The Role of Social Media in Healthcare Marketing

Abstract

The chapter discusses the features of using social media in the healthcare industry. It is emphasized that the role of social media in the era of digital technologies is especially increasing in the market of medical services, which leads to greater involvement of consumers in the field of healthcare. Digital technologies are gradually being introduced in the field of healthcare in Georgia, and an increasing number of medical organizations are using social media marketing to communicate with patients. Nevertheless, the use of social media by healthcare organizations is insufficient. One of the reasons for this is the lack of research in this field. With this in mind, this chapter presents a study that considers the impact of social media marketing activities on healthcare consumer behavior. Social media marketing activities, consumer engagement, consumer trust, and behavioral intention are selected as the main variables of the research. A conceptual model of the research has been developed, and relevant hypotheses have been formulated.