10 visible elements – and 7 invisible ones – of an effective hospital fan page

When taking a wider view of “medical branding,” I can move beyond just pharma and devices to learn a lot from hospital brands.

In a recent blog post by Brett Pollard, an online marketing consultant specializing in web 2.0 strategies, local search, SEO, ORM and social media, the Facebook history and strategy of Children’s Hospital Boston is discussed.

Brett details 17 elements Children’s uses to make their page a shining example of what hospitals can accomplish on Facebook today.

10 Visible Elements of an Effective Hospital Fan Page

1. Custom URL 
2. Well-designed profile picture
3. Fan activity on the wall
4. Customized tabs
5. Creative use of FBML
6. Post frequency
7. Promotion of other social media accounts
8. Variety of post types
9. Clearly defined social media policy
10. Quantity of fans

7 Invisible Elements of an Effective Hospital Fan Page

1. Social media management
2. Analytics
3. Promotion 
4. Monitoring
5. Long-term strategy
6. Project management
7. Ideas and testing

Click here to read the full explanation and details of each.

In his summary, Brett says, “Without a doubt, Children’s is helping lead the way with respect to hospitals on Facebook.  It’s refreshing to the see their commitment to social media despite a fear that still seems to permeate throughout the industry.  The team at Children’s has demonstrated that well-defined policy combined with educated professionals can create an environment where the benefits of Facebook clearly outweigh the risk.”