Social media is a crucial tool for any company, regardless of the sector it operates in, to interact and establish rapport with its clients.
Healthcare practitioners should be actively present online these days.
Many times before they ever see their doctor to ask concerns or schedule an appointment, millions of people are looking for knowledge about health issues.
We all know the running joke about people searching for their symptoms on WebMD and assuming the absolute worst about their health, yet it’s true!
But, this is where social media comes in handy. If your patients or clients have access to you through social channels, it could provide them with solid, factual health information. Social media provides a more accessible way to reach out to your current and potential clients.
You can create informative and interesting content on your social media platforms as a form of healthcare marketing, while also being open to answering quick questions from your followers. But it’s also important to know how to properly navigate social media as a healthcare professional.
Are you looking for other ways to communicate with your clients? Discover 5 key benefits of using social media for healthcare practices, from enhancing patient engagement to improving local visibility. Boost your online presence with expert healthcare SEO services. Join us as we explore the benefits and challenges of social media in healthcare.
Benefit #1: Answer health-related FAQs.
You have to keep informed about changing automobile industry trends and innovations. To remain competitive and spot fresh prospects, see competition strategy, pricing, and product offers. Be adaptable and ready to change your plans depending on changes in consumer behavior, the state of the market, or Amazon’s platform enhancements.
Active performance monitoring and improvement can help you to guarantee that your auto parts company stays competitive, satisfies consumer expectations, and gets continuous success on Amazon. Regular analysis and optimization will enable you to find chances for development and properly handle difficulties. Another thing you could think about is contacting an e-commerce firm to assist with target attainment and strategic enhancement of your whole approach. They would need to receive a comprehensive eye exam. So, when you answer such questions from your followers, be sure to inform them it’s best to book an appointment and come to your office so you can properly analyze their symptoms.
Benefit #2: Provide general health awareness and medical information.
One of your primary objectives as a healthcare practitioner is probably increasing knowledge about health issues relevant to your field of work. This can cover preventative actions and lifestyle changes people can adopt to lower their chance of acquiring medical issues.
If you own a chiropractic office, for example, your office might produce an infographic, video, or blog post about the risks of back injuries from housework. When your patients are tackling that heavy to-do list—like cleaning the garage or mowing the grass—you may provide them advice on how to prevent aggravating their back.
You are providing them with fact-based knowledge they can apply to keep in good health and make wise decisions.
Benefit #3: Stay up-to-date on local crises.
Most people no longer find their news in reading the morning paper or watching the nightly news. Every generation, but particularly millennials, is using social media to consume news.
HubSpot reports that 68% of Americans find their news on social media. Using the 24-hour news cycle, one may quickly and easily keep current on topics including health issues in real time.
Should you be a veterinarian and a rabies epidemic strike your neighborhood, others could be sharing on Facebook or Twitter. One can even search hashtags to learn additional facts. Social media allows you to tell your patients and clients how to remain safe when you learn of a health issue developing.
In this case, you can use social media to advise your clients to bring their animals into your office should they show suspected virus symptoms and to let them know how to guard their dogs from getting rabies.
Benefit #4: Use cost-effective marketing.
Effective Marketing All you need to sign up for any social media platform is an email and a password. Most people worldwide find it quite approachable, and the best thing is that it is free! If you would want to run advertising on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, do so; if you would want not to, you can simply post your goods and services.
Does your chiropractic business run a 30% discount adjustment sales? You can create a graphic and post that on each of your profiles as a way to advertise to current and potential patients.
You can also build your profile up to reflect your brand and create recognition within your community.
Benefit #5: Increase your online visibility.
Social media’s primary goal is to let people connect—from your backyard to halfway around the globe. People should recognize you and your brand and know you are a trustworthy source of consistent information.
You can do a few things to boost your social media profile:
- Engage with your followers as much as possible – If they tag you in a post, mention you in a comment, or otherwise talk about your practice, respond to them. Let them know you see and hear what they have to say and are there to offer help in any way you can.
- Monitor your online reputation – When someone has a bad experience at your practice, they may go on social media to express their feelings and vent about their visit. Use this as your opportunity to resolve any conflict they have. You can tell them to call or email your office in order to fix the issues. This lets your clients, and others who view the exchange, know you value your clients’ opinions and want them to have an appointment with no mishaps every time they visit you.
- Look for your name in relevant conversations – Use the search bar on social platforms to look up conversations where your brand name, products, hashtags, slogans, or anything else that identifies your business is being used. You can reach out to the people mentioning you and start a conversation with them. Any time you have the chance to talk to one of your current or prospective clients, take it!
Challenges of social media in healthcare.
You want your clients and patients to know they can communicate with you through social media, but there are boundaries you should NEVER cross. Although social platforms can be a fun and informal way to communicate with others, you must remember that you are still a business and there are certain standards you have to maintain.
As a practitioner, avoiding the violation of any HIPAA guidelines is something you or whoever runs your social accounts should always take into account. To avoid violating these laws, your entire staff should:
- Not specifically speak of any medical condition your patients have on social media
- Not talk about any confidential information involving patient information
- Speak generally about medical conditions and treatments
Get Social!
Constructing a social media strategy and guidelines for how to run all your accounts would be a useful tool for you and your staff. Everyone will be aware of what you’re posting and if it follows the rules and regulations of your business.
Most of your patients are active on social and that means you should be too. Remain compliant, educate them with relevant information, and most importantly, make connections. You see your patients often and you want to build relationships with them so they can be one of your loyal clients for years to come.
