How Social Media Campaigns Can Make Patients “Like” You
Believe it or not, social media is becoming as important to healthcare as finding a good insurance provider. Social media can help doctors gain news patients, strengthen relationships with current ones, and help to create brand ambassadors who will promote your practice through testimonials and referrals.
According to the PwC Health Research Institute, 90 percent of adults between 18-24 years of age say that they would trust medical advice shared by others in their social networks. So, what does this mean? It means it’s time to boost patient loyalty to your practice by making the most of social media campaigns.
Social media offers an opportunity to tell your patients that you care, you’re listening, and you want to be more involved in their lives and their health. Here are six different ways that social media can make your patients ‘Like’ you:
6. Make it easy to connect with your practice.
Ensuring that all of your social icons are clearly visible on all of your digital communications, especially your website, is a great way to make it very easy for potential patients or established ones to like or follow your practice. Think of this as a kind of invitation for them to connect with you and to learn more about you practice.
5. Encourage conversation.
Give your social audience several ways to chime in and be heard across your social media platforms. For example, you could ask them to comment on a blog or like a Facebook post if they want more information on that specific topic. You can also encourage your followers to share the post with others if they find the message useful. It’s also a great idea to end your social posts with a friendly suggestion to comment and tell you what they think to get the conversation started.
Cross-platform links are also a great way to keep the conversation moving. After mentioning your practice’s latest blog post on your Instagram feed, make sure you also share it on Facebook and Twitter. This way, you can get the most out of the interaction and potentially gain new patients.
4. Ask questions.
Asking good, thoughtful questions can offer insight into how you can better assist your audience while also providing valuable information at the same time. It’s best to keep the questions open-ended, positive, and relevant to your practice.
Looking to get feedback on your new scheduling system or a new medication? You can help to ensure a positive tone by asking for those glass-half-full answers with questions like, ‘What worked?’ or ‘How did this save you time?’ Like they say, ask and you shall receive!
3. Increase trust by answering questions.
Don’t be surprised when your social audience starts asking you questions. If anything, you’ll want them to ask about what’s on their mind. Just ensure you are answering and addressing each question as it enters your social platforms. Even if you may not have the answer to a specific question, simply weighing in on the conversation will show both the person asking the question as well as your audience that you’re paying attention.
Keep a lookout for questions that might be tweeted out through the healthcare community, as well. While these inquiries might not be specifically aimed at you, they will expand your visibility and help you to gain more recognition as an expert in the field.
2. Check in on your social accounts on a regular basis.
You’ll want to always ensure that someone in your practice is reading all the comments on your social accounts and responding to the interactions, especially if you find that you don’t have the time yourself.
You can even establish a specific social monitoring stream such as HootSuite to watch what your audience is saying about you, your industry, and your competitors. This can give you a lot of insight into what exactly your target audience is thinking and feeling. You can also use this information to think of new post ideas to engage with your audience.
1. Show off your personality.
You may hear this a lot when getting started on social media, and it’s no joke. People are coming to your social platforms to hear from you, so naturally they want to see you and your personality. Don’t just stop at an office tour or a meet the staff video; take this one step further by offering stories and photos of daily life at your practice on your social accounts, as well.
For example, you can showcase photos of your staff on their birthdays or show off new equipment or office improvements. In doing this, you will create a more human element to your brand, which your audience can ultimately form more meaningful connections with.
Social media is a great way to connect with patients new and old and build lasting relationships with them while also growing your brand. Are you ready to take the leap into the social media world? Creative8 Agency can help! Contact us today for a free consultation.
