Digital is more than a bunch of 1’s and 0’s

The first step in digital marketing is to understand everything is fusing.  Digital does not exist in isolation.  It’s a set of cooperative platforms, working harmoniously with one another.  Yes, that includes TV, radio and print.  For example, print and radio ads often drive visitors to campaign microsites.  Those microsites often include online video as an extension of the TV campaign.  Those videos are embeddable on community sites, and your latest patient was drawn to your organization because they just saw another person’s tweet about your awesome web videos on the local news.  Suffice to say, digital is everywhere.  A collective experience, seamlessly integrated into our everyday life.  Essentially, there is no real and digital life.  It’s become the same place.

Extending this ideal into practice, we must realize there’s more to digital marketing than tools, technologies and media space.  What’s most important is the insight into what creates and motivates participants to consider your services. (see part one of this post)  What do they value?  How do they connect with one another?  What have they come to expect from your hospital?  Much like the efforts to connect with patients and create a positive experience within the physical realm of your hospital, you’ll want to create positive digital experiences using the same objectives.  It’s very important that your organization stays in front of and responsive to new opportunities, striving to create deliberate and appreciated value at every turn.