Are you reaching the 60 percent of patients who prefer doctors on social media?
Social Media For Medical Clinics Overview
Social media for medical clinics is essential because it allows them to reach their target audience, connect with them, and provide information that results in a trustworthy reputation for their clinics.
Social media refers to communication platforms, which people can access using their mobile devices and computers. People use online platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and many others to gather and share information. While the original purpose was catching up with old friends and staying connected to friends and family, social media has evolved into an entertaining way to deliver information to potential patients and achieve your business goals.
Here are some statistics related to how your potential patients are using social media:
- Almost 30 percent of patients who read about their disease on social media also check other people’s experiences. (PWC)
- Over 30 percent of social media users in the United States share their friends’ and families’ experiences regarding health on social media. (PWC)
- Over 40 percent of social media users report using social media to read patient reviews. (PWC)
How Can a Medical Practice Social Media Marketing Plan Help Your Practice Grow?
#1. Connection and engagement lead to patients’ trust in the clinic and the provider
Social media marketing plans help practices grow because clinics have a straight line of communication on the platform. They can initiate a stronger connection to the patients and become more engaged in managing patients’ health. The connection between patients and their doctor increases the patients’ trust in the doctor because they feel like they matter.
#2. Instant feedback regarding the office visit and provider
When provided the chance to leave a review on social media sites like Facebook, patients often choose to review their clinic, doctor, and most recent office visit.
Then, the clinic can use the review to respond and resolve issues. Bad reviews can create training opportunities for staff.
On the other hand, good reviews are like a miniature ad for your practice, which stays visible indefinitely. Good reviews benefit your practice by indicating your expertise and an exceptional level of care- which is what your potential patients want.
#3. The law of reciprocity motivates patients to visit your practice
The law of reciprocity states people will reciprocate when someone gives them something. When you post valuable, relevant content on social media, you initiate the buyer journey- the journey from not knowing what they need to choosing a provider and making an appointment.
#4. Attract your target market
Social media can attract your target market to your clinic.
#5. Build an online reputation
Brand awareness is one benefit healthcare social media marketing provides to doctors and clinics.
#6. Convert social media followers to patients
It takes around seven content interactions with a business before the social media user makes an appointment.
#7. You can use social data for essential business functions
Some businesses choose to use social media as a social business, which means you complete your core operations within a social media platform. For example, you might use social media for customer service, service improvement, and data analytics.
“Social media offers advantages over traditional data sources, including real-time data availability, ease of access, and reduced cost. Social media allows us to ask, and answer, questions we never thought possible.”
Our Results-Driven Social Media Management Service Includes:
Competitor Analysis
In our competitor analysis, we’ll research and monitor your competitors for their weaknesses and strengths. Then, we’ll compare them to yours and use the data to design and update your social media marketing plan.
Organic Social Media Campaigns
We’ll create an organic social media campaign for you, which consists of using posts and other social media tools to communicate with your followers- without ads.
Paid Social Media Campaigns
We’ll add some ads to your social media marketing campaign to boost the power of your organic campaign.
Campaign Tracking
We’ll analyze data from your social media accounts to determine the efficiency of the campaign. Then, we’ll use that analysis to make any necessary changes to boost your campaign’s power.
Building and Managing Social Reputation
Our social media marketing experts will help you build an online reputation that signals authority, trust, and expertise to your target audience. Then, we’ll use social listening tools to ensure your social reputation is exceptional.
Website Integration
A seamless experience from social media to your website and vice versa creates an excellent user experience. Users want to click a link and have no hassle moving from one platform to the next. We’ll ensure your followers and patients have that flow from platform to platform.
Social Media Advertising
Social media ads are essential because some people see ads as a sign of trustworthiness on social media. For example, half of Instagram users are more captivated with a brand when the brand runs ads on Instagram.
FAQs
Clinics and potential patients use social media for:
- Finding physicians
- Researching medical conditions
- Joining communities with people who have the same health concerns
- Advertising
- Patient reviews
- Links to medical websites
- Building a social reputation
- Customer service
- Service improvement
- Data analytics
Doctors should use social media because:
- Practitioners who are active on social media often attract patients considering getting a second opinion.
- Doctors and patients are more connected when on social media, and the connection allows the patient to ask any questions they might not have thought of during their appointment.
- Social media followers trust those they follow.
- Social media allows doctors to deliver content regarding illnesses and injuries, which helps patients understand their conditions.
- When clinics have a page devoted to a specific illness, it creates a community where patients can go and share their stories- which is beneficial for patients’ mental health.
Of the millions of people who use social media regularly, 80 percent are searching for health information. (PewResearch)
Over 12,000 hospitals participate in social media. (PWC)
65 percent of doctors use social media for their practice. (PMC)
Yes, because they can enhance their online presence and build brand awareness, attracting new patients.
Almost 55 percent of doctors in the US use Facebook. (CDW)
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