The future of marketing in the NHS

With the NHS’s birthday just passed, our very own Business Development Manager, David Bennett, reflects on health services and what he thinks will be the future of marketing in the NHS.

Communication is key

The NHS is constantly looking for new and innovative ways to communicate with the public. With times rapidly changing, and technological advancements becoming essential for service development, the need for change in the NHS is ever apparent. This change is coming in the form of digital technology, smarter communications and evidence based campaigns. Ultimately, with the aim to promote a positive message.

What’s changing?

There are many advancements being made in GP practices, such as SKYPE consultations. So far these sessions have received very positive feedback. We are currently working in partnership across Lancashire and Cumbria to encourage patients to make their appointments online with their GP Practices. This is with the objective of making appointments an easier process.

We recently ran a campaign in which we used Facebook Ads to target a specific demographic, in order to raise awareness of a dedicated service for young adults. Ultimately, we received over 30,000 impressions and as a result, the services are now running more efficiently. Most of all, the Trusts found that their patients were seen quicker and at their own convenience!

This is a dedicated service, led by Adam, our Digital Marketing Manager and his team…

Embracing Social Media

One thing for certain is that health services across the country are now fully embracing social media and targeted marketing. So much so that they’ve introduced their own social media toolkit in order to engage smarter with their audience, raise their profile and educate the public. On top of this, in recent times we have also seen a rise in the use of paid advertising.

This is an attempt to capture the attention of younger generations and boost the exposure of their campaigns and services. One example of this is the South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust recruitment campaign, which was a campaign that had the objective of marketing two new positions in the Trust. After a series of promoted posts, the Trust found candidates to fill both positions, making the campaign an excellent success.

There’s now a recognition of how Social media has become a part of many people’s daily lives. It’s a fantastic opportunity for organisations and individuals to listen and have conversations with the people they wish to influence.

We tailor each of our Social Media packages dependant on the client’s objectives. Our aim at Creativeworld is to integrate this with their ongoing marketing activities. We want to get an understanding of their capabilities and work with them along the way.

Here’s To The Future

It’s going to be a year of great change for marketing and engagement in the NHS, and I am excited to see what trends will follow. I’d also like to add that I’m proud of our NHS and have had the pleasure of working with many clients who all love working to create a healthier future, together.

I have a real passion for healthier outcomes, improving services and effective care. Several of my ongoing projects have these values as their drivers to achieve success. Ultimately, for our clients in the Health sector, social media will be without a doubt, the best way to reach out to new audiences.

By Dave Bennett. Email: dave@creativeworld.co.uk For Social Media enquires email: adam@creativeworld.co.uk