Pinterest Gets Practical: Options and Opportunities for Healthcare Organizations

by Lin Grensing-Pophal

While there are still those who believe Pinterest is just a site to save pretty pictures, some users are getting creative in practical ways and finding that Pinterest is more than just a “pretty page.” Medical practices are on the list. They’re using Pinterest for everything from patient and provider education to health tips and advice and construction updates. It’s just one more tool in the social media toolkit, and its visual nature and focus on sharing through “repinning” definitely presents some benefits. But, like other social media outlets, demonstrating real ROI can be challenging. Ultimately, the use of Pinterest needs to be considered as part of the overall communication mix—a way to leverage other content that can be conveyed visually.

Pinterest is all about images, and that’s a big part of the appeal for healthcare organizations, says Glenn Laudenslager IV. Laudenslager is President of Charge Ahead Marketing, with operations in the New York City area, and a marketing consultant for Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He says hospitals have opportunities to share everything, from pictures of the basics—the campus, new facilities, and new equipment—to imagery related to patients, procedures, and other “behind the scenes” activities that the general public doesn’t often get to see.

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