The healthcare community continues to try to find balance in the social media marketing space. Chauncey Smith of MarketSMITH Services, LLC, noted, “There is no question that the FDA’s lack of leadership in providing guidelines has limited the broad adoption of social media [in the healthcare industry.]” However, brands have grown more experimental with their product promotions on popular social hubs.
Brafton reported on a KPMG study that found 43 percent of surveyed pharma and biotech marketers will increase their social marketing budgets this year. Seven percent will continue to spend the same amount of money advertising their offerings online.
A new study from Ideahaus that was published in the current issue of the Journal of Communication in Healthcare, identified the preferred networks for health-related content marketing. The study suggests that acceptability of YouTube is twice that of Flickr and Twitter, showing that healthcare companies feel more comfortable communicating their core messages through video content.
Video marketing through YouTube allows healthcare brands to incorporate 3D imaging and visual aids into promotional clips. These additions help communicate necessary messages and allow brands to remain within the FDA’s vague guidelines. As social media continues to grow, it’s clear healthcare organizations will focus more on the language and messages they produce, and YouTube could afford them more time and space to get their campaigns right.
