Tackling social media can feel daunting especially if you’re not quite sure what the differences in benefits and audiences of each platform are. Fortunately, the fact they are all different is actually a good thing because they can provide you with a variety of marketing strategies.
Even though social media is primarily used by younger generations, its usage amongst those aged 50 to 64 has climbed to 69%, and to 40% when it comes to those over 65. Meaning, medical professionals can reach many different audiences through social media, which will inevitably boost patient numbers and prospective patient engagement.
In this blog, we will go over popular social media platforms, some of their features, and content ideas so that you can decide which ones align with your practices goals.
Although created in 2010, Instagram is still one of the most popular growing social media platforms. Since 2013, the app’s user base has grown ten fold and now has over 500 million people using the platform daily. Over two thirds of their users are 34 years and younger making it particularly attractive for marketers.
Instagram features:
- Business accounts: By using this type of account, Instagram will know that you are using the platform for some sort of marketing, and it allows you to access several features that personal profiles don’t have.
- These accounts can also set up email, call or text options so potential customers don’t need to leave the app to get in touch with you.
- These accounts can also set up email, call or text options so potential customers don’t need to leave the app to get in touch with you.
- Profile bios: This is a short 150-character summary about yourself or your practice. It also links your clinic type, location, and website.
- Stories: These are a quick and easy way to share photos and videos that disappear from your profile, feed, and messages after 24 hours.
- You can get creative with these by adding polls, Q&As, countdowns and more.
- You can get creative with these by adding polls, Q&As, countdowns and more.
- Highlights: Once stories are posted (even after 24 hours) you can add them to your profile as a highlight. This keeps past stories archived into categories so others can easily access them later.
- Shopping: This is a set of features that lets people shop your photos and videos. Content with this will have tags that display prices; and profiles will have immersive storefronts so people can explore your best products.
- Hashtags: These are combinations of letters, numbers, and/or emojis preceded by a #. They are used within captions to categorise content and help boost and spread its reach.
This social networking site is a micro-blogging platform based on 280-character status updates, otherwise known as tweets. Its primary purpose is to connect people and allow them to share thoughts, facts, and feedback with a big audience. The most common users worldwide are between 25 and 34 years old, but in reality, Twitter users are of all ages.
Twitter features:
- Biography: A Twitter bio is a modern business card so write a clear and concise bio that describes who you are and why users should follow you. Include keywords that you would expect someone to search when looking for a professional in your field.
- Tweets: These are the short 280-character posts that are Twitter’s version of microblogging.
- They can include words, photos, hashtags, links, videos, and numerals.
- They can include words, photos, hashtags, links, videos, and numerals.
- Retweet: Users can re-post or forward any tweet written by other users to their own feed. This is another way to create connections with other content creators.
- When users tweet about you, make sure to Retweet those positive messages and thank them for the visibility. This shows that you are paying attention and can represent your voice and brand personality.
- When users tweet about you, make sure to Retweet those positive messages and thank them for the visibility. This shows that you are paying attention and can represent your voice and brand personality.
- Hashtags: Like Instagram, these are words preceding with a # that subsequently turn into links to help users find content of similar topics.
- Twitter lists: This feature is a curated group of accounts that you can either create or subscribe to. Either way, they allow you to monitor conversations and build relationships with specific users that you want to reach.
Facebook is a website where users can connect with friends, family, work colleagues and people they don’t know. Older millennials were the early adopters of the site and at that point, it was the most popular website out there. People aged 25 to 35 are those who have continued using the platform, however many younger users have migrated to newer social networking sites. While they still have over 2.91 billion active users, it can be a vital platform for practices and their social media marketing.
Facebook features:
- Timeline: This is where your posts and overall Facebook activity will be shown. It includes reverse-chronological details, by year, of a user’s Facebook history. Your posts will end up on the timelines of those who have connected with you.
- Groups: Groups enables people to come together to share information and discuss specific subjects. They allow members to post content like links, media, questions, events, documents, and comments.
- Events: Facebook events allows members to let friends know about upcoming events. This could be useful if you ever want to promote your event or someone else’s, such as a medical conference.
- Contact information: If people are searching for your practice, or a practice near them, your Facebook page might pop up. By adding your phone line, email address, and location, they will have all the information they need without leaving the site.
- Audience insights: With a business page, you’ll have access to insights about the demographics you are reaching, and you can then use that data to better target your campaigns at the people you want to see them.
- Schedule posts: Marketing is time consuming, so having the option to schedule posts in advance makes the process more efficient. Once you come up with your marketing strategy, you can carve out a few hours and schedule posts to be sent out whenever you want.
LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the internet. People often use LinkedIn to find jobs or internships, but its benefits don’t stop there. With a user base centred around those between 30 and 64 years old, it is also a great place to connect and strengthen professional relationships, as well as give yourself online credibility to prospective patients and other professionals.
LinkedIn features:
- Home: The homepage is where current posting activity based on the people, companies, and topics you follow, will be. You can also customise it to include articles and news that is interesting to you.
- My network: Here you’ll find the list of people who you’re currently connected with, within the platform. You’ll also get suggestions based on current connections, location, and industry that will help you expand your network. By connecting with other doctors and prospective patients, you will be seen as collaborative and up to date.
- Messaging: This is a great feature if someone comes across your page, sees that you are qualified, and wants more information about what you do or how to book with you.
- Personal Profile: this is the section where you will input your name or your practices name, job title or specialty, and any other information that could be useful to other users: year of establishment, awards, education, location, and experience. A complete profile can help you connect with opportunities by showcasing your unique professional story.
Content
Creating and posting content gets your name out there and deciding where to start doesn’t have to be a guessing game. There is already popular content that you can easily recreate and apply to your own practice.
Content Ideas:
- Q&As: Patients actively look for health answers online, but false information tends to spread faster than the truth, so these are a great way to engage with your audience and give them credible information. Having a professional’s opinion not only answers patients concern, but it also allows them gauge if they should make an appointment or if they can take care of the problem on their own. Additionally, you can promote new features, updates, and products in real time.
- Before-and-After: You’ve seen these before. Maybe while watching a home renovation or from someone’s fitness journey, but believe if or not, your practice could use these too. A Before-and-After gives a comparison of the situation people might be in, and the desired result they could get from you. With how expensive healthcare is, people want to know that they will be receiving quality care before they commit to you. Before-and-Afters are visual proof of your quality of work. Some doctors might not have as much visual representation of their work, but here are some specialties that have used this marketing before. *Always get the authorised consent before sharing anything about a patient’s health*
- Broken-to-healed bones
- Dermatology
- Orthodontist & dental work
- Physical therapy rehabilitation
- Plastic surgery
- Success stories & testimonials: When it comes to talking about healthcare, patients themselves are often the most effective communicators. Their stories serve as crucial tools for physicians as they work to recruit new patients. There are many angles to approach these posts: you could facilitate a discussion on a live video, feature a pre-recording of the patient talking, post a video, or even post an image with a written testimonial as the caption.
- Demonstrations & tutorials: The visual capabilities of the platforms mentioned before make them great spaces to post demonstrations and tutorials. By catering to visual learners with simple yet informative health how-tos, they can relate to you the same way someone who learns by reading could, which in turn, broadens your audience and potential patients.
- Health tips: By posting holistic tips, healthcare professionals can take preventative care into their own hands. There are many accounts that post tips for improving health through diet, exercise, sleep, and mindfulness, and while some of these creators are trained professionals, many of them approach health as a hobby, meaning much of online health tips are false. As a physician, you could have success solely because you would be giving research backed advice.
- Product posting: Not all doctors have their own products, but either way you should be posting helpful products. If any of your Q&A answers or tutorials require, or could benefit from, a product then you should always link it. If it is your own brand, you’re more likely to sell it; and if it is another company’s product, you’re building trust and showing that you care about your patients even if the sale doesn’t benefit you.
The features and content trends of each platform are different, but capitalising off of each will boost your engagement with patients. When you take the time to figure out social media, you and your practice are better equipped to motivate patients, develop a professional online network, create a greater connection with patients, and provide accurate health information to the community. You don’t need start out with the most followers to have success, but you do need a strategy so that your platform can grow into a place where your audience can find content that has the information they need.
If you are interested in learning more about how Top Doctors can help you to digitalise your practice and improve your online positioning, please leave your details here, and we will be in touch.
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