reputation management in healthcare

How to improve the management of your healthcare reputation in 2022

Have you noticed how much the management of your reputation affects the overall success of your business? Do you know what your brand’s reputation is? Let’s discuss how to improve the management of your healthcare reputation in 2022.

Reputation management monitors perceptions and conversations, responds to reputation threats, and proactively seizes opportunities to boost how your brand is perceived.

Online reviews and rating platforms are the predominant reputation management mechanisms. They are the perfect opportunity to promote your goods and services while offering an avenue to respond to negative feedback about weaknesses and challenges. However, these platforms are not the only reputation tools in your arsenal.

Many individual pieces compose your reputation picture. Pieces such as how are you performing with your current clients? How are you rated by your employees, contractors, and partners? How do your brand’s mission and values align with those of your clients?

How Reputation Management in HealthCare Works

Reputation management controls and monitors a brand’s influence, reputation, and audience perception [1]. It involves creating positive reactions, responding to negative feedback, speaking in your brand’s tone, improving customer service, and championing your mission and values.

Your goal is to give the healthcare sector a positive perception of your brand.

How important is reputation management to healthcare?

Statistics show that reputation management is paramount in the healthcare industry. We already know from the consumer side that 9 out of 10 buyers are more likely to make a purchase after reading a positive review. Yet, only 1 in 5 companies consider reviews part of their marketing strategy. [2]

The same trend is also apparent in the healthcare sector. Over 50% of consumers selected a doctor or facility based on reviews. Reviews and ratings about clinicians, healthcare agencies, medical services providers, technology service providers, and other companies influence the rate at which the healthcare industry seeks its services.

The importance of reputation management has been increasing rapidly, especially for the past two years. Your clients are using digital information to make decisions, and your brand needs to be aware and in control of its online presence.

Elevating Your Brand’s Reputation

Adrian Wheeler makes the point that corporate reputation is a slow-build proposition [3]. Wheeler’s six components of good reputation are the fundamental principles of building a positive brand image. They include:

  1. Obsession with your service/product: The superiority of your deliverables influences how people perceive your business.
  2. Deserve confidence: Take the lead and arouse trust from your employees and clients.
  3. Increase Availability: Be available for feedback about your product/services—open communication channels with your clients, workforce, and vendors.
  4. Accept mistakes: Respond rapidly to negative comments. Admit mistakes and respond.
  5. Engaging people and their interests: Engage people and seek their opinions. Adopting a public cause separates you from your competition.
  6. Never be speechless: Take this opportunity to build relationships, build engaging, human, authentic connections.

Managing Your Brand’s Reputation

Managing your reputation is crucial for client acquisition and retention as a healthcare brand. However, creating and maintaining a positive image is a vigorous exercise, with many challenging to define metrics. For example, how can you measure the emotional appeal of your brand?

First, you have to ensure all the information about your product or services is accurate. Warranties about your products/services directed towards generating sales must be valid. Assurances and cost estimates should not vary after a medical care provider has entered into a contract with you.

Secondly, you must offer a unique people-oriented customer experience. If you promise quick and affordable, deliver fast and cheap. A consistent one-on-one consumer experience will overall build a strong awareness of your brand’s image in the healthcare sector.

Thirdly, be interactive when you respond to customers’ concerns. You can do this by providing friendly and human-centered replies to consumers’ questions, feedback, and complaints. Avoid repetitive and robotic responses and promote human-to-human communication.

Finally, get involved in your community. Recommendations from clients in your local area are a powerful way to influence and manage your brand’s reputation. You can do this by organizing talks, conventions, attending local healthcare gatherings, or offering free services to your targeted audience.

How to fix what you don’t know?

Do you know what your brand’s reputation is? Are you monitoring how you are perceived by your clients, employees, and partners? Understandably, you cannot fix what you don’t know. So the first step in managing your reputation is monitoring and evaluation. Through social listening, digital tracing, and direct quality surveys, you can begin understanding what others think of your brand. You can then formulate a reputation strategy to address any problems and boost your success.
Unsure where to start? Let us help! Contact us today to discuss how a reputation management strategy can elevate your brand.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

  1. SendPulse. (n.d.). What is Reputation Management — Guide – Definition. [online] Available at: https://sendpulse.com/support/glossary/reputation-management [Accessed 3 Dec. 2021].
  1. The Impact of Reviews on B2B Buyers and Sellers 2018 BENCHMARK REPORT. (n.d.). [online] Available at: https://learn.g2.com/hubfs/Sell%20Microsite%20Files/The%20Impact%20of%20Reviews%20on%20B2B%20-%20Report.pdf.
  1. ResearchGate. (n.d.). (PDF) Reputation Management, Corporate Image and Communication. [online] Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287813909_Reputation_Management_Corporate_Image_and_Communication.
  1. Reputation. (n.d.). Healthcare Reputation Management Platform. [online] Available at: https://reputation.com/solutions/healthcare/ [Accessed 3 Dec. 2021].

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