South Georgia’s Top Healthcare System Boosts Campaign Performance by 80% With Strategic Podcast Strategy

SGMC Health is a not-for-profit medical system serving 400,000 residents across South Georgia and North Florida. Despite being a recognized healthcare provider in the region, SGMC Health faced a critical challenge: low awareness of its expanding service lines and an unclear brand perception. Many residents viewed SGMC Health as their only local option for medical care rather than a comprehensive health system with a wide range of services.

To address this, SGMC Health partnered with Ascend Strategy & Design to develop and launch a content marketing initiative that would reshape its brand image, educate the community, and highlight the organization’s healthcare expertise.

The Challenge

SGMC Health identified three key marketing objectives:

1. Increase Awareness of Expanded Service Lines – Many residents were unaware of SGMC Health’s breadth of services beyond hospital care.
2. Establish SGMC Health as a Regional Healthcare Authority – Position the organization as a trusted source of medical information.
3. Improve Brand Perception – Shift public perception from SGMC Health being the only local option for medical care to a full-service healthcare system.

SGMC Health sought a strategic partner to help build an engaging, scalable content initiative that could evolve & grow over time.

The Solution: "What Brings You In Today?" Podcast

Ascend and SGMC Health developed "What Brings You In Today?", a video-first podcast designed to educate the community about SGMC Health’s services, connect with the audience through storytelling, and strengthen brand trust.

Key Elements of the Podcast Strategy

Multi-Format Content:

The podcast was developed with three primary formats:

• Full-length podcast episodes featuring SGMC Health experts on various medical topics.
• Short-form video clips optimized for social media distribution.
• Written transcripts utilized for SEO and website content.

Strategic Distribution Across Multiple Channels: 

The podcast was published on:

• YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify to reach audio and visual learners.
• SGMC Health’s custom microsite (built on HubSpot by Ascend) for a centralized content hub dedicated to the podcast.
• Social media platforms to maximize audience engagement, with a focus on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• Email campaigns to drive additional traffic and listener retention.

Community-Driven Engagement:

The microsite includes a podcast question submission form, allowing listeners to suggest future episode topics, strengthening audience involvement and loyalty.

Data-Driven Approach:

Ascend integrated analytics tools (HubSpot, YouTube, Apple / Spotify Podcasts) and used HubSpot Reporting to track performance metrics and optimize content for audience engagement on a regular basis. The team also compared results to previous SGMC Health initiatives where possible to gauge the podcast’s effectiveness and begin setting benchmarks for the future.

The Results

After launching "What Brings You In Today?" in January 2024, SGMC Health saw a significant shift in brand perception, audience engagement, and content performance over the first year. Ascend tracked and evaluated key metrics to gauge the podcast’s effectiveness, compare to previous initiatives, and set benchmarks for the future.

Audience Growth & Engagement (January - December 2024):

SGMC Health’s podcast campaign earned impressive growth and engagement among the brand’s audience, particularly on YouTube. The podcast generated more than 75,000 YouTube impressions, outperforming previous video campaigns by 80%. Additionally, the podcast earned a 7.3% increase in views over previous campaigns, signaling stronger audience interest.

When comparing the podcast to a similar high-performing initiative from 2024, the results were clear: the podcast significantly outperformed expectations. It drove 162.41% more shares and 12.73% more impressions across social platforms. While Facebook interactions remained steady, Instagram saw a 65.89% increase in interactions, and LinkedIn interactions rose by 30.39%, expanding SGMC Health's reach and engagement with newer audiences.

These results showcase that the podcast is doing more than just generating clicks—it is actively capturing audience attention, sparking conversation, and deepening community connection. Most importantly, this level of engagement is a key driver in achieving SGMC Health’s overarching goals: expanding brand awareness, elevating the health system’s reputation, and increasing community understanding of SGMC Health’s full spectrum of services.

Podcast Listener Engagement

Additional efforts across email, web, and Apple podcasts indicate strong listener engagement, content appeal, and growing connection with the SGMC Health brand. Email marketing efforts performed exceptionally well with average open and click-through rates surpassing healthcare industry benchmarks. The podcast microsite earned 12,000 page views and the topic submission form generated 25 submissions, reflecting growing listener interest and community involvement. On Apple Podcasts, 65% of the audience earned “engaged listener,” which means the individual has listened to at least 20 minutes or 40% of an episode within a single listening session, demonstrating audience retention and loyalty.

Why It Worked

SGMC Health’s podcast campaign success was driven by a strategic, multi-platform approach that fueled sustainable audience engagement and brand growth. Six aspects were key:

• Extended Shelf Life – The podcast’s evergreen topics were designed to remain relevant, attracting new listeners and maintaining engagement long after each episode’s release.
• Consistent Engagement – Quarterly content audits and intentional repurposing (social media clips, blog posts) kept audience engagement consistent year-round.
• Strategic Multi-Platform Distribution – The podcast reached the audience where they already consumed content (social media, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts).
• Expert-Led Content – Featuring SGMC healthcare professionals built trust and positioned SGMC Health as a leading authority.
• Scalable, Repurposable Format – Video-first approach enabled repurposing into short clips, blog content, and email campaigns, maximizing ROI.
• Data-Driven Optimization – Performance tracking ensured continuous improvement and relevance.

This strong first year has laid the foundation for SGMC Health to continue to build their long-term content marketing strategy off the podcast, proving the impact of a video-first approach, consistent optimization and cross-channel promotion.

Planning For The Future

By implementing a strategic, data-driven content marketing approach, the podcast established a sustainable and highly engaging content initiative.

Looking ahead, Ascend and SGMC Health plan to: 

• Expand podcast promotion through targeted social media advertising.
• Increase listener interaction via more audience-driven episode topics.
• Continue quarterly content audits to refresh and repurpose top-performing episodes.
• Monitor long-term brand score improvements to measure overall impact.

The "What Brings You In Today?" podcast successfully helped SGMC Health enhance brand awareness, engage its target audience, and solidify its position as a trusted healthcare provider. Ascend and SGMC Health look forward to continuing with Season 2 in 2025.