Social Media
Since people seek out hospitals only when they’re injured or sick, Peter Taylor, marketing director for Sarasota Memorial Hospital, was interested in getting customers to develop a less stressful relationship with SMH. Fortunately, social media provides a meaningful opportunity “to engage people in a more comfortable, natural place,” he says. Taylor held a Facebook photo contest called “Healthy, Happy Faces,” asking fans and friends to send in pictures of their active lifestyles and Sarasota’s natural resources. The hospital received dozens of photos of people biking, kayaking and jogging, and its Facebook page (facebook.com/sarasotamemorialhospital) jumped to more than 2,700 fans. Even more importantly, the hospital showed that it cared about the whole person—not just the patient—and was part of the community.