Turn bad weather into healthcare social media success

by Nancy Cawley Jean The recent Blizzard of 2013 was an eye-opener, especially for people who didn't remember the Blizzard of '78. The difference between then and now? Better weather forecasts and social media! Social media is changing the way hospitals can communicate with the public. Even during a power outage, people turn to their smartphones for information. So when meteorologists predicted Winter Storm Nemo for our area, I felt the hospital accounts I manage should be a source of all kinds of storm-related information. When blizzard watches became actual warnings, it was time to develop a storm content calendar for communicating with our social communities. With the storm predicted to last about 24 hours, it was important to stay up to date on the latest news to share the most important and helpful information with our friends and followers. Our content calendar focused on keeping people informed with regular updates on the forecast, tips on preparing for the storm, safe driving tips, what to do in power outages, and of course, safety tips for cleaning up afterward, like shoveling and using generators and snowblowers. It also included key information that was coming from the Governor's office and the Mayor's office, including the declaration of a state of emergency, parking bans, road closures, reminders to shovel sidewalks and check on the elderly, and so on. Beginning Thursday, the day before the storm, we provided the latest information on the weather pre...
Source: hospital impact - Category: Health Managers Authors: Source Type: blogs