1. What is the current state of your organization’s social media presence?
The current state of the organization’s social media presence is non-existent or upcoming. Since the rural area mainly consists of older generations, social media is less accessed and utilized. Also, internet access in rural areas is defective, which makes long await time for fast-speed internet access. According to the article written by ruralarealife.com, “by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as of 2020, about 14.5 million Americans living in rural areas lack access to high-speed internet” (ruralarealife.com, 2024).
2. What are your intended populations? What additional factors should you consider regarding the population of interest?
The intended populations would be the patients and their families, the local community, and potentially the wider public interested in healthcare issues. Additional factors to consider would be the demographics of the local population, their internet usage habits, their preferred social media platforms, and their health literacy levels.
3. Given the project’s time frame, what are your priorities? What are some immediate actions?
Given the project’s time frame, the immediate priority would be to conduct a needs assessment to understand the current state of the organization’s online presence and the needs and preferences of the rural area. Immediate actions would include setting up official social media accounts for the organization, developing a content strategy, and drafting a social media policy.
4. What resources or support will you need?
Resources and support needed would include a dedicated team to manage the social media accounts and responding to patient inquiries and complaints, training staff on social media use and online communication, and potentially external consultants or agencies to assist with strategic development and implementation. To resolve the problem of limited internet access, researching the best options for the community is a part of the solution. According to the cited article, “from low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to multi-transport wireless connections, new technologies may transform the rural internet over the next few years” (highspeedinternet.com,2024). Additionally, many government programs are targeting infrastructure for rural broadband, bringing the benefits of the internet to undermined areas.
5. Which stakeholders may be beneficial in assisting you with the development, implementation, and evaluation of the strategy and relevant policies?
Developing a Social Media Strategy for a Rural Healthcare Organization
1. Current Social Media Presence:
Since the organization has no current social media presence, there’s an opportunity to build a platform from scratch. However, the challenges of limited internet access in rural areas need to be addressed.
2. Intended Populations:
- Patients and Families: Provide healthcare information, appointment reminders, updates on services, and educational materials.
- Local Community: Build trust, promote community health initiatives, and address local healthcare concerns.
Developing a Social Media Strategy for a Rural Healthcare Organization
1. Current Social Media Presence:
Since the organization has no current social media presence, there’s an opportunity to build a platform from scratch. However, the challenges of limited internet access in rural areas need to be addressed.
2. Intended Populations:
- Patients and Families: Provide healthcare information, appointment reminders, updates on services, and educational materials.
- Local Community: Build trust, promote community health initiatives, and address local healthcare concerns.
