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In our digital world, social media is not just a platform for social connections. It has become the modern-day equivalent of word-of-mouth advertising. Studies show that a staggering 74% of people turn to social media when they're comparing their options before making a purchase decision. That's a huge opportunity for businesses!
Utilizing social media platforms for business growth is not just about having a presence anymore; it's about using that presence effectively through a concrete digital marketing strategy. When done right, social media can be a game-changer for healthcare brands, driving engagement, building loyalty, and ultimately, attracting more patients.
In this blog post, we'll share a comprehensive guide to building the most effective social media marketing solutions to grow your healthcare business. Let's get started!
Why Social Media Marketing Matters for Healthcare Businesses
1. Build Brand Reputation
Healthcare social media marketing allows direct, transparent communication with local, situational, or interest-based communities. This engagement helps manage your brand reputation, positioning your organization as a reliable source of healthcare services and information.
2. Fight Against Panic During Crises or Emergencies
During health crises, misinformation can spread quickly online. Having an active social media presence is crucial for sharing important information, addressing community concerns, and coordinating relief efforts.
3. Attract Top Talent
The American Hospital Association reports that by 2026, the healthcare industry could face a shortage of up to 3.2 million workers. With this ongoing staffing shortage, active and engaging social media profiles can attract top candidates by showcasing your organization's values, culture, and opportunities.
Mirra’s Medicare Advantage in a Box solution offers comprehensive social media marketing services for healthcare businesses. We focus on utilizing data and predictive analytics to optimize every consumer touchpoint in healthcare social media marketing. We customize consumer journeys with precision analytics and compelling digital storytelling, creating holistic brand-building initiatives for healthcare disruptors. We take care of everything from content creation, graphic design, video creation to performance marketing.
How to Grow Your Healthcare Business with Social Media Marketing
1. Use the Right Tool
Healthcare businesses thrive on customer service, and knowing your audience is the key to success. This is where healthcare businesses can utilize social listening methods and analytical tools.
Social listening tools help monitor conversations across various platforms, giving insights into what patients are saying about their experiences, trends in healthcare, and competitor activities. Consider the following factors while choosing the tools:
- Are you looking for social listening tools to monitor patient feedback and industry trends or do you need analytical tools to measure the effectiveness of your healthcare social media marketing campaigns? Understand your requirements to select a tool that aligns with your objectives.
- Look for functionalities such as social listening, scheduling posts, analytics, team collaboration, and integration with other platforms.
- Consider factors like ease of use, scalability, and pricing. Choose intuitive and user-friendly tools that your team can easily navigate.
Tools like Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Brandwatch are preferred by marketers to track mentions, select keywords, and conduct sentiment analysis.
For research and performance analytics, healthcare organizations can use Google Analytics, Buffer, or Socialbakers to get insights into engagement metrics, audience demographics, and content performance. These tools can help organizations understand which content resonates most with their audience and refine their strategies further.
2. Inform and Educate Users
According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), around 56% to 79% of users in the United States rely on online channels to get health information. During the COVID-19 pandemic, social media was used by health organizations, governments, and individuals to share real-time updates and disseminate valuable information. Similarly, healthcare brands can utilize social media marketing solutions to answer common patient inquiries and provide reliable medical information to become a trustworthy source of information.
The following are some relevant and engaging content that healthcare businesses can use:
- Incorporate preventive health news, recommendations, and research
- Address common myths and misconceptions
- Raise awareness for early diagnosis and treatment
- Share inspiring stories highlighting the positive impact of healthcare interventions
- Destigmatize sensitive topics to create a more accepting and supportive environment
In addition, marketers must keep the following pointers in mind while disseminating information in social media content:
- Use simple, clear language to make your message easily understandable and relatable. Visual elements like images, videos, and infographics can enhance your content’s appeal.
- Experiment with posting timing and publish content when your audience is most active. It will help in maximizing visibility and engagement.
- Establish a regular posting schedule to prepare a calendar to maintain consistency.
- Choose the right platforms based on where your audience spends most of their time. For instance, LinkedIn is great for B2B content, while Instagram and TikTok are better for visually driven content aimed at younger audiences.
3. Adapt User-generated Content
Using user-generated content (UGC) for social media platforms is an effective healthcare digital marketing strategy to humanize your brand and boost its credibility. People trust the recommendations of others, whether it's from their friends, family, or online community. So, having user-generated content that endorses your healthcare business is a great opportunity to build trust.
Encourage patients to share their reviews and ratings on social platforms and your business website. You can also consider partnering with a patient to create user-generated content that serves as a testimonial.
4. Create a Dedicated Community
Building a dedicated community page on social media platforms like Instagram or Facebook is one of the most effective healthcare social media marketing strategies. This type of community creates a sense of belonging for the patients.
By targeting specific geographic areas, healthcare businesses can address health concerns, post relevant updates about wellness programs, and share success stories. It also provides a platform for patients to ask questions, share experiences, and receive support from both peers and professionals.
This interaction not only builds a supportive network but also positions the healthcare business as a trusted and compassionate authority.
5. Develop Branded Social Media Campaigns
Brand campaigns help healthcare businesses increase brand awareness and create a positive brand perception. Develop a concept that aligns with your brand identity, values, and visions, and appeals to your target market.
There are two types of healthcare social media marketing campaigns that marketers can choose from. Organic campaigns are great for building long-term relationships and trust with the audience. However, these campaigns may not always deliver immediate results. In that case, marketers usually use paid campaigns.
To maximize the benefits of both organic and paid healthcare social media marketing campaigns, determine the goals and understand the target audience first. Use high-quality visuals and content to get the best results. Also, regularly check campaign performance and refine your strategies continuously based on data and feedback.
At Mirra Health Care, we have a 360-degree brand-building framework for healthcare businesses. We develop social media marketing strategies that create compelling brand identity and assets to position your business as a unique entity in the market.
6. Implement Influencer Marketing Strategies
In the medical field, influencers mainly include healthcare experts and physicians with a large number of followings on social media. When reputable healthcare providers support an organization, product, or campaign, it gains authentic recognition and legitimacy that is hard to achieve through other channels.
However, with the power of influencers comes the responsibility to maintain trust. Healthcare professionals must carefully evaluate the goals and potential outcomes of any healthcare social media marketing campaign before partnering with influencers.
HIPAA Compliance and Social Media
The most crucial aspect of utilizing social media marketing solutions for healthcare businesses is ensuring patient confidentiality. Businesses should be cautious when sharing patient content to avoid revealing sensitive information or violating HIPAA regulations.
Here are some basic guidelines for HIPAA compliance on social media:
- You can engage with clients on social media but be careful about sharing health information through direct messages.
- Sharing patient stories or photos requires written consent from the patient.
- Avoid posting sensitive or identifying information publicly to prevent legal issues.
The Bottom Line
A study by Sparkreport has revealed that 41% of people say that social media influences their choice of a specific doctor, hospital, or medical facility. Therefore, it is high time to consult a marketer or a reputed TPA to build a powerful healthcare social media strategy for business growth.
Mirra Health Care offers holistic brand-building services for healthcare businesses. Our expertise lies in customizing consumer journeys through precision analytics and compelling digital storytelling. We offer brand-centric solutions to guarantee consistency and authenticity across all touchpoints of social media marketing. From research, content strategy, and creation to video production and motion graphics, we provide end-to-end solutions for healthcare digital marketing. Contact us today to grow your business with powerful social media marketing solutions.
