6 Social Media Insights On Audiences Unfollowing Brands During The Pandemic 

If Billy Joel wanted to write another We Didn’t Start The Fire type song he’d probably have enough headlines from the last five months alone. 2020 has been pretty dramatic and from the pandemic to record unemployment to the George Floyd protests; there’s plenty going on in people’s lives which is causing them to reevaluate their priorities, including as they relate to social media. 

We’ve previously documented the huge spike in conversation around Cancel Culture (which often leads to unfollows), and there’s at least anecdotal evidence that the social media audience is looking to hold brands to a higher standard around social justice issues, and will unfollow brands that don’t reflect their values. For example, people saying they’ll unfollow brands on Instagram because they’re drowning out the voices of other small artists in their feed; not wanting to hear about brand promotions at a time like this; and talk about joining a TIkTok trend of unfollowing people who Like Donald Trump on Instagram. 

To better quantify the trend of people unfollowing brands, we dug into our social media analytics and here’s what we found. 

Insight #1:  The Social Audience Is Talking About Unfollowing Brands More 

There were 302% more Tweets mentioning both the words Unfollow and Brand during March – July 2020,  compared to March – July in 2019. That outpaces the grow in the general conversation around unfollowing on social media, for example there were 147,993 Tweets mentioning both Unfollow and Instagram between March – July 2020, a 93% increase from March – July 2019 when there were 76,696 Tweets that mentioned both Unfollow and Instagram. 

While it doesn’t answer the question of if people are unfollowing specific brands more during the pandemic, they’re certainly thinking more in general terms about unfollowing brands on social media.  

Insight #2: There’s No Evidence Of Instagram Followers Abandoning Entire Industries 

On August 1, 2020; there were 1,280,891,295 total Instagram followers around 1,847 Fashion brands that ListenFirst tracks, up 6% from the volume of Instagram followers those brands had on March 1, 2020.  The Fashion Industry may be hurting right now, but the pandemic isn’t causing fans to unfollow their favorite brands. 

Similarly, it doesn’t appear that the movie industry is significantly losing Instagram followers, even with most major movie releases being delayed for a year or more. For example,The Fast & Furious sequel, F9 had 3,866,836 Instagram Followers on August 1, 2020; a -2% decrease from the volume of Instagram followers the movie had on March 1, 2020. Additionally the James Bond sequel, No TIme To Die had 1,250,528 Instagram Followers on August 1, 2020; a 9% increase from the number of Instagram followers the movie had on March 1, 2020.

The increase in Instagram followers can be even more dramatic with non-franchise movies. For example, the thrice delayed film Tenet had 51,858 Instagram followers on August 1, a 132% increase from the number of Instagram followers Tenet had on March 1, 2020. 

While it remains to be seen how and when fans can view these films, they’re definitely still interested.   

Even around airlines, there’s no evidence of losing fans; as 78 airline brands had a cumulative total of 44,598,916 Followers on Instagram on August 1, 2020, up  +3% from March 1, 2020.  

Insight #3: Promotional Posts Not Costing Celebrity Influencers Followers 

https://twitter.com/Jacob_Mayo2/status/1289314474134917120

It’s not unheard of for there to be individual complaints about too many promotional posts by celebrities, for instance the Tweet above about a fan unfollowed Dwayne The Rock Johnson on Instagram because of too many promotional posts about his tequila brand. However, there doesn’t seem to be any sort of scale around that sentiment. For instance on August 3, 2020; Dwayne Johnson shared three posts on Instagram promoting Teremana Tequila. He still generated 137,963 new Instagram followers on the day. Likewise, Ryan Reynolds posted an ad for Mint Mobile on May 4, 2020 on his social media accounts and generated 7,824 new fans or followers on Facebook and Twitter.  As long as there’s nothing offensive in the ad, and the content is consistent with the infleuncer’s persona, promotional ads aren’t going to result in lost followers.  

Insight #4: Black Lives Matter Protests Aren’t Damaging Brands On Social Media – But They Are Amplifying Self Inflicted Wounds  

Generally speaking brands managed to either post about Black Lives Matter protests with empathy or chose to not talk about the protests at all, with neither strategy leading to brands losing fans on social media. However there were a couple of exceptions, where brands either through their posts or their actions managed to make insensitive decisions that led to losing followers. 

https://twitter.com/TabiOrNotTabi/status/1267252265003319297

On March 31, Shoddy Lynn, the founder of the fashion brand Dolls Kill posted on her personal Instagram account, a picture of over 15 police officers protecting a Dolls Kill store with the caption “Direct Action in its glory #blacklivesmatter”. Widely viewed as a statement endorsing police brutality, there were immediate calls on social media for a boycott of Dolls Kill. The brand issued a series of apologies, including offering to commit $1 million dollars to buying clothing from black-owned fashion brands in a post that generated 80,032 responses on Instagram, and an Instagram video apology from Shoddy Lynn. However, neither apology was seen as forceful enough and between June 1 – July 7, 2020; Dolls Kill lost -247,918 Fans, Followers or Subscribers across Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and primarily Instagram.   

Meanwhile, even though there’s no evidence that staying silent on George Floyd’s death was a problem for brands, getting caught explaining why you’re staying silent could be. That’s what happened to CrossFit, when audio was leaked to Buzzfeed of CrossFit’s then CEO Greg Glassman saying about George Floyd on a Zoom call,  “Can you tell me why I should mourn for him? Other than that it’s the white thing to do?” That article was posted on June 9 and Fan Growth for CrossFit was down -584% during June 10-21, 2020 compared to May 29 -June 9, 2020.

The other problematic approach around bringing up Black Lives Matter is using it as a form of deflection. For example, Jeffree Star, the beauty vlogger and founder of Jeffree Star Cosmetics, has a long history of being accused of racism, and has lost -2,248,748 followers on social media between June 9 – August 9, 2020; primarily on Instagram and YouTube. In a video seemingly meant to apologize to rival beauty vlogger James Charles, he switched focus to talking about Black Lives Matter and the injustices against the black trans community, which many people on social media saw as him refusing to accept accountability for his own actions. 

In all of these examples, when brands or influencers are talking about Black Lives Matter related topics and coming from an inauthentic place; they’re getting in trouble because the social media audience judges your words against your actions.    

Insight #5: Controversy Doesn’t Inherently Means Losing Fans On Social Media 

When Robert Unanue, the CEO of Goya Foods went on the White House lawn saying the nation was “blessed to have a leader” like President Trump, it might have been a divisive statement but it wasn’t inherently a social media problem for Goya. At first, there was a significant backlash; for instance, on July 9, 2020 there were 50,741 Tweets that mentioned either Goya and the phrase Boycott or the hashtag #Goyaway. However, there was a subsequent backlash to the backlash where supporters of President Trump voiced their support through following. During the week of July 10-16, 2020; Goya generated 317,979 new fans, followers or subscribers across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube; an increase of 314,075% from the previous week.

While it’s not yet clear if the controversy helped or hurt Goya in terms of sales; on social media it resulted in Goya’s Fan Footprint on social media increasing by 46% in a single week. 

Insight #6: Kneeling Is Not Hurting The NBA On Social Media

On August 5, President Trump stated in an interview that it’s disgraceful that the NBA is kneeling during the National Anthem and that he turned off the game when he saw it. The NBA generated 32,432 new Fans, Followers or Subscribers on social media during August 5, 2020 an increase of 26% compared to August 4, 2020. Since the NBA bubble games began, looking at July 30 – August 10, 2020 and with their players kneeling the whole time, the league generated 452,967 New Fans on social media, a 6% increase from the previous time period.

Similarly, NASCAR banned the Confederate Flag on June 10, 2020 and if that was a controversial decision, it isn’t reflected in the social media data. On June 10, NASCAR received 4,769 new Fans, Followers, or Subscribers on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube; which was an increase of 4,520% compared to the previous day.  

Conclusion 

As much as it might sometimes seem that social media can be a cesspool of negativity; all the social media data indicates that the audience is much more likely to take the positive action of following a brand than taking the negative action of unfollowing a brand. Even as the audience is talking more about unfollowing brands in general terms, short of an outright PR crisis, brands should not be concerned that a large percentage of their audience will stop following them on social media during the pandemic. 

Want more social media insights around how brands are being affected during the pandemic? Request a Demo Today! 

Learning From #StopHateForProfit July And If The Boycott Is Carrying Into August

With more than 1,100 businesses ultimately signing up for the Anti-Defamation League’s  #StopHateForProfit Boycott of Facebook and Instagram ads in July 2020, the campaign succeeded at getting both the press and the public’s attention. However, what facts actually changed on the ground for brands around social media? Now that July has ended, we answer those questions as well as look at if the boycott is continuing on into August. 

Here are the 5 most interesting insights ListenFirst found. 

Insight #1. Brands Shared –67% Less New Facebook Ads In July 

Methodology: Looking at the indexed number of Facebook and Instagram ads brands from the ListenFirst Data Co-op launched between July 2020 compared to the indexed number of Facebook and Instagram ads brands launched between July 2019.

Data from the ListenFirst Data Co-op shows that the #StopHateForProfit boycott resulted in brands sharing -67% less new ads on Facebook and Instagram in July 2020 compared to July 2019. While there are reports of a few companies increasing their Facebook spend in July, on the whole the level of brand participation in the Stop Hate For Profit boycott was fairly dramatic. 

Insight #2. The Facebook Boycott Isn’t Ending Just Because July Did 

Early evidence indicates that brands are advertising less going into August. During August 1-2, 2020; ListenFirst Data Co-op brands shared -97% less new ads on Facebook and Instagram compared to August 1-2, 2019. Adjusting that for the fact that August began on the weekend, brands shared -73% less new Facebook and Instagram ads during the first weekend of August 2020 compared to the first weekend of August 2019. 

Insight #3. There’s No Indication There Were Less Organic Posts Because Of The Boycott 

Methodology: Measuring the volume of new posts 485 Top Advertisers posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Tumblr during July 2020 compared to July 2019.

Looking at 485 Top Advertisers, they shared 54,540 new posts on social media in July 2020 which was an -11% decrease from the number of posts they shared in July 2019. Broken down by platform, Top Advertiser brands shared -20% less posts on Twitter, -14% less Instagram posts, and -1% less Facebook posts in July 2020 compared to July 2019.  While clearly Top Advertiser brands were sharing less organic posts across the board in July 2020, Facebook was the platform where Top Advertisers were the most hesitant to cut back on the amount of new posts they shared. 

Brands refusing to post ads on Facebook in July meant exactly that and didn’t extend to Top Advertiser brands also scaling back the amount of organic posts they were sharing on Facebook during the month.  At the same time, since 2018 we’ve seen a long term trend of Top Advertisers posting less organic posts on social platforms, which speaks to why the number of new posts on Twitter and Instagram are down year over year. 

Insight #4. The Ban Likely Did Affect Facebook Engagement

Methodology: ListenFirst Social Engagement measures the volume of post responses (likes, reactions, comments, shares, retweets, replies) and fan growth on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram around 485 Top Advertisers brands during July 2020 compared to July 2019.

Overall, ListenFirst social engagement for Top Advertiser brands was up 7%  in July 2020 compared to July 2019, but at closer examination that growth has nothing to do with Facebook. Comparing July in 2020 to July 2019; Top Advertisers saw social engagement increase by 7% on Instagram, while social engagement decreased by -21% on Facebook. 

Since the social engagement signals of post responses and fan growth can both be impacted by paid amplification; Facebook engagement is likely down so significantly for Top Advertiser brands because their Facebook page and posts were much less likely to be amplified in July.  For instance, between January – June 2020 , Top Advertiser brands increased the amount of social engagement around them on Facebook by 12% compared to January – June 2019. Without that paid boost, Facebook engagement decreased. 

Insight #5. Sports, Not Summer (Streaming) Movies, Behind Lift In Instagram Engagement 

That Instagram social engagement around Top Advertiser brands was up 7% during July 2020 compared to July 2019 was a new and positive development during quarantine. For example, between April – June 2020; Top Advertisers saw their Instagram social engagement decreased by -22% compared to April – June 2019.  So what changed in July? As we’ve previously discussed, the return of the sports was a big factor, for instance around the basketball restart, the NBA increased their Instagram engagement by 67% in July 2020 compared to July 2019. Meanwhile in the same time period, ESPN generated 45% more social engagement on Instagram. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDHETFFnIfQ/

On the other hand, social engagement for streamers wasn’t necessarily up in July, even as people were home more this Summer compared to last. Netflix might have been the Top Advertiser brand with the third most Instagram social engagement in July 2020, but that was still down -6% from the amount of Instagram social engagement Netflix generated in July 2019. The biggest difference appears to be last year Netflix was promoting a new season of Stranger Things, and while The Kissing Booth 2 did come out in July for Netflix and is incredibly popular, it still didn’t provide Netflix with a Stranger Things sized lift on Instagram.   

Want to learn more about how ListenFirst can help brands understand the big picture around social media and activate around those insights? Request A Demo Today! 

How Brands Are Using Social Media To Talk About The Elections

It’s less than a 100 days until the Presidential election occurs, and we wanted to check in with brands to see how they’re using their social media channels to promote getting out the vote campaigns. While it wasn’t necessarily a frequent topic of conversation among brands, of the 485 Top Advertiser Brands we looked at between June 28 – July 28, 2020; we did identify some key strategies for how these brands are using social media to encourage the audience to do their civic duty and participate in the November 3 elections. 

Strategy #1: Framing Voting As Empowering 

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ABC generated 683 responses around a July 4th Instagram video post in conjunction with the nonpartisan I am a voter.® movement promoting voting and civic engagement, which reminded people of all the races at stake this November, along with a prompt to register to vote and sign up for election reminders. It’s worth noting that the CTA included the full URL to the I am a voter.® website, even though Instagram doesn’t allow clickable links in posts. Even without a live link, it’s easy enough for users to cut and paste the link. 

Tying the act of voting to a holiday like Independence Day, reinforces how patriotic individuals can impact change, and such a strategy makes sense both in general and also around upcoming holidays like Labor Day.     

Strategy #2: Celebrity Advocacy

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Hearing a respected public figure talk around the need to get out and vote sometimes helps brands grab the audience’s attention in a way, a more generic message wouldn’t. For instance the NBA received 817 responses around a Facebook video where John Wall talked about the importance of voting in local elections. Getting a familiar face to speak from the heart about why voting is important to them will help drive home the point for the social media audience. 

Strategy #3: Reassure About Safety 

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Unlike any other election in recent memory, because of the coronavirus, people could literally be risking their lives by going to the polls. The AARP received 1,934 reponses around a Facebook link to a post addressing those issues, sharing the latest CDC recommendations for voting safely in the November elections. Especially with older voters, explaining how voters can participate on Election Day with the minimal risk to their health is valuable information that brands can share. 

Strategy #4: Speak Directly To Your Employees 

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Between June 28 – July 28, 2020; the U.S. Army shared 3 posts about how service members can vote via absentee ballot which averaged 7,403 responses per post. These types of brand posts serve two types of functions; giving employees invaluable information about how they can vote abroad while also illustrating to customers and potential employees that voting is something that your brand values. 

Strategy #5: Celebrate The 19th Amendment

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDMcXSWljiO/

There were 3 social media posts between June 28 – July 28, 2020 by the United States Postal Service that generated 1,536 responses advertising stamps commemorating women getting the right to vote. While selling stamps is a tactic pretty specific to the Post Office, using the history of voting rights to motivate people to vote in the present day, is a social media strategy that’s relevant to a much wider range of brands.   

Conclusion 

Social media is a big part of how brands stay part of the cultural conversation and as we get close to November, the election is going to be more and more what everyone is talking about. By urging the social media audience to take part in the Democratic process, brands can stay top of mind, while also contributing a public service. 

Want more analytics based insights about best practices for brands on social media? Request a Demo Today! 

Social Media Special Report: Top Consumer Food Brands

How have social media strategies have changed, and what’s working, for Top Consumer Food Brands?

Why The #StopHateForProfit Boycott Isn’t Benefiting Twitter

This is the third in our series of check ins on how the #StopHateForProfit boycott asking brands to stop advertising on Facebook and Instagram is impacting social media and brand’s relationship to those platforms. In this week’s installment, we share a general update while also specifically focusing on how Twitter is or isn’t being impacted by the boycott of their competitors. 

It Appears The Boycott Is Going To Hold Through All Of July 

Methodology: Looking at the indexed number of Facebook and Instagram ads brands from the ListenFirst Data Co-op launched between July 1 – 26, 2020 compared to the indexed number of Facebook and Instagram ads brands launched between July 1-26, 2019.

As we head towards the end of July, data from the ListenFirst Data Co-op shows the #StopHateForProfit boycott continues at the same rate of participation. Brands shared -70% less new ads on Facebook and Instagram, comparing July 20-26, 2020 to the same time in 2019. That’s consistent with what we’ve seen looking at the entire month so far with -73% less Facebook and Instagram ads by brands from July 1-26 compared to the same period in 2019. 

Will brands return to those platforms in August, when the one month advertising boycott is lifted?  

The Spending Freeze Hasn’t Necessarily Benefitted Twitter 

Twitter Paid Spend, on the other hand, while down -42%, is down less than Facebook and Instagram. The money brands aren’t spending on Facebook and Instagram hasn’t translated to brands spending more on Twitter ads. 

During The Boycott Top Advertisers Posting Less Organically On Twitter

Methodology: Looking at the volume of new posts 485 Top Advertisers posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Tumblr between July 1-26, 2020 compared to July 1-26, 2019. 

While the #StopHateForProfit boycott is centered on Facebook owned companies, in terms of organic posts it’s actually Twitter where brands have proportionally become most hesitant to post. Comparing July 1-26 during 2020 to 2019, the amount of new posts Top Advertiser brands shared on social  decreased by -18%. Breaking that down by platform, comparing July 1-26 in 2020 to 2019, the volume of posts Top Advertiser brands posted on Twitter decreased by -24%, with the number of Top Advertiser brands posts decreasing by -18% on Instagram and by -4% on Facebook. 

The fact that Top Advertisers are decreasing the amount of posts they are sharing on Twitter more than on Facebook and Instagram speaks to the lack of live events occurring. Twitter is the social platform most used for real-time reaction; and there’s just isn’t that much going on right now to react to. Other than protests, public in-person events have stopped happening entirely; sports are only beginning to start up again, and there’s only so much people can talk about the coronavirus.    

Cancel Culture One Topic That Is Being Talked About More On Twitter 

Methodology: Looking at the volume of Tweets using either the phrase “Cancel Culture” or the hashtag #CancelCulture between July 2019 through July 27, 2020. 

One topic that people have been talking about more on Twitter is Cancel Culture. Since George Floyd died on May 25, sparking an unprecedented level of grass root protesting, there’s been a huge increase in the volume of Tweets discussing Cancel Culture. There were 127,631 Tweets mentioning Cancel Culture in April 2020, which increased to 320,933 Tweets in May, to 1,297,423 Tweets in June, to an amazing 2,299,211 Tweets discussing Cancel Culture so far in July.

It’s important to make the distinction that Twitter conversations about Cancel Culture are often framed around the point of view that Cancel Culture has gone too far, meaning the person posting is advocating for a specific person or thing not to be canceled. Additionally, of course brands like Ben & Jerry’s have received incredible amounts of positive feedback for posting about social justice issues, including defunding the police to great acclaim. Still it’s a trend that brands should be aware of, as they participate in the real-time conversation occurring on Twitter.     

Want to learn more about how ListenFirst can help brands understand social media trends around owned, earned and paid content ? Request a Demo Today!

5 Ways Hospitals Are Using Social Media To Bring Back Non COVID-19 Related Patients

The following is a guest post by Allison Lee.  

While many hospitals have been swamped during the pandemic, it has only been with one type of patient. Apart from coronavirus cases, the amount of patients being treated in hospitals is actually way down. In fact, Daniel Horn, director of population health for general internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, notes that the healthcare system is facing at least a 70% decrease in revenue.

Hospitals now have both the bandwidth and safety precautions in place to perform elective surgeries and treat non-COVID-19 related illnesses; meaning the challenge for healthcare marketers becomes finding the most effective ways to convey to prospective patients, it’s now safe to come back.

In this post, we’ll highlight the five ways hospitals are most successfully using social media to reassure their communities that it’s safe to return.

Virtual Tours

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In the real estate industry, virtual tours have proven to be an effective tool in helping customers engage with realtors. The same could also be said about hospitals and healthcare institutions. People are still largely afraid of leaving their homes, so hospitals have been launching virtual tours through social media platforms to help alleviate patient anxiety. With a virtual tour, hospitals can showcase the step-by-step process a patient will experience if they decide to visit for a consultation or procedure. And to make virtual tours more enticing and in-depth, some hospitals and institutions have even shot their virtual tours in 360°.

For example Mayo Clinic launched a virtual tour on how their Rochester facilities are geared to handle in-person care during the pandemic. The video was posted on their Facebook page and received 1,400 reactions and 201 comments. Mayo Clinic’s virtual tour highlights the safety protocols that patients need to anticipate when they visit the Mayo Clinic facility. Another healthcare institution that has released a video virtual tour is Metro Health. Metro Health’s virtual tour on YouTube features how hospital staff routinely disinfects hospital equipment to quash any anxieties a patient might have prior to their visit. Metro Health also mentioned how patients can access their services through virtual appointments in case physical visits aren’t an option.

Share Safety Best Practices

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Other types of content that hospitals can produce to entice patients back are videos and infographics that detail safety practices. A steady stream of these general safety tips posted on a healthcare provider’s Facebook page will boost patient visits. For instance, St. Francis Hospital’s Facebook page featured a video by their cardiology chairman, Dr. Richard Shlofmitz, that details how the COVID-19 crisis has affected their institution and what they’ve done to keep patients safe during these precarious times.

https://www.facebook.com/montefioremedicalcenter/photos/a.213972978707369/2631992600238716


With health and safety protocols, constant reminders are key for consistent practice. That’s why healthcare providers have been sharing tips on how to keep oneself safe during the pandemic. We can see this being done by the Montefiore Health System on their Facebook page. In one of their posts, they share why patients need to sanitize food items and how they can do it. Safety and hygiene are of the utmost importance during these times, and healthcare providers are more than welcome to post this kind of content on their social media pages.

COVID-19 safety tips need to be specific to prevent confusion. For example, Dr. Mariea Snell, assistant director of Maryville University’s doctor of nursing practice program, highlights the importance of paying attention to your nails and between your fingers, where dirt and pathogens can easily hide. “The friction created by washing is very important,” she says. “So be sure to rub your hands together briskly.” Small tidbits like this, which create clear and actionable steps for people outside of simply telling them to wash their hands, can make a big difference in helping them stay healthy. This also lets them see your hospital both as an institution that knows what they’re doing and as a brand they can trust.

Testimonials

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Around weighing a potential visit, there’s nothing more reassuring during these anxious times than reading reviews left by other patients who have visited the same hospital. But more than that, healthcare providers can highlight reviews that detail good patient experience and post them directly on their feed to be seen by other prospective patients.

COVID-19 made it difficult for hospitals to accommodate patients who had other health issues. Moreover, a lot of medical procedures have been delayed or postponed. Now that things have settled and healthcare providers enforced stricter safety measures, patients who come in for procedures and consultations experience firsthand how things have changed. As seen in the post made by Tampa General Hospital which generated 277 responses on Facebook, patients can detail their hospital experiences and bear witness to the safety protocols imposed by a hospital. Testimonial posts such as this will resonate with other patients ⁠— encouraging them to get the care they need.

Highlight Disinfecting Technology

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It’s crucial for hospitals to make sure that COVID-19 doesn’t spread in their institutions, so they should have the best disinfecting technology to kill any pathogens and viruses. From something as basic as hand-washing stations to as advanced as self-disinfecting surfaces, disinfecting technology has certainly advanced.

In an attempt to keep outpatient departments free from any pathogens or diseases, some hospitals have enlisted the help of germ-killing robots. St. Joseph’s Hospital has been using the Tru-D Smart UVC Ultraviolet Disinfection robot which maintains the sterility of their facilities and even extends the life of personal protective equipment, sharing that news in a Facebook post that received 486 responses. Since new disinfection technologies are a point of interest for the general public, healthcare providers can highlight these technologies on their social media pages. Indeed, a post by University Hospitals of Cleveland detailing their technological advances has proven to be a hit on Facebook, showing that patients are more enticed to visit when hospitals showcase their best technologies.

Don’t Avoid a Necessary Visit Just Because the Issue Isn’t COVID-19 Related

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Despite being the main reason why hospitals are filling up right now, COVID-19 is not the only health issue patients can contract or develop. A lot of health problems need urgent medical attention, and patients should never hesitate to visit hospitals to receive care. As seen on their Instagram post which generated 353 responses, Michigan Medicine emphasizes how waiting too long to attend to a health issue puts patients at a bigger risk compared to contracting COVID-19. Hospitals have been using their social media websites to provide patients with a constant reminder to put themselves first. And patients react positively to this initiative by showing support on their social media pages and actually coming into the hospital to get themselves treated.

Conclusion

While social media is always a critical communications tool for the healthcare industry, it’s that much more so given the current circumstances. With the right social analytics platform, hospital marketers will have the insights they need to get their pandemic related messaging in front of the the social media audience that needs to see it; a critical first step in getting elective patients to return.

Interested to learn more about how you can utilize social media? Make sure you schedule a demo and see the ListenFirst Social Media Analytics Tool in action!