When thinking of social media and its uses, some people may not consider healthcare. However, social media can be powerful for healthcare when used correctly, connecting millions of people across the globe to valuable information. For that information to be beneficial, healthcare marketing teams must make certain that the content checks all the boxes of an engaging post.

Serving hospitals, private practices, and senior and home health centers nationwide, AMNY Health Marketing is experienced in creating engaging social media content and has extensive marketing capabilities to help meet a wide range of needs. Here, we explore the many benefits of utilizing social media in healthcare and offer tips on how to keep your content informative, engaging, and compliant.

Reasons for Social Media in Healthcare

The use of social media in healthcare opens the door to an array of promising opportunities. Facilities that choose to implement social media into their marketing efforts can see significant advantages, such as:

Raising Awareness About Health Concerns

If recent years have shown us anything, it’s that health concerns can take over at a moment’s notice. The global COVID-19 pandemic changed many people’s perceptions of health and wellness, with individuals taking both more seriously than ever before. Social media can be a useful tool, informing the public and raising awareness about new, emerging, and annual health concerns.

Bringing attention to health issues can take many forms, such as simple reminders to followers about common health practices or more in-depth seasonal campaigns that target the most relevant population groups.

Safeguarding Against Misinformation

One of the biggest risks of social media is the threat of misinformation. At its best, social media delivers timely and factual information to multiple groups of people. However, there are many examples of misinformation on social media, especially regarding healthcare.

Debunking misinformation can be accomplished by citing research or the latest information from a credible health source, such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO).

Answering Common Patient Questions

Factual information from healthcare institutions is vital for responding to common health questions. Social media provides the general public with a direct line to healthcare professionals, allowing authorities to answer common questions. This gives individuals greater peace of mind and can keep them from inaccurately self-diagnosing their health issues.

Social Media Tips for Healthcare Agencies

Social media in healthcare has created many beneficial avenues that were not previously accessible. While the social media revolution in healthcare has brought many benefits, it’s also rife with the potential for misuse, abuse, and privacy concerns. Below are tips on how healthcare providers can get the most out of the social media content they produce:

Post with a Purpose

The purpose of any post from a healthcare organization should be to educate. In almost all cases, your audience is looking for trustworthy information about a specific health concern. Regularly providing followers with informative content builds trust with your audience and provides a means for engaging with the public long-term.

Build an Online Community through Interaction

While the intent of social media content for healthcare is to inform the public, your goal is building a healthy online community. One way this can be accomplished is by interacting with your audience. This can mean leaving helpful responses to healthcare questions or replying with thanks to patients posting positive comments about the care they received.

Track Performance with Analytics

Even if every piece of content you create is factual and educational, you will find that certain types of posts will typically perform better than others. To measure the marketing success of each post, you’ll need social media analytics. Analytics are essential in helping you verify which types of posts receive the most engagement. They also guide you in determining what kinds of posts you should create more often to fast-track the growth of your social media accounts.

Enhance Your Social Media Presence with AMNY Health Marketing

As a healthcare institution, using social media can be challenging, but the opportunities it presents are endless. AMNY Health Marketing can help you take advantage of those opportunities by providing you with the resources and expertise necessary to enhance your social media presence.

Our team of healthcare marketing strategists understands the best techniques to create engaging and factual content that reaches a wider audience. Contact us today to learn more about the professional services we provide for healthcare organizations nationwide.