Latest news with #RepuGen
Forbes
19 hours ago
- Health
- Forbes
Social Media In Healthcare: Proven Strategies To Strengthen Your Reputation
Lauren Parr is the co-founder and Product Director at RepuGen, one of the leading healthcare reputation management platforms. Patients today are forming opinions about healthcare providers long before stepping through the door. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and even TikTok have evolved into hubs where patients search for symptoms, explore provider reviews and form first impressions long before booking an appointment. highlights this shift, projecting that virtual health services will grow from $8.7 billion in 2023 to over $50.9 billion by 2032. With more than 80% of internet users aged 18-49 turning to social media for health-related information, healthcare practices are being evaluated not only on clinical outcomes but also on how they present themselves online. Reputation, trust and connection are increasingly shaped in real time, through posts, responses, reviews and shares. Social media is your first impression, and often your only chance to make one. Patients scroll, scan and decide within seconds whether your practice feels trustworthy. If you're silent or inconsistent online, they'll move on without a second thought. Building A HIPAA-Compliant Social Media Strategy One of the biggest concerns for healthcare providers online is patient privacy. HIPAA compliance must be at the core of any healthcare social media strategy. Providers should never share protected health information (PHI) without explicit, documented patient consent. Even well-intentioned posts can inadvertently violate HIPAA if they reveal identifiable details. Strategies for maintaining compliance include: A well-defined, HIPAA-compliant strategy allows practices to engage confidently without risking violations or damaging trust. Crafting Engaging, Patient-Centered Content Compliance sets the boundaries, but content is where practices can genuinely connect with their audience. Healthcare consumers seek authenticity, clarity and value in the information they encounter online. Patient success stories (with written consent) are among the most effective forms of content. They humanize your practice and build trust by showing real-world impact. Educational content also resonates deeply. Explainers on common health conditions, prevention tips or seasonal health advice position your practice as a reliable source of knowledge and expertise. Visual storytelling is key. Video posts, infographics and behind-the-scenes images of staff foster connection and familiarity. Examples of effective content include: Ultimately, content should serve patients first, promoting transparency and education over self-promotion. Proactive Engagement And Reputation Management Managing your online reputation means being responsive and professional, regardless of whether the feedback is positive or negative. Ignoring reviews is not an option in the modern healthcare landscape. • Responding To Positive Reviews: Thank patients sincerely, reinforcing appreciation and demonstrating your practice's human side. Example: "Thank you for sharing your experience! We're glad we could support you and look forward to continuing your care." • Responding To Negative Reviews: Maintain professionalism, avoid defensiveness and refrain from disclosing any patient-specific details, even when attempting to clarify the situation. Example: "Thank you for your feedback. We're sorry to hear about your experience. Please call our office so we can discuss and address your concerns directly." Timely and respectful engagement strengthens patient loyalty and shows potential patients that your practice values quality and accountability. Leveraging Social Media Reviews For SEO And Visibility Reviews are not just about reputation; they're critical for discoverability. Search engines and social media platforms alike factor them into visibility algorithms. Platforms like Facebook are critical. Approximately 89% of hospitals actively use Facebook to engage audiences, making it the leading platform in healthcare marketing. Encouraging satisfied patients to leave reviews there can significantly impact your online presence. Meanwhile, Twitter (now X) serves as a hub for health-related conversations, with over 1 million tweets on health topics posted daily. Participating in relevant discussions and sharing content can amplify your reach to patients, peers and journalists. By incorporating reviews into your broader social strategy, you boost both credibility and online visibility. Conclusion Social media offers healthcare practices an opportunity to move beyond transactional interactions and establish genuine connections with patients. To make the most of it, providers need more than just frequent posts; they need a strategy that respects patient privacy, delivers clear and helpful information and prioritizes real engagement. By approaching social media with care, consistency and compliance, practices can enhance their reputation, foster patient loyalty and establish themselves as trusted voices in the communities they serve. Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Health
- Forbes
AI And Data: Transforming The Future Of Healthcare Marketing
Lauren Parr is the co-founder and Product Director at RepuGen, one of the leading healthcare reputation management platforms. Healthcare marketing is at a crossroads. Patients aren't just Googling symptoms anymore; they expect healthcare providers to meet them with the right message, at the right time and in the right format. Beyond preferences, these expectations have become the new standard, and meeting them requires the strategic use of AI and data. Here, we're exploring how healthcare brands are leveraging AI to do more than just save time. They're creating standout patient experiences through smart content, real-time support, hyper-targeted ads and streamlined marketing. Artificial intelligence is redefining patient engagement by enabling levels of personalization previously unimaginable at scale. By analyzing patient histories, behaviors and preferences, AI allows healthcare marketers to deliver context-aware and emotionally resonant interactions. From timely appointment reminders to tailored health content, every touchpoint can feel purposeful and meaningful. The result is deeper patient trust and greater retention. Rather than replacing human connection, AI can create the space for it to flourish. In an era defined by data, predictive analytics has become a powerful lever for proactive care. By analyzing historical patterns and real-time signals, machine learning models can identify risks, such as missed appointments or treatment non-adherence, before they become problems. This foresight enables meaningful interventions, more intelligent resource allocation and personalized care strategies. It's a shift from reacting to anticipating and improving outcomes through timely, informed action. In the attention economy, relevance is everything. AI tools help empower healthcare organizations to produce blogs, social content and educational materials at a scale aligned with what patients are actively searching for. These platforms go beyond automation, using search trends and keyword analysis to craft content that is both informative and highly discoverable. The AI content space is experiencing explosive growth, with projections increasing from $2.9 billion to $3.53 billion in just one year. For healthcare marketers, that's your signal to lean in and rethink how content gets done. AI-powered chatbots are transforming patient support, serving as the primary point of contact for scheduling, symptom checks and basic triage. Operating 24/7, they provide consistent communication while easing the load on administrative staff. In many cases, generative AI chatbots now resolve up to 75% of customer interactions, freeing human teams to focus on more complex, high-value conversations. Access to real-time data enables healthcare marketers to make informed decisions quickly and effectively. Analytics dashboards provide in-depth insights into campaign performance, patient behavior and engagement gaps. This data-first approach reduces guesswork and ensures that marketing efforts are aligned with both patient needs and strategic goals, driving more effective outreach with less waste. AI enables precision-level advertising by analyzing user behavior, demographics and intent signals to deliver targeted ads. Marketers can deliver highly targeted messages to the right audience at the right moment while retargeting campaigns reengage patients who have shown interest but haven't yet converted. In this way, marketers can ensure smarter spending and more meaningful patient journeys. Navigating regulations such as HIPAA and GDPR is crucial in healthcare marketing. AI helps support compliance by automating secure data practices, detecting anomalies and maintaining audit trails. When implemented responsibly, these technologies can enhance trust and safeguard patient data. Compliance goes beyond ticking boxes. It's about building patient trust through ethical data practices and staying transparent at every step. AI enables granular segmentation based on patient needs, allowing marketers to deliver relevant content on topics such as chronic disease management, wellness, vaccines and more. A strategic approach to targeted education campaigns can result in better preventive care, stronger health literacy and more engaged patients. Repetitive tasks such as campaign scheduling, email automation, A/B testing and reporting can now be handled by AI. This not only reduces marketing costs but also allows teams to focus on creativity and strategy. As budgets tighten, automation ensures that time and money are spent where they matter most. While not traditionally part of marketing, AI's impact on drug discovery indirectly benefits outreach efforts. Faster development timelines open opportunities for early education on new treatments. Marketers can utilize AI insights to translate complex innovations into patient-friendly communication, thereby bridging the gap between science and public understanding. Moving Forward With Confidence AI and data are reshaping the healthcare marketing playbook from engagement to retention. However, real success comes from using this technology thoughtfully, with purpose and clarity. Providers who balance innovation with empathy and efficiency with ethics will not only meet today's expectations but shape tomorrow's standards. Tomorrow's healthcare marketing will be driven by intelligence but defined by empathy, guided by people who know how to bring the two together. Now is the time to lead with confidence and a clear, AI-enhanced vision. Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
Forbes
31-03-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Optimizing Your GBP: Advanced Strategies For Healthcare
Lauren Parr is the co-founder and Product Director at RepuGen, one of the leading healthcare reputation management platforms. An optimized Google Business Profile is a valuable asset in a world where your digital footprint can make or break your practice. While AI-driven search tools are making headlines, Google still commands 89.73% of the market with over 8.5 billion daily searches. For healthcare providers, your online presence is not just a listing; it's your invitation to new patients and a reflection of your credibility. Today, I'll guide you through the latest features and strategies that empower healthcare providers to rank higher on Google Business Profile and outpace the competition. Google Business Profile is essential for any healthcare provider aiming to secure a prime spot in local search results. A well-optimized profile boosts your Google local search ranking, making it easier for patients to find your services under searches like "best dentist in [location] Accurate and updated information builds vital trust and credibility, and with 46% of searches having local intent, GBP optimization is key to enhancing online visibility and attracting new patients. Having established the critical role of GBP, let's now explore actionable strategies to optimize your profile and adapt to its evolving features. Establishing ownership is the first step in any effective online strategy. Claim and verify your Google Business Profile to establish ownership. To verify your profile, choose one of the following methods that best suits your practice: Receive a postcard with a verification code in the mail, get a code via phone call or text, or complete a live video call by showing your business location and identification documents. Once you receive the code, enter it into your profile to complete the process. Building on verification, the next priority is refining other business details. This section ensures that all information presented to potential patients is accurate and up to date. After claiming your profile, select the right categories that accurately reflect your services, whether you're a general practitioner, pediatrician or urgent care provider. Regularly update these categories to stay current. Accurate categorization helps Google understand your practice, improving your Google local search ranking. Craft a clear, engaging business description highlighting your key services and expertise while maintaining a natural flow. Regular updates keep your profile relevant and improve rankings. Leverage AI-powered tools to generate an optimized description by analyzing your website and current profile. Ensure you review and edit the suggestions before making any finalizations for a polished finish. GBP now offers a built-in AI feature that can suggest a business description using your updated information, streamlining the process even further. Ensure your name, address and phone number remain consistent across your website, social media and online directories. Even minor discrepancies can undermine your practice's credibility and erode trust among both potential patients and Google, so consistency is essential. Patient reviews are vital for building credibility and improving your profile's ranking. Encourage satisfied patients to leave detailed reviews, especially those with photos, as studies show that visual content significantly increases engagement. Simplify the review process by providing direct links and automated reminders. Once reviews are in, respond promptly to both positive and negative feedback to show your acknowledgement of patient inputs. Regularly monitor these GBP reviews to identify areas for improvement and maintain a strong online reputation. Keep your profile fresh by regularly updating it with posts, high-quality photos and informative videos. While Google posts add to your presence, reviews and visual content can have a higher ROI. Showcase your clinic's interior, staff interactions and before-and-after transformations when applicable. Google's advanced visual search technology now organizes images into dynamic carousels, boosting visibility and engagement. As Darren Shaw, Founder at highlights, this feature makes your GBP even more impactful. To further optimize SEO, geotag your images and use keyword-rich filenames. Beyond content, practical details also play a key role in building trust. Accurate business hours, including holiday or emergency schedules, are essential for maintaining trust and ensuring potential patients receive the correct information. Update your hours regularly to avoid any confusion. Integrating direct links to your website and appointment booking system within your GBP streamlines the patient journey and can increase conversions. This integration is a vital aspect of comprehensive GBP optimization. Utilize data to drive continuous improvement. Review Google's data on search queries, clicks and calls to gain insights on user demographics and behavior. Use these insights to refine your ongoing marketing strategies and better target potential patients. Take advantage of every feature GBP offers to engage potential patients. The Q&A section is a powerful feature for proactively addressing common patient inquiries. Ensure that you provide clear, informative answers to frequently asked questions to reduce bounce rates and boost user engagement. This not only helps potential patients but also reinforces your commitment to excellent care. Building and maintaining a strong online presence is an ongoing project. Optimizing your Google Business Profile can boost local visibility and attract new patients. You can improve your ranking and build trust by claiming your profile, maintaining consistent NAP details, encouraging reviews and using engaging visuals. While AI tools continue to evolve, Google remains the key platform for your online presence, so focus on continuous optimization to grow your practice. Forbes Communications Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
