Medical Marketing Tips for Social Media

Expert's Tips for Marketing your Medical Practice on Social Media

Social media users have recently passed the 3.8 billion mark. - with more than half of the population expected to use social media by the middle of 2020. Quite simply, social media is the new word-of-mouth - and no where is this more relevant than for medical practices. 

But marketing your medical or aesthetic practice on social media requires a very specific strategy.   At Medical Marketing Whiz, we specialize in social media marketing for doctors.  Here are some tips for building a strong foundation for your medical office's social media presence to - to increase revenue from current patients, as well as attract new patients to your office:

Who Uses Social Media?

Women post four times as much on Facebook and Instagram as men.  For aesthetic practices, as well as OBGYNs, this means that your target audience is extremely active on these social media platforms.  At the very least, you need to have a Facebook business page for your practice - as well as an Instagram page, if possible.

Benefits of Social Media Business Pages for Medical Practices

Remember your Facebook and other social media pages for your medical practice are different from your personal profile pages.  A business page on social media enables you to post educational content, videos, health tips and information about your office. Business pages also enable you to restrict unwanted comments or content on your page. And, business pages also offer the advantage of having a "review" feature. 

Social Media is also where patients can get to know your medical practice "behind the scenes" - to understand your brand, your array of services, and your areas of expertise.  This is especially important when your patients on Facebook recommend you.  

A Facebook (or other social media) business page should be consistent with your branding and your website - listing all the services you offer, and posting regular content to engage your patients and grow your following.   The mix of content should include both educational and personal posts - and not focus exclusively on selling or posting specials! Social media is not about SELLING. 

Social media gives your followers a peek inside of your medical practice so they get to know you and what you specialize in and the results they can expect from your office.   The general rule of thumb fro social media posts is:  80% valuable/educational/personal content; and only 20% or less on promotion or specials.

Posting daily to your page will help to increase interaction and drive more traffic to your medical practice's Facebook page.  Do you want an easy way to create fun, personal posts? Download our free social media selfie signs and watch your engagement soar!  

Steps to start your Medical Practice's Social Media pages

Medical Practice Facebook

1. Create a business page for your medical practice.  Use a good panoramic photo, usually of your staff or office space.
2. Invite your friends to follow your page and ask your staff to do the same.  You need to click the Invite Friends to Like the Page and select friends in your area.  Each staff member should be expected to follow the page and participate in the success of your social media, which includes promoting the page and participating in the behind the scenes posts.  If you need a social media policy for your staff, here is a resource for you!
3. Post on a regular basis, ideally at least once a day.  More importantly, encourage your patients to comment and engage with your page.  
4. Make it someone’s job (or hire a marketing agency) - not the doctor or your college age kid - to check Facebook and respond to any posts.  This person should also be responsible for consistently coming up with new, engaging content.  Post personal photos, health tips, before/after photos, and an office tour video. Try out our social media selfie signs for an easy way to get instant engagement!
5. Try some promotions or contests to get people to like your page.  
6. Learn some Social Media 101 with this training

Medical Practice Instagram

Facebook actually owns Instagram, but it’s a good idea to be on both. Instagram is the social media platform where your medical practice will find the millennial market and their growing buying power.   

Instagram is a social media platform that was designed specifically to share photos. It is ideal for showcasing photos of your practice, your staff, procedures, and videos.  People are fascinated by watching medical professional perform procedures - from plastic surgery to cosmetic injections to laser treatments. Another extremely popular type of Instagram photo is the "before and after". These engage patients and excite them to consider new treatments so they can attain similarly spectacular  results.

Again, be sure to claim your business name on Instagram and be sure your page is a business page, not a personal page.  

Building your Baseline Audience on Social Media

When you first start your social media pages for your medical practice, your audience will not be very large.  We recommend running a "Like" campaign ad to get a baseline audience for your pages. Otherwise, you’ll invest time in social media posting to an audience that’s too small to get you results.  

Social media paid ads are highly targeted and another inexpensive way to reach your ideal patients and clients.  You can run these ads simultaneously on Facebook and Instagram using the Ads Manager. The advantage to paid social media ads (rather than free posts) is that the ads reach people who are not already your followers. So it is a great way to acquire new patients.

Facebook & Instagram ADS are highly targeted and very inexpensive - much more effective than traditional advertising such as magazines or newspapers. For example, to grow a medical spa's target audience, you can run an ad for only $20-$50 that targets: women aged 35+; who live within 25 miles of your office; and, like spa services & wellness; and have a household income over $100,000 per year.  

Social Media Marketing Experts for Medical Practices

If you' would like us to take a look at your social media and provide some recommendations on how to increase revenue and attract new, high quality patients, schedule a call with one of our experts at Medical Marketing Whiz or call 888-418-8065.  

Medical Social Media Marketing Experts: 888-418-8065