6 Dos and Don’ts of Healthcare Social Media Marketing [Summary]

2016-01-14 04:00:44 | radiantmarketing | small business marketing

It can be challenging to navigate the social media waters in the healthcare industry. Despite its challenges, businesses in healthcare have the opportunity to stand out among the rest and communicate with patients to impact their bottom line using social media.

Keep your healthcare social media marketing strategy in check with these 6 Dos and Don’ts:

Do Start Slowly

As tempting as it is to jump right into building your presence on various social media sites, take it slow. Effectively managing social media can take a lot of time. Be sure you have a plan in place and know how you want to best participate.

Don’t Be Afraid to Observe

Don’t hesitate to click around and check out how other healthcare organizations are establishing their presence through social media. Take notes on things that seem to be working and consider how you can apply these ideas or strategies to your practice’s needs.

Do Show Personality

You want your patients to know you and like you. Although maintaining a level of professionalism is always important, that doesn’t mean you can’t show some personality online! Having a personality that patients and prospects can relate to will help to establish trust and loyalty.

Don’t Shy Away From Negative Feedback

Some of the most important words to learn in social media are “I’m Sorry” and “Thank You”. Saying you’re sorry isn’t an admission of guilt, but instead empathizing with someone who has had a negative experience in some way. Thank the person for the negative post, tell them you are sorry they had a negative experience, then take your conversation offline. Don’t let your emotions guide your response, and ALWAYS follow up—ignoring a negative post is like hanging up a phone on someone. Showing you can clearly communicate in a timely manner and addressing the negative comment will only turn things into a positive for your practice.

Do Engage With Your Patients and Followers

Another way to build trust and loyalty with your patients and potential patients is by engaging with them. Sounds simple enough but a lot of businesses fall short here. If someone posts on any of your social media platforms, respond and interact! Research shows that most consumers expect a same-day response. The more engagement you are able to bring to your social media presence the better.

Do Listen

Listen to your patients and audience—what keywords are your target audience using? What are they interested in? What common questions do they have? Listening will provide you with valuable information for your social media content and your audience.

Now it’s time for you to amp up your social media marketing efforts!