When people sign up for Facebook, they provide the world’s biggest social network with a tremendous amount of data about themselves (e.g., interests, jobs and education). This data can become some very powerful marketing information.

Facebook is well aware of that fact – that’s why they are now using that data to their advantage. Businesses now have to pay the social media giant to reach their target audiences.

A Facebook page that has 20,000 likes may look great, but in reality just a small percentage of those people actually see what a business has to say. The only way to get your updates in front of more people – and the right people – is to take out your credit card.

While many marketers find this very frustrating, Facebook advertising is no longer optional. It’s now a necessity.

There is some good news: Unlike a radio or print campaign that could cost a business thousands of dollars, Facebook can allow a business to get in front of a targeted audience for a fraction of the price.

To make sure you get the most “bang for your buck” from a Facebook campaign, try these two effective ad strategies.

Custom Audiences

When people register for Facebook, they don’t just tell the network their favorite movie and where they went to high school. Facebook also asks for their email address. This bit of data is HUGE!

Facebook doesn’t share that information with anyone, but it does allow advertisers to upload lead lists in .csv format and find other people who have similar interests based on the email addresses provided. They call this feature “Look-A-Likes.”

You can then target those specific people with niche-type messages, meaning you are only spending money on people who care about your product or service.

Video Advertising

Video has one of the highest engagement metrics out of all the different advertising options; video ads and boosted videos are a great way for potential buyers to become engaged with your brand, product or service. The next time you run a Facebook campaign, try a video instead of a regular link or static image – your return will be greater.

While every campaign is different and results could vary by industry, Facebook advertising has become a very quick, affordable and powerful way to get in front of the right audiences. For additional Facebook advertising tips, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post The Keys to a Successful Facebook Ad Campaign appeared first on Wax Communications.

Money is essential in the world of medicine, especially for medical research. It can be the difference in updated technology – and saving a life.

While traditional fundraisers, charity dinners and walk-a-thons have always been great tools for generating this much-needed income, health care facilities now have another way of raising funds: the Internet.

Yes, every hospital should always have a working button on their website to ask for donations. They should also promote links on their social media accounts. These are “no-brainers” that will hopefully convert some leads.

But what other ways can you generate donations on the web? Here are a few examples:

YouTube Charity Cards

YouTube is the world’s largest video sharing network.  Recently, YouTube introduced a new Charity card feature. The feature lets publishers link viewers directly to projects listed on YouTube-approved fundraising sites such as Indiegogo and Kickstarter.

Video is proving to be invaluable for many non-profit organizations. In fact, non-profit campaigns generated 670 million YouTube views in 2014.  This new tool makes the donation process even easier.

Storify

Many of your website visitors are looking for information on a specific medial subject or physician – they probably aren’t looking to donate. That’s where Storify comes in.

The website gathers stories on a particular topic and shares them in one central location. Your health care facility can use Storify to find articles related to your charity, which can then serve as motivation and momentum for the cause.

For example, lets say you are trying to raise money for your cardiology department. Storify can find stories on the web that discuss heart disease and group them all in one spot for the reader’s convenience. This is important, as people sometimes need more information on a subject before they open their wallets.

Donations in many situations are what keep hospitals and health care facilities open. Leveraging the various tools on the web can make raising these funds more attainable.

For additional ideas on getting exposure for your fundraising initiatives, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

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Although many businesses – including ones in healthcare and medicine – turn to their Facebook pages to promote their practices, getting noticed organically these days can be challenging. With Facebook’s new “Pay-to-Play” algorithm, you can have 20,000 fans and only 11 of them will actually see what you’ve shared.

That doesn’t mean you should disregard the world’s biggest social network. Facebook is still a great communications tool – your strategy just needs some fine-tuning.

Having prominent members of your facility such as doctors or nurses join Groups relating to their specialty or practice can help tremendously.

Facebook Groups were – and still are – intended largely as a way to connect with friends and others who are interested in a similar activity or cause. There are Groups on Facebook for just about any topic or interest, including pontoon boats and German Shepherds.

Because of this, Facebook Groups can be a very powerful way to reach your target audiences and bring them to your website.

For example: Why not have your top neurologist or someone on his or her staff join the Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Group? This particular group, which is comprised of over 5,100 members, is a great platform to show one’s expertise on the disease and participate in discussions.

Once the conversation gets going, the person representing the facility may then want to send a friend request to any interested parties and take the conversation further, possibly resulting in a new patient.

A few important things to keep in mind: You can’t post as a business on a Facebook Group, and you should refrain from blatantly promoting your services. If you try to use this part of Facebook as a sales tool, you will most likely get booted.

Sometimes, thinking “outside of the box” is all that it takes to get your message in front of the people who mean the most to you.

For additional healthcare social media tips, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post Facebook Groups: A Unique Way to Market Your Healthcare Facility appeared first on Wax Communications.

Communication with patients and potential patients is key to any healthcare facility’s success; it’s essential for branding and other marketing purposes. But unlike other industries – like retail and automotive – hard-hitting advertising doesn’t translate well in the world of medicine.

In healthcare, marketing revolves around passion and realization. One very successful way to portray these attributes is through custom publishing. This medium provides a great platform for a facility to “tell its story,” build its brand, connect with potential patients and possibly even create a new revenue stream.

In contrast to a print ad in a publication or banner ad you purchase on a website, custom publishing gives you full control of the content – both the advertising and editorial sides. There’s no third party to edit you.

This freedom gives you a better opportunity to connect with your readers. For example, you can really “paint a picture” of a new technology you used to save a person’s life via custom publishing. In comparison, this is something that would be very difficult to communicate via traditional advertising, where you don’t have full creative control.

Another benefit to custom publishing is its affordability. Even facilities with limited budgets can build their brands at very reasonable costs, especially via digital media.  If the content provides real value, it may even be used as a credible source and position you as an expert in a particular field or subject area.

Wax Custom Communications can help position you as a brand influencer through custom publishing. To find out more, contact us at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

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The About Us section is one of the most visited pages on a business’s website. If you don’t believe it, check out your Google Analytics account and see for yourself. Odds are that it’s pretty close to the top in terms of traffic.
With that said, you should put a lot of thought into this page. The About Us section shouldn’t just be about selling your facility or hospital. It should show authority and confidence without appearing desperate.

Here are a few ways to enhance this all-important page:

• Use it to show credibility. That means including testimonials from existing or previous patients on your page. If you can get video from a patient that backs up the testimonial, then your message will be even more powerful.

• Visuals are key. Humans are visual people. By showing them a video or photo with the copy, you’ll keep their attention – which increases your chance for conversion.

• Make sure to include awards and accreditations. When people are looking at healthcare facilities, they often look at accreditations and awards. These accolades help calm their nerves, as these show them and their loved ones that they are in good hands. Proving that you are the best at what you do can play a significant role in patient acquisition.

• Accuracy is essential. You should always back up your statements. The last thing you want to do is say something that would make people distrust your brand; people like honesty. Now in the world of social media, people can look through your “white lies” very quickly.

• Put contact information at the forefront. You’d be surprised how many websites make it difficult for a user to get contact information such as a phone number or email address. You may have the best About Us page in the world, but it’s meaningless if your prospects can’t find an easy way to contact you.

Website optimization is extremely important in 2015 – especially when it comes to content. For more information on how to optimize your healthcare facility’s About Us page, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post Your About Us Page: More Than a Placeholder appeared first on Wax Communications.

We spend a lot of time focusing on marketing to external audiences, but internal marketing is just as important to your organization. Your organization is only as strong as its weakest link, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to increase employee engagement and satisfaction.

May is the perfect opportunity to fine-tune your internal communications for a happier, healthier workplace. Multiple employee-focused, health care events are taking place – and now is your chance to capitalize.

This entire month is Employee Health and Fitness Month, and just this past week was National Nurses week. A few other events – like National Hospital Week – are currently underway. What are some ways to get your employees excited about events like these and increase overall engagement?

1. Do Your Research: Just like market research is a critical part of external marketing, it’s a critical part of internal marketing, too. Getting input from employees via online surveys and other means allows you to really tap into their interests and invite collaboration. Knowing that their input is appreciated will help boost their morale and help you create more effective internal marketing activities.
2. Stay in Touch: Your employees will never know about internal happenings if you aren’t talking about it. Regular communications are an important part of employee engagement; consistent and continuous messaging like a monthly email newsletter or e-zine can keep workers aware of what’s going on and encourage them to take action.
3. Recognize Achievements: This goes hand in hand with constant internal communications. Keeping employees informed about what the company is doing is great, but keeping them informed about what they are doing for the company reaps even more benefits. Consider highlighting employee milestones on your company’s website or social media channels. Because of this personalization, they’re more likely to share that content with friends and family – and others outside their network.
4. Keep Things Simple: When it comes to marketing to your employees, simpler is better. Instead of book-length emails and other long-winded content, consider a more user-friendly approach using informative infographics and other easy-to-digest materials. Not only is it more visually appealing, but also it’s more memorable – especially in a world where we’re bombarded with communications left and right.

For help with developing effective internal marketing campaigns, contact Wax Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

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Instagram is becoming one of the biggest social networks out there. From its photo opportunities to its video and hyperlapse features, Instagram is a social medium that no business – including ones in healthcare – should overlook.

But just because you post great photos and short videos doesn’t mean you’re an influencer in this ever-growing social network. It takes time and a detailed strategy.

Here are three ways to build your brand:

Recruitment

To become an influencer, you need others who already have clout in the Instagram world. However, that doesn’t mean only looking for handles that have 20,000+ followers. If most of those followers are fake or have little activity, they most likely won’t do your facility any good. You need to find the right followers.

In healthcare, one way to do this is to ask patients for their Instagram handle when they check in. Once you have a solid list of users who have been through your facility or hospital, reach out to them via Instagram – especially ones with strong followings – and engage with them. If you start giving them some “TLC,” there is a good chance they will reciprocate.

What makes this tactic so effective is that these influencers are most likely local and connected to a lot of other local people who could end up coming through your doors.

Tools

There are many tools that are available to help build your Instagram influence. One is SnapFluence. SnapFluence is simply a community of lifestyle Instagrammers, bloggers, thought leaders and visual artists who have built authentic followings online. They create conversations and interactions on your behalf, which will then amplify your handle and facility.

Repost, previously known as Regram, is a free tool that easily allows you to repost other people’s posts while also giving them credit. By finding those influencers in your targeted demographic and reposting them, you will most certainly get their attention and hopefully get them to reciprocate.

Tracking

Understanding who is actually sharing your content and who is driving the most engagement is of the utmost importance. If you aren’t always auditing and observing, you won’t know what works and what doesn’t. You may have a patient who is sharing your content and saying great things about your facility via Instagram. If you don’t know about it and aren’t engaging with him or her, you stand a chance of losing that person as an influencer.

In contrast: If you are engaging with someone who isn’t engaging back, it may be time to back off. Without tracking and observing, you will not have these answers.

If done properly, influencer marketing on Instagram can be one of the most valuable and cost-effective tactics your healthcare facility can leverage. For assistance with social media marketing, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post Becoming an Instagram Influencer: 3 Things You Need to Know appeared first on Wax Communications.

When someone is looking for health-related information, chances are that the person is either sick, trying to care for a loved one or is stressed over another health situation. That person’s mind is going in a hundred different directions, and they want answers quickly.
That alone should tell you that your website needs to not only be well organized and understandable, but also fast. Time is against you with this type of audience. If they don’t get the answers they’re looking for quickly, they’ll move on to the next option – which could be your direct competition.

Site speed is also very important to Google and its search rankings; page speed is huge for SEO. If you have a mobile-friendly, responsive website design that loads fast, you’ll rank higher. If you load slowly, you will show up lower on search results.

Luckily, there are many ways to make your website load faster. One way is to cache the parts of your site that don’t change frequently.

Another is adjusting the size of your images. Many times, a website uses high-resolution, un-optimized images that aren’t necessary for a website. This could slow your site down significantly.

Lastly, having multiple plug-ins performing the same task could create conflicts and cause your site to become significantly slower. Take a look at the ones you use and try to remove any redundant ones.

Google has provided a tool to get your website’s speed insights. Not only will it analyze your facility’s website, but it will also generate specific suggestions on how you can make the site faster.

While mobile-friendly, responsive websites are all the rage in today’s digital world, factors like site speed should not be overlooked. For additional tips and more information on this very important topic, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post Speed Matters for a Healthcare Website appeared first on Wax Communications.

Social media can be an incredibly powerful marketing tool because your messages can potentially reach a large amount of people instantly. What works for industries like retail and hospitality – exaggerations and big adjectives – won’t work well for those of us in the healthcare industry, however.

Credibility is crucial to your facility’s success in the healthcare social media landscape. Here are three ways to build your credibility:

Create a Blog

A blog is probably the single best social media platform a healthcare facility can use. Besides helping your SEO efforts, a blog with in-depth and informative posts can almost instantly create credibility and trust.

In contrast to a social channel such as Twitter that allows for just 140 characters, a blog can be as long or as short as you want. It can be filled with text as well as visuals like photos and videos. In the world of healthcare, details make all the difference – and a blog is the perfect platform to expand on topics.

Be Consistent

A social channel that last posted content 9 months ago doesn’t look good for any type of business. It can even give the impression that you’re out of business. This especially looks bad in the world of healthcare, as your most recent post may discuss a technology or medical technique that is now obsolete or outdated.

Looking like you are behind the times gives the wrong impression to your viewers and potential patients. Instead, make it a goal to create and post content at least twice a week. This will show that you’re keeping up with the trends.

Participate

Social media isn’t just about posting content and hoping someone sees it. It is about engaging with others.

One way to do that is by joining various health-related groups on networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn as well as answering other people’s questions related to your specialty. If you work on treatments for epilepsy, join and engage with others on various seizure support groups. Before you know it, you will be the go-to person on the topic – and this could lead to a slew of new business.

Building credibility on social media for a healthcare-related business may take some time, but it is definitely achievable. Once a strategy is in place and perfected, the sky’s the limit.

For a detailed roadmap on building credibility for your healthcare facility or hospital through social media, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post Using Social Media to Build Your Facility’s Credibility appeared first on Wax Communications.

While many healthcare facilities are starting to jump on the social media “bandwagon,” so is everyone else. To stand out, you really need to be creative, especially on Facebook, the world’s biggest social network.

You may be inclined to experiment with Facebook Groups or look into some video ads, but those can take a lot of time and effort to produce results.

Here’s an example: For your facility to use a Facebook group effectively, you would need one of your physicians or top assistants to answer questions in the group. Anyone else could cause your brand to lose credibility. Unfortunately, this activity takes away time from a doctor or assistant who would be better off attending actual patients.

Similarly, a video is a great way to showcase your facility, but it’s also time-consuming: You need a script, voice over and other elements in order to have a finished product.

So what do you do to get attention without a tremendous amount of effort and time? The answer may just be Facebook’s New Carousel ad feature.

With the Carousel ad feature, a business is able to feature more services or promotions within a single ad. It allows you to show multiple images and links, which essentially mean you can highlight more of your business and tell a story on your targeted audiences’ newsfeeds.

This is a great tool for a variety of reasons:

• For one, people are very visual and their eyes will gravitate toward moving objects when they’re looking at Facebook. If you don’t have a video, this is an effective way to stand out on your fans’ newsfeeds.

• Second, it is a way to increase conversion rates since now every image has a unique URL, which means you can drive more traffic to various different locations within your website.

• Lastly, you’re not limited to a few lines of copy or one image. You have more room to be creative with your marketing.

For additional information on this new Carousel ad feature, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post Carousel: Your New Weapon in Facebook Marketing appeared first on Wax Communications.

Miami, FL 2015 – Wax Custom Communications made its presence known at the 2015 Communicator Awards when it received a glowing total of nine awards on only 11 entries submitted for the multichannel marketing work it creates for its esteemed healthcare clients.

Now in its 21st year, the Communicator Awards honors work that takes innovation and craft to the next level, creating fresh, memorable pieces that leave a lasting impact. Each year, over 6,000 entries are received from around the world, making the awards one of the largest advertising competitions globally. The Awards are judged by the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), a 600+ member organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media.

“Receiving nine awards for our marketing work reinforces the scope of our campaigns,” explains Bill Wax, president and founder of Wax Custom Communications. “In this day and age, you need to reach your audience through multiple channels to really make your point. I’m very proud of my team, and thank our client partners.”

About Wax Custom Communications

Founded in 1987 by Pulitzer Prize-nominated photojournalist Bill Wax, Wax Custom Communications is a full-service multichannel marketing firm based in Miami, with offices in Louisville and San Diego. Wax specializes in every aspect of healthcare marketing, developing powerful communication strategies across traditional, digital and emerging media to build brand value and forge a deep bond between brand and audience. Wax knows the best way for client partners to make their point – and leave a lasting impression.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Wax Custom Communications
305-350-5700
info@waxcom.com

www.waxcom.com

The post Wax Custom Communications Scores 9 Statuettes at the 21st Communicator Awards appeared first on Wax Communications.

When it comes to social media and blogging, many businesses face the same obstacle: figuring out what to post.

Content doesn’t have to be complex or hard to create. You simply need to tell a story and not be too salesy. Here are a few examples of good content that will resonate with your readers:

Testimonials

For the most part, people live extremely stressful and busy lives. Social networks provide a nice break from it all. By offering a positive written or video testimonial of a patient who had a successful operation, you’re sure to drum up a bunch of likes, shares and retweets.

People love a happy ending. Why not give it to them by having your patient share a success story?

Educational Posts

People also love learning new things. From healthy eating to exercise tips, educating your audience makes you look like an authority in your line of work. In turn, this helps your brand become more trustworthy – which is always a plus when your reader is looking for a healthcare facility.

Other People’s Content

In online marketing, you can get penalized for duplicating content – with one big exception. Sharing content is welcomed and encouraged on social media.

By sharing other people’s content, you can start building relationships with influencers and reduce your need for original content. This helps save resources and ensures you have a steady stream of posts. And when you do have original content, odds are that people will reciprocate and share your posts.

Creating great content does take time but doesn’t need to be stressful – there really isn’t a right or wrong. Simply test various types of content and see what works best for your audience.

For other ideas for creating great content, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post What Makes for Good Content? appeared first on Wax Communications.

When you think of summer, your mind probably drifts to summer vacations and other forms of relaxation. Chances are that work is slow, too, and that your competition is also winding things down for the season.

Instead of doing what everyone else is doing, why not use these months to your advantage? They’re a great way to stand out because there is less noise and traffic online.

Here are a few ideas to leverage the power of summer:

Feed Off of Holidays

Holidays are always trending topics online and on social media. If you are a healthcare facility, why not put a health spin on them? An example: For Independence Day, provide your fans and followers with healthy, alternative snacks for when people are out at BBQs and block parties.

You don’t have to focus on just big holidays either – now every day is a holiday for something. Visit a site like holidayinsights.com to get a complete list and focus on the ones that are relevant to your audience.

Roll Out New Features

Is your facility getting a new piece of equipment or offering a new procedure? This is a great time to promote it; people are on vacation and looking at their social networks more than usual. You also have less competition because competitors are on “vacation mode.”

Provide Viewers With a Challenge

For the most part, people love competition. Why not use the summer months to run a competitive campaign? From hosting a weight-loss challenge to a running competition, you can find plenty of health-related ways to engage with your audience and promote your facility.

Just because people are on vacation and out of the office doesn’t mean they are completely shut down. This is particularly true in the world of healthcare, as there’s never a slow season – people can get ill at any time.

Instead of slowing your marketing efforts during the summer, ramp up your campaigns and use the time to your company’s advantage.

For additional marketing ideas for your healthcare facility, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350- 5700.

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Aside from your homepage and About Us page, the Case Study section of any website is most likely the page (or pages) that gets the most traffic.

In the world of healthcare, your Case Study section could be the page that ultimately sways a potential patient. Why? Health is very personal, and choosing a physician or facility can be an extremely tough decision. Prospects need you to demonstrate how your facility can successfully satisfy a patient’s needs.

To do this, your case studies need to be both well written and well thought out. A healthcare case study shouldn’t just be about the initial experience but also the long-term effects that resulted from that initial experience.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when writing a case study for your healthcare website:

Use Real Data

People like to see numbers and authentic data. If they can relate to that data, there is a good chance you will be able to win them over. For example: If a certain treatment resulted in a person’s blood pressure and cholesterol going down significantly, be sure to include those results.

Paint a Picture of That Data

Humans are visual people and can respond much faster and accurately when seeing a graphic, photo or chart instead of just text alone. Charts, graphs and other visual aids are crucial to making your point.

Humanize the Results – and Back Them Up With Facts

Remember, regular people are going to be reading these case studies – not doctors or others in the medical field. Not only should your case study be understandable, but it should also include a human element. This will help ensure an emotional connection and make the study much more relatable.

You should also try to get actual quotes and even a photo of the person or people discussed in the study. Of course, always remember to get consent and permission ahead of time before anything is posted and published.

Case studies can become a very powerful marketing tool and shouldn’t be neglected or overlooked. For assistance in writing the perfect one for your facility, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post What It Takes to Write a Great Case Study appeared first on Wax Communications.

Instagram is a very powerful social medium with over 300 million active users. It’s a social network that no business should overlook – especially those in healthcare.

The network is making enhancements at a very quick pace, and it’s important you stay on top of them. From its video opportunities to its Hyperlapse technology and Layout collage feature app, Instagram is going from zero to 60 at the blink of an eye.

The updates aren’t done just yet. Here are a few new features you should be aware of:

Search and Explore

The app is now helping its users discover photos much more easily. Now when you go to the magnifying glass link in the app, you will notice a new search feature that lets users search for accounts, hashtags and places all in one spot.

For example, if you are searching for New York Presbyterian Hospital, you’ll see photos not only from the hospital’s official Instagram account but also photos tagged with #nyphospital and photos that were taken on its premises. For a healthcare facility, this can be a huge reputation management situation.

Why? Now when people do a search for your name, they see much more than just the content you publish; the results also include content from other publishers. You want to make sure that you monitor this feed extremely closely and address any negative posts.

Geo-Targeted Trending Photos

Now if you search for #BloodDrive in the app, you won’t just see photos of blood drives from all over the world. Geo-tagged photos can also trend, so users will see more photos of blood drives in their local area.

For a healthcare facility looking for local donors or volunteers, this new feature can definitely help build awareness and encourage people to take action.

Carousel Ads

Instagram’s parent company Facebook recently introduced carousel ads, a way to tell a story with multiple photo slides within one ad. Soon, a similar type of carousel ad will be available on Instagram.

Businesses can use this new type of ad to generate more donations, for instance. Check out this example of a carousel ad – it will surely inspire anyone who views it.

Instagram is growing, and it’s only going to get bigger. To learn how to leverage its power, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post What You Need to Know About Instagram’s New Updates appeared first on Wax Communications.

Every medical facility has events. Whether it’s a maternity preparation class, a wellness fair or a blood drive, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are always looking for ways to get the public involved.

While each one of these events is great and can be very insightful, none of that matters if people fail to show up.

In the past, a facility would rely on the newspaper, direct mail and maybe some radio and TV to get bodies through the door. If you missed a deadline, though, the entire marketing campaign could go down in flames.

Nowadays, we’re lucky: There’s something called the Internet. A producer, editor, print house and mailman aren’t required weeks ahead of time to promote your event. Anyone on your staff can become a brand ambassador – whether it’s weeks before your event or just a few minutes away.

With social media, engaging with your audience before an event is critical to its success. People love to be engaged and feel like a part of something bigger.

Here are a few ways to get people excited about your programming schedule:

• On Instagram, post photos of the previous year’s event as well as short videos of staff expressing their thoughts about the upcoming event.

• On Facebook, create an event with an engaging photo on your business page. Once that’s done, boost the post. What’s great about boosting is that you can target specific groups. For example, you can target expectant mothers for your maternity preparation class (and not teenage boys who most likely have no interest).

• On Pinterest, create boards and pins that can show the impact of your events. For instance, show some infographics about the amount of people who can benefit from a typical blood drive. In most cases, people are visual and respond a lot better to photos and videos.

Social media and the Internet are musts in getting the word out before a health-related event. With the right digital strategy, your attendance can skyrocket.

For additional information about promoting your events online, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post Using Social Media to Promote Your Events appeared first on Wax Communications.

Did you know that 49 percent of businesses – including those in healthcare – have never updated their business listings online? That’s a pretty big number.

In today’s digital world, it’s not enough to just update your usual social networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. You also need to consider local directory sites such as Google My Business, Yelp, Angie’s List and SuperPages as well as healthcare-specific directories such as Vitals and Healthgrades.

Simply put, if your online information is wrong on these popular local directory sites, potential patients won’t be able find your business, phone number and website. Not only will you lose out on a patient, but your competition will also gain one.

Most top local directory websites offer a free version of their listings where you can include your contact information, office hours, photos and logo. Many also offer enhanced listings with additional benefits such as a place to offer coupons or upload videos.

So how do you update your local directory listings? Here are the steps:

Claim Your Business

Claiming your business means going to the specific directory website and doing a search for your business. If your facility comes up, there should be a button or link that lets you claim ownership of the listing. Clicking that object should trigger a verification process.

Verify Ownership

Only business owners or an authorized representative can claim a listing. Before you can update a listing, the directory website will typically ask you to verify ownership; they want to make sure you aren’t the competition or a robot.

Verification processes differ, but they usually involve either sending a postcard with a confirmation code to the location or a quick phone call. Regardless of which verification process the site uses, make sure you go through every step. Otherwise, you won’t be able to proceed.

Add the Most Accurate Information

Once verified, you will want to make sure all your information is accurate. Take your time in doing this as one little error could lead to a lot of missed business. Check that the phone number, website, office hours and description are all up-to-date. If they aren’t, be sure to make the appropriate adjustments.

Local directories don’t have to cost you money. They just take a little bit of time. To help maximize your healthcare facility’s presence on these directories, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

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Does your healthcare facility have over 20,000 fans, but your posts only reach about 23 of them? If the answer is yes, you aren’t alone.

With Facebook’s new algorithm, organic reach has definitely taken a nosedive. The reason: Facebook is a public company now and needs to make money. With so many people using their service, they can be choosy about who sees your content on their platform.

If you want your content to reach more people, Facebook now wants you to “pay to play.” Unfortunately, many hospitals don’t have a budget for purchasing ads or boosting posts on Facebook.

To make things even harder for facilities, users are now going to have the ability to choose which content they want to see more of – and that includes content from business pages. If a user decides to hide your content on Facebook, you’re out of luck.

So what should you do? Should you abandon Facebook completely and focus your efforts on another large social network?

The answer is no. Facebook and its large user base are still valuable to hospitals. You just need to change your organic strategy a bit. Here are a few ways to do just that:

Be Picky About Your Content

Just because you have great content doesn’t mean you have to share every single thing. Instead of posting content that will only have a short shelf life such as a breaking news story, post content that will remain fresh and relevant to your fan base over a longer period of time.

For example: Post about a new procedure at your facility and stay away from pushing a wellness fair that will be over in an hour.

Use Organic Targeting

Your healthcare facility provides niche services. Not everyone is going to be interested in the latest prostate procedures, so make sure you target the right people with your posts. Use the different targeting options like gender, location and age to get your content in front of prospects.

That means if your facility is in Miami, you have the ability to keep your content away from women in San Francisco and in front of men in sunny South Florida.

Post at Off-Peak Hours

While you may think it’s great to post first thing in the morning, so does your competition; you’re going to be fighting for prospects. Also, how sure are you that your audience is more receptive in the morning? Look at your Facebook Insights and see what time of day gets the best engagement. You might be surprised to find that your fans your content in the evenings or on the weekends.

To be successful on Facebook, you don’t necessarily need a credit card. For more help with expanding your organic reach, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post The Secrets to Expanding Your Organic Reach on Facebook appeared first on Wax Communications.

The world of healthcare moves at a very fast pace, especially in a hospital emergency room. You have physicians and other medical staff working around the clock saving lives.

Why not recognize this dedication to delivering quality care and use it for marketing purposes?

Enter GoPro. The GoPro camera has become a huge sensation because it allows people to record great footage of any fast-paced activities. Instead of using it for rock climbing, surfing or skydiving, why not attach one of these amazing high definition cameras to a member of your healthcare staff?

Here are a few things you could record:

• A surgeon preparing for emergency surgery
• An EMT rushing out of the hospital

Capturing such experiences can be mesmerizing and impactful. By recording the fast-paced success stories your facility creates every day, you’ll have a ton of content to capture viewers – and even new patients. Since you’re recording in a healthcare setting, just make sure to get releases from anyone you tape.

Everyone can relate to watching an episode of the TV show ER. That, however, is scripted. By creating original video via a GoPro, you’ll set yourself apart from the competition.

For additional “out-of-the-box” content ideas for your healthcare facility, contact Wax Custom Communications at 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

The post Why a GoPro Makes Sense in Healthcare Marketing appeared first on Wax Communications.

Pinterest is a growing social network. With over 72 million users – 47 million in the U.S. alone – this photo-sharing social network shouldn’t be ignored by any business, including those of us in health care.

While many hospitals and health care facilities use Pinterest to showcase motivational quotes and healthy recipes, Pinterest can also be used in other ways that can both build your brand and capture new patients.

Here are two examples of new boards you should setup immediately:

Board #1: Videos

In today’s social media world, video is king when it comes to content. Regardless of which type of videos you’ve created for your facility – testimonials, tours or even TV commercials – it’s crucial that you have a YouTube channel.

Once these videos are on YouTube, you should create a Pinterest board and pin each one to your page. That way, the embedded video has the ability to play to an entirely new audience right from Pinterest!

Board #2: Blog Posts

Blogs and other forms of written content are critical to your marketing strategy. They provide great information that can highlight your expertise on different topics.

There’s one big issue with blog posts, though: As you create new ones, the old ones get buried on pages that probably don’t get much traffic. This content, however, is still valuable. That’s where Pinterest comes in.

Every blog post should include a photo. If it doesn’t, go back and include one. Then, pin the photo and add a description of each one to your boards. Within seconds, your old posts get a new lease on life – and new views.

As you can see, Pinterest is more than just wedding dresses and home decor. It has a lot of potential to benefit all kinds of businesses, including ones in medicine.

For help with creating a Pinterest strategy, contact Wax Custom Communications today 305-350-5700 or visit waxcom.com.

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