Social Media & Your Practice
Having a Facebook, Twitter and even an Instagram account are now practically essential for having a successful practice. But at the time each of these came out, the idea of a health care practice using them to interact with their patients was ludicrous. The same goes for the new it social media platform. The digital landscape is constantly changing. Why not try to get in on the ground floor?
Below are our top reasons why you should consider being an early adopter of social media.
Improves relationships with patients.
In order to connect with your patients, you need to be where they are, especially in digital spaces, where most patients look first to find a medical provider. With social media, you have increased chances of gathering feedback from patients and responding to that feedback in a public way. This helps establish a trusting relationship with your patients.
Outreach to various audiences.
Different audiences use different social media platforms. You may hit a large Generation X population on Facebook, the Millennials on Instagram and next you’ll be targeting Generation Z patient populations on the next big platform.
Increased web traffic.
When you post on each social media account, your audience can easily click a link and head straight to your website for more information. More visits translates to better organic rankings on the major search engines.
Promote brand awareness.
Each post of yours that is liked and shared is seen not only by your patients/followers, but also by each of that follower’s friends. This is a great way to be seen continually by your audience as well as reaching out to a greater audience.
Track your competitors.
By following your competition on social media, you stay up-to-speed on services they offer and their branding. Stay ahead of the curve by keeping an eye out for when your competition steps up their game.
Some of the biggest companies you know, like Starbucks and GoPro joined in on new social media platforms in their infancy, now have significantly more followers than their competition who joined later. For example, Starbucks has 11 million followers on Twitter, which is over three times as many as Dunkin’ Donuts or McDonalds.
How do you leverage social media to reach your patients? Share in the comments below.