I came across an article in Mashable that outlines how hospitality companies are using social media “for real results.” Though hospitals are not generally aligned with hotels and cafés in terms of industry, the health care industry certainly shares some key attributes. In fact, that shared space involves hosting, catering to and entertaining (in a way) customers.

Thus, hospitals can take a cue from the rest of this sister industry to engage their customer base in conversation.

1.       Personalized Customer Service – cited by Mashable as the most obvious way for the industry to use social media.

Mashable uses an example from the team at the Wynn Las Vegas and Encore hotels: the “team greets and caters to guests who check in there on Foursquare or tweet about being somewhere on the property, both on social sites and in person. The team has also seeded Foursquare with numerous tips inside the hotel, enlightening guests on the fascinating stories behind some of the more lustrous decorative embellishments.”

What about NAPH members? The staff at The Ohio State University Medical Center monitors Twitter and other programs for posts by patients referencing the hospital or its doctors. In one instance, a patient complained about their wait time to see a physician. A staff member responded directly to the patient on Twitter, contacted the appropriate hospital staffer on the phone and got a representative to meet the patient in person and diffuse the situation.

2.       Storytelling

For hotels, this means telling stories about events taking place, the type of clientele that frequent the establishment. For hospitals, this means telling stories about the patient or staff experience. The overall goal?  It varies – for both, it’s ultimately to gain more customers. But for hospitals, it can also be to educate people, to garner support for new or changing laws, to fundraise, etc.

Hospitals can tell their stories across many mediums, including articles, photos and video. Some creative things I have seen: Parkland’s Facebook Page, UK Healthcare’s blogs and forums, USC/LA County Healthcare Network’s blog on Aid to Haiti

3.       Making Good with Mom – something hospitals aren’t necessarily thinking about … yet.

“Mom is a very important person in the hospitality space. She books the hotels, makes travel arrangements and handles most of the money matters. Mom is often the decision maker for the family” (Mashable).  Mom is also usually the one encouraging her partner or children to get checkups and helping everyone stay healthy.  So how can hospitals target Mom? Reach out to “Mommy Bloggers” – described by one expert in the Mashable article as a “full-fledged Internet phenomenon…You have 42 million women online, with nearly half of those visiting blogs to get advice and recommendations. Mom bloggers have powerful voices and their opinions are valued by their readers.”

4.       Employee Education

Though I understand the obstacles for hospitals, I think it is vital for a truly successful social media presence to involve staff members from across all departments. From Mashable: “Often, social media is siloed to an individual department. This situation sets the customer up for failure. Imagine an eager customer — aware of a company’s social media presence — who ventures out in the real-world and encounters employees with zero knowledge of their own company’s Twitter account or Facebook Page. The end result defeats the entire purpose of social media.” If staff are at least aware of what is taking place online, then they can communicate with patients and their families on another level (not to mention, they can avoid the awkward explanation about having no idea what the organization has been saying or doing outside the exam room).