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Why do healthcare businesses need social media strategies? Simple. If you’re a growth-oriented business, you’ll want to boost footfall, drive revenue, and earn your patients’ trust.
And, believe me, social media is one of the best platforms to achieve these business goals.
With over 300 million people using social media in the US, it presents immense opportunities for healthcare businesses to connect directly with communities, spread awareness, and build their brand.
So, let’s dive in and discover how you can harness the power of social media to grow your healthcare business like never before.
8 Healthcare Social Media Strategies
From creating engaging content to leveraging influencer marketing, these healthcare social media strategies are sure to take your online presence to the next level.
But before you get started with social media marketing, be sure to create compelling landing pages by using the right tools. This is the page your prospects will land on when they click on your social media posts or ads.
With that cleared out, let’s dive right into the strategies.
1. Post Educational Content
Social media is the ideal platform to educate your community and build a loyal following. From sharing simple health tips to posting the latest research related to your practice, there are many ways to post educational content.
Here’s a post on Twitter from Detroit Medical Center that highlights the benefits of physical therapy.
Image via Twitter
Apart from health and lifestyle tips, you can also share the latest research or industry updates on social media platforms like how NorthShore University HealthSystem has done in this post.
Image via Twitter
2. Raise Awareness Around Health Issues
Many studies have found that American consumers go to social media to look for reliable health information. The results of the most recent study conducted during the pandemic are consistent with these studies.
As you can see from this table below, close to 50% say they depended on social media to get information related to the pandemic and 32.2% read such information every day.
Image via NIH
Which is why, sharing accurate and updated information on health issues is one of the smartest healthcare social media strategies. It can help portray your healthcare organization as a responsible and caring one, which in turn, boosts your brand awareness and creates a positive brand perception.
For instance, the Prince of Wales Hospital shared infographics and other accurate information during the initial days of the pandemic.
Image via Twitter
You can also use specific “health days” to raise awareness around a particular health issue.
For instance, Cigna Healthcare creates detailed posts on World Diabetes Day to raise awareness around the chronic illness.
Image via Twitter
3. Fight Misinformation
Unfortunately, it is also easy to share misinformation and fake news on social media that can lead to anxiety and panic.
Whether you are a healthcare network or own a private practice, one of the effective healthcare social media strategies to use is to combat such misinformation and put out evidence-based information.
Holding live Q&A sessions with experts, posting an FAQ video, or putting out an infographic on the topic are some ways to combat misinformation.
Here is an infographic put out by a medical aesthetic clinic on Instagram to explain how long it takes for Botox to work.
Image via Instagram
Similarly, Dr. Natalie Crawford, fertility specialist and gynecologist, holds Q&A sessions on YouTube every week to answer patients’ questions and clarify any doubts.
Image via YouTube
You could also work with social media influencers or partner with other trusted organizations to help spread the message to a wider audience.
Another way to bust myths is to share resources like links to reputable sources, fact-checking websites, and other trusted educational sites or materials.
4. Highlight Healthcare Professionals
Healthcare businesses can use social media to highlight the work of their professionals. For example, a hospital could share a post about a nurse or a doctor who recently received an award for their outstanding service.
This is exactly what the Detroit Medical Center has done in this social media post.
Image via Twitter
This is a great way to boost your employee engagement and leverage ambassador marketing by making your employees your ambassadors.
5. Promote Social Causes and Health Initiatives
One of the other effective healthcare social media strategies is to share information about your health campaigns and other initiatives you are involved in. For example, a health clinic could share a post about a campaign to raise awareness about the importance of regular cancer screening.
Cigna Foundation highlights the initiatives it has taken, such as providing grants, in this Twitter post.
Image via Twitter
6. Share Patient Success Stories
Healthcare businesses can use social media to share patient success stories, which can inspire and motivate others. For example, a rehabilitation center could share a video of a patient who was able to walk again after a serious injury.
Or a skin clinic can show what a customer’s skin looks like before and after an aesthetic treatment.
Image via Instagram
Be sure to make your images stand out by using the right tools such as a profile picture maker.
7. Provide Information About Treatments
The next one in this list of the best healthcare social media strategies relates to sharing information about different treatments and procedures your practice offers and how they work.
For example, a dental clinic could share a video on how to care for your teeth and gums after getting dental implants. Or, a skin clinic could demonstrate what a hydrafacial is all about with the help of a video.
Image via Instagram
By using videos and reels on social media to show the benefits of using their products, pharmaceutical companies can also boost HCP engagement. Healthcare brands do collaboration with healthcare professionals to mention brands in the videos that are shared on the different HCP engagement platforms.
8. Partner With Social Media Influencers
From celebrities, patient advocacy groups, and activists to micro-influencers, there are many types of social media influencers that hospitals and healthcare businesses can partner with.
An ideal choice would be health and wellness influencers who have built a following around promoting healthy lifestyle habits.
For instance, Dexcom, a medical device manufacturing company, has partnered with actor and singer Nick Jonas to promote its new blood glucose monitoring system, the Dexcom G7.
Image via Instagram
Another way to leverage influencers is to invite them to talk at an event that you have organized and then post a video of the event on social media. You can take help of social media consultants to select the right influencers for your business.
Edward-Elmhurst Memorial roped in Danica Patrick, a race car driver, to drive home the message during the hospital’s “Healthy Driven” event.
Image via Facebook
Lastly, remember to focus on stellar content creation and follow the proven design principles to make your posts attractive and enhance user experience.
Get Started With Your Healthcare Social Media Strategies
Social media is a powerful tool for healthcare business owners who want to increase their visibility, reach out to new audiences, and build trust with potential customers.
By following the healthcare social media strategies outlined in this article, you can optimize your online presence and create an effective marketing strategy that will help you boost your healthcare business.
Don’t be afraid to experiment with different types of posts and campaigns, while keeping track of their performance.
With a little bit of effort and dedication, you’ll be able to unlock the full potential of social media and make sure your healthcare business stands out from the rest.
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