The Explosion of Both Specialized and General Social Media

The use of social media is growing rapidly. The power of social media and the impact that it can have on the business of marketing is unbelieveable. Thanks to Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter, it is easier to catch people’s attention and get them interested in a business. Social media is also good for advertising and a great way to get a business out there.

The explosion of both general and specialized social networks on the internet has enabled patients and practitioners to talk to each other and amongst themselves in a myriad of ways that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. Mention social media marketing in general and it is likely that you are referring to Twitter, Facebook or one of the other mainstream players in the social media field. When talking about healthcare social media marketing however, there are some other options in the social sphere. The explosion of both general and specialized social networks on the internet has enabled patients and practitioners to talk to each other and amongst themselves in a myriad of ways that would have been unimaginable just a few years ago (Hume, 2012).

While Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Youtube are all quite commonly used by physicians and healthcare services for B2C communication, there is a marked preference amongst physicians for a gated community when connecting with their peers. The exclusive-to-physicians social network Sermo facilitates confidential and optionally anonymous discussion amongst physicians nationwide on a range of topics related to 68 medical specialty groups. (Hume, 2012)

Sutter Health, headquartered in Sacramento, California is a community-based, non-profit health care network of hospitals, physician organizations, home health and hospic...

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... interfere with work activities.State that all other organization policies (e.g., harassment, ethics) are applicable to social media communications State that individuals are personally responsible for all social media posts. State that employees should not expect privacy on social media.They have to also define consequences for violating policies. (Cain, 2011)

In conclusion, social media is a great idea for marketing. I think it’s a great strategy, seeing how everyone uses some type of social media these days. It’s an easy way to advertise, connect with others and interact with others as well. It can provide feedback, networking and a way to grab someone’s attention that is not familiar with a company or rather, never heard of a company. I like the idea of using social media for healthcare marketing. I think it could definitely help a company’s marketing strategy.