The social media industry has grown dramatically in recent years. Take, for example, Facebook. The network has only 5 million users in 2005. It already has more than 800 million users, and the number continues to rise.
Although the hospitality and retail industries were early to see social media’s promise, the healthcare industry took longer to react. However, for healthcare insurance organizations and businesses, things began to shift gradually.
Table of Contents
What Role Does Social Media Play in Healthcare?
Healthcare providers are increasingly incorporating social media into their marketing plan as a result of rising customer expectations and more competition. Not only can adopting social media increase engagement, but it also aids healthcare organizations in strengthening their ties with their patients.
Time constraints and a lack of resources can make it difficult for healthcare personnel to maintain contact with their patients. Setting up social media profiles might assist them in responding to customer inquiries promptly.
Social Media Marketing’s Advantages in Healthcare
Let’s take a look at some of the advantages of healthcare social media marketing before we get into how it can help your organization.
The following are some of the advantages of using social media:
Marketing initiatives that work
Increased online visibility
Increased traffic
Figures and Facts
Nearly 42% of clients check health-related consumer reviews on social media and social platforms.
They can connect with a healthcare facility using social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. If someone were seeking the best local neurosurgeon, they would choose someone with a good amount of online reviews.
After having a favorable social media experience, 71% of social media users recommend a brand to a family member or friend.
Some people are hesitant to trust online reviews. They are, however, more likely to pay heed to reviews posted on social media by relatives and friends. As a result, establishing a respectable social media presence can be critical in attracting new patients to a healthcare facility.
24 percent of patients look at other patients’ health-related photographs.
It’s typical for people to look at ‘before’ and ‘after’ images of other patients on the internet. Success tales from healthcare institutions substantially affect a patient’s decision-making process, whether it’s for weight reduction surgery or any other aesthetic procedure. You boost the possibilities of converting traffic by posting testimonials or stories from your most successful examples.
90% of social media users believe that videos can help them make better decisions.
Every social media strategy today incorporates video marketing. That’s because videos make it easier to communicate your point. Hospitals and medical institutions can show off their cutting-edge equipment. The goal is to use video to share a human factor. Even before hiring your services, the audience begins to trust your knowledge after listening to a doctor explain a procedure or introduce their staff members.
The Most Effective Social Media Marketing Strategies for Healthcare Organizations
Doctors and medical practitioners are using social media to promote their services, whether it’s Google, Facebook, YouTube, or LinkedIn.
Let’s take a look at some key social media strategies for the healthcare industry:
Examine your Prospective Clientele
Every social networking platform has its own set of users. Users on Facebook and Twitter have distinct interests and demographics than those on Instagram. As a result, you’ll need to create a distinct campaign for each channel.
That can only happen if you figure out which social media platform is best for your target market. One of the most popular channels for healthcare marketing is Facebook. Increasing your Facebook social media following is a terrific strategy to boost engagement and brand visibility. You may utilize the potential of social media by hiring full-time social media gurus or outsourcing your social media strategy.
Answer Patient Inquiries
Social media is used by healthcare facilities to respond to patient complaints and concerns. Many hospitals and medical clinics create a campaign to engage visitors by allowing them to pose questions via Facebook Live, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms. A hospital can establish its authority and trust online by responding to questions.
Provide health-related information
Providing suggestions and executing live medical procedures on social media is a great approach to providing your audience with relevant information. Medical procedures, photos, YouTube videos, and infographics can all be used by hospitals and healthcare facilities to disseminate this information. Pinterest, for example, is a popular image-sharing website where you can create a following. Using platforms like Yahoo and Quora to connect with your audience builds a successful communication channel.
You may also increase your search engine rating by offering relevant content to your users. You may use Google+ to construct online communities where patients and doctors can interact through Hangout sessions.
Create social media campaigns with your company’s logo.
Healthcare brands frequently use hashtag campaigns and online contests to engage visitors. A healthcare group, for example, could hold a quiz on a health topic or give away something. The key to building buzz and attracting people is to include your brand name in a hashtag.
For example, to give your brand a voice, you can create a hashtag campaign like #Ask[Name] or [name]Says. On Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, hashtags are quite useful. If you’re a newcomer to the healthcare business, you can start a campaign based on the most popular themes on Twitter. Remember to include a supporting photograph. This strategy is used by several health insurance firms and hospitals to raise brand recognition.
Campaigns for Reputation Management
Healthcare organizations can use social media marketing to spread the positive word about their company. You may use social media channels to develop a database of client feedback and visitor suggestions. Medical insurance firms, medical practitioners, and hospitals can all use social media to post client reviews.
Online promotion of awareness campaigns and CSR initiatives is also possible. Remember to include well-known local figures or influencers who can help promote a cause or a campaign. As a result, healthcare firms may increase brand awareness both online and offline.
Developing Patient Loyalty
It’s not only about getting new leads when it comes to social media marketing. It also aids in the maintenance of existing employee relationships and the development of patient loyalty. Your satisfied consumers will spread the word about you, increasing your customer base.
Opportunities to educate the public on care policies and practices can be incorporated into social media marketing efforts. Healthcare institutions may connect patients and the general public by posting accurate and relevant content online in the form of films, infographics, and medical procedures.
Conclusion
Healthcare companies can benefit from increased visibility and interaction through efficient social media marketing. The goal is to create targeted campaigns that are tailored to your target group. If you want to take your health care organization to the next level with social media marketing, follow our approach.
