Our healthcare marketing agency uses tools for social listening to understand what concerns people
Social Listening is a dynamic tool and a way of analysing what people say throughout the digital ecosystem. As a provider of healthcare marketing insights, we use it to scan a range of technologies, including social media, chat rooms and websites. As a result, organisations can identify what people are saying about them. Such knowledge empowers organisations to make targeted interventions. Moreover, it can improve their online marketing. Social listening forms one of the many data insights our healthcare marketing agency provides.
Therefore, using our social listening machine, we set out to discover what people had to say about the UK’s National Health Service (NHS). If you work for the NHS, you may believe nothing will ever surprise you with public opinion. However, our agency’s data insights and what you could do might shock even you.
Let’s spy on what people are saying
As a provider of healthcare marketing analytics, we are always spying, like James Bond, on what people are saying about the industry. Therefore, we analysed a week of social listening data insights (28/4/22 to 5/5/22). Our machines indicated people mentioned the NHS hundreds of thousands of times. No surprises there, Mr Bond! The overall sentiment analysis suggested that 46% of the published content during the week was negative. In contrast, 17.6% was positive. However, before you despair, the negative commentaries were not just about the care people received. Included were issues like funding, structure and pressures.
Some of the negative comments will not be surprising to experienced NHS employees. As a digital marketing agency for healthcare, we were certainly not surprised. “Underfunded (and) mismanaged,” exclaimed one commentator. Some NHS employees supported this sentiment, with one writing, “in my current role…all of my colleagues…spend too much …time feeding information into badly designed computer systems. Caring for people is a secondary consideration.” Oh, dear!
However, not all the issues raised were as obvious. One commentator who is clearly a member of the “Anti Secretaries Society” helpfully concluded there are “some very…patronising and condescending receptionists.” Thanks for that!
As a marketing agency providing insights, we see polarisation in health is increasing
Another person appeared oblivious to the fact private healthcare countries like the US spend considerably more on health for a reduced level of quality when compared to the UK. “The UK has the worst healthcare system in Europe…private medical…is a million times better”. Great to see we have senior health economists providing helpful insights!
However, perhaps the most concerning comments were from people trying alternative health therapies.
“I got sick of being sick and I watched my mother, father, and sister die, slowly, painful deaths from cancer. I watched doctors try to kill my husband…I do not trust doctors.”
Anonymous
Clearly, this is terribly sad. However, it is, unfortunately, a shared sentiment amongst many people looking for other health solutions. Social media has done wonders for connectivity. However, it is also helping to fuel polarisation. As a marketing agency, Antlerzz regularly scans social media. Unfortunately, there are big divisions between people. On one side, there are people who believe in traditional healthcare. These people promote pharmaceutical interventions and get treated when they are sick. On the other side, is a growing number of people who believe healthcare organisations are outdated. They believe traditional healthcare practitioners like doctors lack an understanding of overall health. Instead, they prefer to use preventative health methods.
The three things you can do immediately
So, what can an NHS marketer do to help stop the negative commentary? Although structural and funding issues are beyond their control, some interventions are still possible.
1. Use data insights into your digital ecosystem, like the reports Antlerzz provide. Analytics can help you identify how your marketing activities influence your online trust and visibility. As a result, it can ensure you reach your audience and have your voice heard. As a provider of healthcare marketing insights, we believe data analytics can be transformational.
2. Build relationships with other organisations that promote good public health. As a healthcare marketing firm, we have seen an increasing trend across social media of people taking ownership of their health. Therefore, work alongside other health organisations/ influencers to create content and share it with your communities so they can get good health advice. As a result, it can help prevent the increasing polarisation and comments like “doctors are just drug pushers.” Furthermore, it shows you care about people’s overall health too. This content could include both NHS and the partner organisation discussing how to stay healthy.
3. Use stories. For example, a quick glance at the Facebook feed of Guy’s and St Thomas’, demonstrates some great content. It is similar to many other NHS Trusts. However, some quick recommendations include creating more stories about patients and their health journey. Clinicians could also discuss unique stories about their work. As a healthcare marketing agency, we know people love stories. They have been central to human evolution for centuries.
As a provider of healthcare marketing insights, we can help
The NHS does some fantastic work. However, its people are often under extreme pressure. Understanding your digital ecosystem and providing advice to your communities could be the transformative step in ensuring that work is recognised. As a healthcare marketing agency, we can help you.
If you want to know more about our insights and the reports we provide, please feel free to reach out to us at info@antlerzz.com or follow us on Instagram @antlerzz_longevity
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