Your Medical Practice Can Benefit From a Strong Social Media Presence
Most doctors and medical practices maintain an online presence. Many have yet to expand this presence onto social media. Whether due to ongoing time constraints or lack of familiarity with social media’s power in the overall scope of online marketing; doctors and practices that neglect social media are missing out on a powerful online marketing tool. Not only does social media reach a market of more than two billion active monthly users, interaction with social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and LinkedIn represents the top overall usage activity on the Internet.
No matter what your medical specialty, social media integration with your online marketing efforts can provide the following benefits:
- Increase brand, or name, awareness and trust
- Introduce you to new patients
- Spur referrals from existing patients
- Bolster patient loyalty and enhance patient retention
- Promote better health practices
- Boost your website’s SEO and site traffic
- Serve as a review portal
- Enhance interaction with patients
- Educate patients and potential patients
- Connect with other medical professionals
Social Media Presence Enhances Patient Outreach, Interaction
The primary consideration to take away from the above list of potential benefits is how it can enhance your outreach and interaction with patients. For the most part, medical professionals see their patients as needed, whether for specific medical services or an annual checkup. When not needed, most patients tend to treat their medical professionals with an out-of-sight-out-of-mind focus. A social media presence can help eliminate that narrowed focus and make the medical professional a more integral part of their patient’s lives.
Consider that anything you post on social media is likely to receive more views than a blog you might post on your medical practice’s website. What you post can have an impact on your existing patients and on potential patients. Your existing patients will likely appreciate seeing social media postings that inform them that you’ve added new services to your practice, that you have expanded office hours, or anything else relevant to their existing relationship with you.
Your existing patients might also like to read about interesting medical developments within your area of expertise or practice. If you are a general practitioner, for example, providing updates about expectations for an upcoming flu season, the vaccine to combat it, and when and where it will be available, would likely be helpful. Or, if you are an oncologist, providing information about a promising new cancer drug. Such postings can enhance your professional status with existing patients and attract the attention of potential patients by positioning you as a thought leader.
Social Media Can Differentiate Your Practice from the Competition’s
Along with positioning you or your practice as a thought leader, social media provides great outreach/marketing platforms with which to differentiate yourself from the competition. If you or your practice is offering something new to the medical field, or something previously not available in your area, then social media represents a great avenue for spreading the word about it. And just by using social media you are differentiating yourself from those medical practitioners who have not yet adopted the tool as part of their online marketing efforts.
Tailor Social Media Activity According to Your Specific Needs
Social media also represents a highly versatile online marketing tool. Not only does each platform offer varied outreach tools and methodologies, but you can pick and choose how you want to adopt them. For example, if you know that your orthodontic practice offers some of the best work in your area, include a review section on Facebook. Or, if you’re especially proud of some of your work as a plastic surgeon, then post pictures of your work on Instagram. Each platform has various tools for outreach, some of which will undoubtedly serve you and your practice well.
Moxxi Marketing is well practiced in integrating social media as a key component of online marketing efforts, and can handle all aspects of building a social media presence for your medical practice. Whether building your social media pages, creating effective social media links to your website, posting images and content, or boosting your followers, Moxxi Marketing has the tools and experience to help your medical practice achieve measurable benefits from social media marketing. Contact us today at 239.228.8837.