This week, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith are joined by content strategist expert Ahava Leibtag, President of Aha Media Group, and they discuss the challenges and complexities hospitals and health systems may face when building a content strategy. They define the elements needed in a comprehensive strategy, what exactly “content “ is and how to structure an editorial calendar that is long-term and sustainable. Also, Reed and Chris argue the differences between content marketing and brand journalism.

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Typically, in hospitals and health systems, there is an organizational divide that exists between marketing/communications and government relations departments. Yet, often these two departments can find benefit from collaborating and partnering to address advocacy efforts. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer stretch outside of their comfort zone and discuss common uncomfortable challenges faced by health systems in GR activities, and share ways in which marketing and communication can be applied to build advocacy within employees and communities. This episode features an expert interview with Lance Lunsford, in which he shares ways he and the Texas Hospital Association partner with hospitals on building effective government relations strategies.

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Everything online is absolutely measurable. Because of this, the often mistaken belief is that once you launch a digital campaign or effort, the measurement will be comprehensive and complete from the onset. Hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer spend this episode detailing the common misperceptions hospitals and health systems have with measuring their efforts, and detail a high level framework organizations can use to develop a comprehensive measurement strategy. In addition, this episode features an interview with Olivier Blanchard, author of the book “Social Media ROI,” and he shares his expert thoughts on how to successfully measure.

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In this episode hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith visit a popular topic on the podcast: Artificial Intelligence (AI). Specifically, they discuss the rapid adoption of machine learning in clinical and marketing/communications efforts in hospitals and health systems and explore some of the pros and cons of deep learning (including how patients and providers alike potentially view the dilemma of the “black box” of computer learning. Featuring an episode with Abhi Sharma, VP of Product for Loyal, in which he shares practical uses of AI and how we’ve already accepted and welcomed the use of machine learning in products we use today.

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Understanding the online customer journey is important to how an organization structures their digital marketing and communication efforts. In today’s episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer revisit this important topic and discuss the differences between the “path to purchase” and the complete customer lifecycle, and share their thoughts on the role digital (websites, social media, CRM and other systems) can help support that journey. This episode also features an expert interview with Ann Stadjuhar, VP of Digital Consumer Strategy at UnitedHealth Group, in which she shares how customer journeys are transforming digital efforts in healthcare.

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Twitter is an established digital platform for hospitals and health systems, but the way it’s actually being used has evolved over the years. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith discuss the way the platform has evolved - both in terms of features and functionality, and the strategies that organizations use to support their marketing and communication efforts. Featuring an interview with Greg Matthews of W2O in which he shares the results of the Social Oncology Report 2018, and how hospitals can engage physicians on Twitter to help support their reputation-building efforts.

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While not typically a focus of digital marketing, it has become increasingly important for health systems to develop formalized approaches to engage physicians - from either a recruitment perspective or to help improve referring patterns. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer take an honest look at the role digital plays in referring physician strategies and outline examples and approaches in how hospitals are using website content, email marketing and even social media to help physician outreach efforts. Featuring an interview with Kriss Barlow, owner of Barlow/McCarthey, in which she shares her expertise in referral development, training, and physician relationship strategies.

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At a hospital system, the role of the digital strategist is often seen as critical to helping an organization embrace digital tools and technologies. However, at some health systems there are multiple people holding that job title - and often they do not work closely with one another. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss the roles and responsibilities of a digital strategist - whether they report into marketing, clinical or operations, and illustrate how their roles are more similar than expected. Also featuring an expert interview with Ann Goldman, Executive Director of Digital Strategy and Analytics for Multicare, in which she shares her perspective on how digital strategists across the organization can collaborate more effectively.

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Today, there are a myriad of ways that patients can share their experiences with hospitals and health systems online. In this episode, hosts Reed Smith and Chris Boyer focus on two systems: Yelp and HCAHPS and discuss their differences, and how organizations should view both in the larger scheme of measuring patient experience. Featuring an expert interview with B.G. Porter of the Studer Group in which he discusses the impact consumerism is having on how hospitals can measure and solicit input from their customers.

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Branding is important for organizations of all sizes because it helps to define their value, gives employees direction and motivation, and makes engaging with customers easier. But how can digital help with your branding efforts? In this episode, Reed Smith and Chris Boyer discuss how hospitals and health systems can use digital tools and techniques to align with their brand, help deliver an online brand experience and engage with patients, physicians and employees. This episode features an in-depth interview with Rob Rosenberg, owner of Springboard Brand & Creative Strategy in which he shares practical tips that your health system can use to develop a digital branding strategy.

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