I ran across an interesting study the other day that surveyed how consumers use the Internet to obtain health information. One part of this Pew Internet & American Life research project (in partnership with the California HealthCare Foundation) looked at how consumers obtain information about Hospitals and Medical Facilities and seemed to suggest it might be time for a fresh look at online healthcare marketing.

Actually, I was rather surprised that there weren’t a higher percentage of people using the Internet for this. The same study found that 61% of American adults overall look online for health-related information. Then I peeled back the layers of this information and some interesting insights emerged, such as:

• A significantly higher percentage of women sought information about hospitals and medical facilities than men.
• 45% of Internet Hospital/Medical Facility searchers have checked online review/ranking information relating to the facilities.
• Younger, or better educated, or more affluent consumers were more likely to use the Internet to obtain Hospital/Med Facility information.

Finding solutions for rising healthcare costs and coverage is one of the largest social and economic challenges of our era. Hospitals and medical facilities are particularly hard-pressed to do it all.

Online Healthcare Marketing to the Rescue?

Well, perhaps at least a significant assist. Internet Marketing is generally faster, less expensive and more measurable than classic marketing channels.

Moreover, the Internet is also becoming increasingly more relevant as a communication channel of choice — particularly among younger, more educated and affluent sectors which may favor Internet channels to the exclusion of traditional channels (such as newspapers, TV, direct mail, etc.).

Now, here’s the rub: you still have a significant percentage of your community that have not yet come to The Dark Side (aka The Internet) for information.

So, creating the optimal mix of traditional and online healthcare marketing plans becomes an important skill set for hospital marketing to be more relevant and budget-friendly. There are some additional nuances to take into consideration as well, for instance:

1. Much of classic marketing is interruption-based — meaning you are sending messages to a target audience that may/may not be remotely interested in your subject (also referred to as Push Marketing). You’re interrupting consumers from whatever they were doing with your message. Whereas, much of online marketing is intention-based where the consumer actively intends to get information on your topic and you presented your message while they were seeking it (Pull Marketing). Nice.
2. Another nuance to consider is the constantly growing array of Internet channels (Search Engines, Social Networks, etc.), media (Video, Audio, etc.), interactive capabilities (Polls, Online Calculators, etc.) and devices (Smart Phones, iPads, etc.) at your disposal.
3. Yet another nuance is the growing range of opportunities and challenges that User Generated Content presents and how that fits into the communication and engagement plans for your website and relevant online channels.

You can well imagine that the same Classic and Internet marketing mix that worked in the past for healthcare marketing (and hospital marketing in particular) may now be squandering resources in outdated channels. For instance, consider how the relevant communication channels for hospital marketing have changed over the last several years when targeting prospective parents with a message about a new hospital birthing facility.

It’s beginning to look like you need to be an Internet Marketing Surgeon to do effective Online Healthcare Marketing.

A monumental shift is taking place in how people get healthcare and medical information. These changes are so profound that ignoring them could upend healthcare providers.

Consider this: a 2009 Pew Research Center study, The Social Life of Health Information, finds that 61% of American adults look online for health information. There’s even a new term for these folks: e-patients. 20% of e-patients use social networking sites and websites that foster participation with medical professional and patients

This PEW research study is just chock full of insight on how behavior is shifting to favor Internet sources for all types of health-related learning and decisions. It’s a must-read for healthcare executives and marketers.

There’s also plenty of anecdotal information pointing to  the growing popularity of the Internet for healthcare information:

• iPhone Apps –  such as: WebMD Mobile, GivUp, Natural Cures, Eat This, Not That! and my favorite — Am I Pregnant Quiz
• Audio Podcasts – such as: Nutrition Diva, More Attention — Less Deficit, SCCM Podcast — iCritical Care
• Video Podcasts – such as: Oprah’s Health & Wellness, Good Morning American Health, Health Matters at Work
• Websites & Blogs – such as Patients Like Me, or Booster Shots
• Social Networking Sites – such as Daily Strength, or eHealth Forum
• Rating & Review Sites – such as MDJunction, or Health Grades

These represent a small fraction of the endless channel opportunities that include YouTube, SlideShare and more. Clearly the Internet is becoming “a contender” for healthcare marketing resources.

Opportunity abounds — particularly if your competitors have not yet caught up with this shift. Healthcare marketers should be giving the numerous online channels serious consideration in their marketing strategy, budgets and plans. Indeed, Internet Healthcare Marketing is becoming a matter for all healthcare executives to embrace.

A growing cadre of hospitals in the U.S. are embracing Social Media and Social Network Marketing — as shown in the graphic below.

Hospital Social Media Marketing

This information comes courtesy of Ed Bennett, Director of Web Strategy at the University of Maryland Medical Center, who is gaining renown for his research into the confluence of hospitals, healthcare and the Internet. According to his research, at least 402 hospitals in the US are using Social Media in varying forms to accomplish their goals.

Moreover, research conducted by Ad-ology Research’s Media Influence on Consumer Choice Study (available for purchase $495) as reported recently in Marketing Charts provides additional insight into the growing need for participation in these channels and establishing a robust website/web presence. Among their findings:

• Almost 40% of recent hospital/urgent care patients said that Social Media influenced them.
• More than 50% of the 25 – 34 year-olds reported that Social Media influences them. (Forums & Discussion Boards had a particularly significant influence on members of this demographic recently visiting for maternity.)
• Hospital & Urgent Care facility websites most influenced 18-24 year-olds.

And yes, they did also find that a significant number of people were influenced by traditional media such as direct mail, television and newspapers ads (!!).

The growing influence of Social Media in hospital marketing is just the tip of the iceberg. When you peel back the stats represented here and start reviewing some of the creative approaches used by some truly innovative marketers, it really starts painting a “healthier” picture for healthcare marketing — and in particular hospital marketing — in a cost-effective, relevant way.

Two very potent forces are converging in the marketplace: economic turmoil and surging Internet use. Businesses that continue on as before will experience difficulty; those that adapt will stand a chance. Organizations that demonstrate creativity and innovation can gain competitive advantage.

This is a time when your competitive field can go Topsy-turvy and you can come out ahead.

That’s what the Creative Internet Marketing Stories series is about — real life stories about companies and people succeeding through creative and innovative use of Internet marketing as in the following story.

Creative Healthcare Marketing: HealthPartners Petey & Pokey

Healthcare is in the spotlight. Major understatement – no? Healthcare is also fairly notorious for rather conservative marketing. And, for good reason — personal and legal stakes are extremely high.

Even if the economy was booming, major shifts in consumer behavior favoring Internet information and influencers represents a seismic change to status quo marketing strategy, planning and tactics. So, when creativity and innovation happen to capitalize on that shift it’s worth taking note.

As in the case of HealthPartners and their marketing campaign “A New Way to Look at Healthcare” creating two unlikely characters: Petey and Pokey. Here’s the rub: Petey is a specimen pee cup and Pokey is a needle.

Healthcare Marketing Campaign Mascots

• Company: HealthPartners — 2 hospitals/25 clinics/~1 million members in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
• Goal: Increase adoption rate of their Online Services (prescription refills, test results, medical records, appointment setting, bill payment, etc.)
• What: HealthPartners created two characters as part of the overall marketing campaign to increase adoption of their Online Services — Petey and Pokey — they are wildly successful. They were innovative in their use of emerging Web 2.0 capabilities and Social Media channels.
• Challenges: Not everyone associated with HealthPartners felt that this irreverent duo was appropriate for the serious nature of healthcare.
• Key: HealthPartners employees were early champions enthusiastically promoting Petey & Pokey, which in turn got viral growth rolling.

Petey & Pokey are fun, memorable mascots that appear at events, in advertisements and communications. HealthPartners integrated Petey & Pokey in a variety of classic offline and online marketing tactics.

That integration combination works – they are frequently seen “in-person” around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area in addition to a range of HealthPartner events AND they have their own accounts in key social media channels, such as Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn and Twitter. Offline events encourage fans to “friend” Petey & Pokey’s social media pages to get the latest on them. Online social networking promotes their offline events. Nice.

Petey & Pokey were so popular that they “went viral” (meaning word of mouth marketing set in within their target market). I’m pretty sure that the HealthPartners marketing team would tell us that Going Viral is not as accidental as it sounds. There are 3 basic elements at work here that facilitate that success:

1. Entertainment Value
2. Target Market Engagement
3. Relevant Education

These 3 elements — Entertainment — Engagement — Education — are the Secret Sauce that helps them build a strong Social Media following. As popularity of these characters spread (along with the messages they conveyed), so did the adoption of their Online Services.

HealthPartners then uses these social networks to update highly receptive fans, educate them about the value of their Online Services and send messages about upcoming events such as a the Grand Re-opening celebration for one of their clinics.

Their fans and friends in social media can then easily forward news, videos, pictures, event announcements or messages featuring Petey & Pokey to their own networks. In fact, they often don’t even have to do anything — the news automatically updates to their friends. Again, more publicity and goodwill for HealthPartners Online Services. How good is that?

HealthPartners Internet marketing team keeps trying new ways to leverage the popularity of Petey & Pokey. To see a list of the various channels they use, get ideas, and follow links to specific examples, check out our expanded coverage of this Creative Healthcare Marketing Idea.

Stay tuned… we’ll keep following the progress of this campaign and report back.