Last week, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said that Atlanta’s Facebook user growth is the highest of any metro area in the nation.
Atlanta’s population has more than doubled since the time when the Braves wore hideous uniforms like these.
But what stunned me more than that or the numbers that supported it was a statement about how an area researcher didn’t have any solid theories for why there was so much growth.
Well, I do…and yes, there’s something in this for hospitals.
Most simply, it has everything to do with Atlanta’s outrageously explosive population growth. Since 1980, Atlanta’s population has gone from 2.55 million to 5.03 million in 2004…and that was four years ago!
As most anybody with a Facebook account knows, it’s an outstanding way to not only reconnect with friends and family, but to stay connected to something that is familiar. And even if you are an Atlanta native, the typical migration of old friends and family to other areas makes Facebook a fun, free and easy way to keep up.
So What Does This Have to Do with Hospitals?
Unlike other necessary services when somebody moves to a new place—post offices, pizza delivery, grocery stores, etc.—hospitals don’t have the same kind of “because it’s close” or “it’s all that delivers”.
Still, a hospital is every bit as much a part of many people’s ideas about the components that complete their community. Unless it’s an emergency and the ambulance is going to take you to where it needs to go, selecting a hospital requires some effort, especially in a city like Atlanta with so many great hospitals.
“Oh, OK, so what you are saying is that I need to get a Facebook page for our hospital?”
Not entirely. Sure, you should have a Facebook page, but more importantly, you should have a sound online marketing strategy that not only makes you easy to find (e.g., SEO, SEM, PPC), but also indicates your desire to fill that void in a new community member’s need for a hospital. That means social networking…
Does your hospital have a trusted and reliable partner to build, manage and plan your online marketing strategies? AVID Design offers free assessments for Websites, content, strategy and more.
Derek Rudnak | Communications Specialist | AVID Design
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This entry was posted
on Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 at 2:43 pm and is filed under Industry Trends, Marketing, Research and Studies, Social Media, Social Networking, Things 'n' Stuff, Web 2.0.
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