Whether you love scrolling endlessly through your feed or you find social media a chore, when it comes to your business, social media matters. Social media for doctors operates a bit differently from other industries. Today we are going to analyze how doctors can take advantage of social media and show you which platforms you need to be on.
Social Media for Doctors: Why It Matters
Although search engine optimization, or SEO, should be your top priority, don’t forget about social media. More and more businesses market exclusively through social media these days. This, in turn, has driven many people to use social media as a source of information when looking for local businesses.
Due to social media’s growing influence, you could find yourself on the outside looking in if your practice does not leverage these platforms. Having a great website with excellent content is now only a part of the equation. Fortunately, social media allows you to greatly expand your visibility and show a different side of your practice.
The 5 Social Media Platforms Every Doctor Should Know
Your social media strategy does not have to include every platform, but there are five you should be familiar with. Even then, some of these may be optional depending on the type of practice you run. Crystal Clear Digital Marketing has experience working with all of these platforms and many more. These are just some of our tips to help you use social media to your advantage, and we can help you choose the right platforms for your practice.
Everyone knows about Facebook, and it’s a must for your business. Business pages on Facebook make a great place for clients to leave reviews. It can also be a valuable communication tool. Social media for doctors starts with a Facebook page.
Who Needs It?
Everyone should have a Facebook account for their business. A personal account is optional, although you likely have one already. Having a Facebook page increases your visibility as Google will return this page as a search result in addition to your regular website.
These days, the average age of a Facebook user is 40. If you work with younger patients, realize that their parents are probably using Facebook to find out more about your business. If you work with adults, then it’s very likely that they have done some reconnaissance through Facebook.
How to Use It
You don’t need to have excessively frequent posts on Facebook for your page to be useful. Encourage patients to leave reviews on the platform and thank them personally when they do. You can also use it as a communications tool, since Facebook Messenger is the most common messaging app in the United States.
Make sure your business page has high quality, up-to-date photos of your offices. Verify that all the business information, such as your phone number or address, is accurate. From there, consider making weekly posts. This shows your page is alive and well.
Now that Instagram is owned by Facebook, some people think it’s not necessary to use it. However, more people are shifting their social media activity to Instagram. As it is primarily designed for sharing images and videos, you will need to make frequent posts to leverage Instagram’s potential.
Who Needs It?
Like Facebook, every practice should have an Instagram account. However, it becomes especially important if you do any sort of cosmetic surgery or treatment. If Facebook is the professional front of your business, consider Instagram as the more playful interior.
How to Use It
Ideally, you should have someone at the front desk in charge of social media posting. Get them to take pictures of the goings-on at your practice. Remember that you should have a client’s permission to use their images on your accounts. Add the necessary text to any contractual agreements.
Encourage clients to post on their own accounts while featuring you and your business. If you can get before and after images, by all means, do so. Few things will have a greater impact on potential clients than proof of your fine work.
Twitter is best thought of as a messaging app for the world with a few extra features. While you can send an image or a video, that’s not the primary purpose. The idea is fast communication through text to massive audiences. When it comes to social media for doctors, Twitter is a valuable tool that can quickly solve problems.
Who Needs It?
Once again, we recommend every practice employ Twitter to increase its outreach. Fortunately, Twitter is the easiest platform to manage, requiring very little input compared to others. Its main application is communication.
How to Use It
Twitter works well for sending out information and status updates. For instance, you could tweet a change to your office hours due to some unforeseen circumstances. If there’s a sale on a product or a discount on a service, Twitter is a great way to get that information out to your customers. It also helps to give customers a channel to talk to you.
Communicating to Your Followers
It is much easier to simply tweet your temporary schedule change than to update your business hours on other platforms only to have to change them back again. Crystal Clear can show you how to best apply each platform to fit your specific needs.
You can also share articles related to your services or reviews from other sites about a treatment itself. Be careful not to flood your followers with useless information. Always try to keep posts punctual, but aim for a once-a-day message.
From Your Clients to You
Another valuable application of Twitter is that it lets your clients reach out to you instantly. The downside is that this is public. Unlike a private message through Facebook, a tweet will be visible to everyone.
You can take advantage of this transparency, however. If a client has a problem, your swift response on Twitter will be seen by everyone. They will see how well you handled the situation and trust you more.
TikTok
The newest and fastest-growing social media platform, TikTok, has captured millions of users in mere months. What started as an app to sing along to your favorite songs has evolved into something much more nebulous. In particular, it is very popular with teens and young adults.
TikTok’s platform uses video exclusively. Most people make their videos using their phones, edit them, and then add graphics or text call-outs. These videos typically last for less than a minute.
Who Needs It?
Unlike the other big three platforms, TikTok is not a necessity. However, it could be a great opportunity for doctors who work with younger patients. For instance, an orthodontist who spends most of his days with teens in braces could benefit greatly from a TikTok presence.
How to Use It
TikTok is relatively new, so capitalizing on it is still something of a mystery. While you can promote your business, most users are interested in the individual, not the company. Watch videos, explore the platform, and be aware of what’s trending. Sprinkle in some comments about your favorite TikToks to your young clients and watch their eyes grow in amazement.
From there, if you get adventurous, you could start making some videos. In nearly every field, there is a professional who was not in the core TikTok demographic but who has managed to win that demographic over by being sincere and humorous.
Nextdoor
The Nextdoor app is a hyper-local social media application. You can only see posts from people who are in your immediate geographic area. You set your phone number and address, and the app limits your visibility and outreach accordingly.
While this might seem counterintuitive, it is actually a brilliant strategy for local SEO. Most of your clients are going to come from your immediate area, so why not appeal directly to them? Social media for doctors doesn’t always have to be about mass appeal.
Who Needs It?
Every small practice should be on Nextdoor, though large practices with bigger marketing budgets might be able to skip this one. People using Nextdoor are specifically looking to support their local community, and if you’re the big practice in the neighborhood, there may be some resistance to your posts on this platform.
How to Use It
Simply create a page for your services and upload a few pictures. Nextdoor allows people to leave reviews of one another: both the provider and the client exchange opinions. Be sure to leave feedback for every interaction that comes from the app.
Bear in mind that these are people who live near you. Always be courteous and respectful on Nextdoor. You should be on every platform, but where a Tweet can sometimes get away with being a little edgy or controversial, that doesn’t fly on Nextdoor.
Improve Your Social Media Presence
If you want to learn more about how to use social media for doctors, contact Crystal Clear Digital Marketing today. We have a team of experts who specialize in using these tools in the healthcare industry. We can improve your presence and show you how to build strong networks on social media.
