts as leaders in the diagnosis, management and treatment of women with heart disease

A discussion of when to use a Facebook Fan Page and when to use a group ensued as well:

A Facebook fan page is a good approach if you want to:

• Increase awareness of your brand and your women’s heart program.
• Attract “all comers” with an interest in women and heart disease to engage in conversation.
• Use applications to increase relevance and engagement.

A Facebook group might be more relevant if you:

• Have a women’s heart membership program and want to keep exclusivity in your content.
• Want to limit your exposure (e.g., not show up in Google searches).
• Don’t want to use Facebook as a platform to increase awareness of your brand or women’s heart program.

Keep in mind that Facebook efforts should be just one part of an integrated marketing mix, but with the right messaging, your patient engagement can grow exponentially.