Social media is one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience. It allows you to showcase your expertise, build relationships, attract new patients, and help them to make informed decisions.
However, running a clinic requires work, so it is easy to let social media slip to the bottom of the pile. Here, Steven Bartlett, a Social Media expert from CCF Media, explores why building a successful social media strategy is important and how it will work for your clinic.
Why Social Media Matters
The internet is full of mid-leading information, but did you know, over 40% of consumers say that they rely on social media to make decisions about their healthcare?
As the experts in your field, your social media should provide correct, up-to-date information to help potential patients make informed, and safe decisions.
Done correctly, social media is a very powerful tool. It helps build trust with your target audience, demonstrate your expertise, and thought leadership, showcase your facilities and achievements and ultimately enhance your clinics reputation.
Your social media doesn’t need to be ground-breaking, all you need to do is be clear about your goals, establish how social media can help, and keep on top of it.
Align your Goals
Start by asking yourself ‘what are my business goals for this year?’ Establishing your goals will help you define your social strategy and show you how much time and energy you will need to dedicate to your campaigns.
Be realistic. If your goal is to increase brand awareness, try to avoid publishing too many promotional messages, instead focus on showcasing your values and personality.
If your goal is to grow your audience, focus on finding new ways to introduce your clinic. Have a pulse on relevant conversations and engage.
Choose the Right Platform
Remember, not all social media channels will work for your facility and there is no point trying to maintain a presence on a platform that isn’t contributing to your end goal.
Understand the types of content shared across each platform, pay close attention to what platforms your target audience are most likely to engage with, and what platforms your competitors are using to promote their services.
Check your Profile
This step is very important. The information on your profile is what your patients will see first. They need to know who you are, what type of clinic you are, the services you offer, and your location.
Make sure you implement a clear call to action, so patients know the best way to reach out to you.
Take advantage of cover photos to showcase your facility. Whilst your profile picture should your logo, you could be a little more creative with your cover photo. Why not try a cover video that shows your clinic, or services?
Make sure any text in your photography is visible, and you are using high-resolution images throughout.
Know your Audience
This links back to choosing the right platform, but try to understand your audience. Think about what their habits might look like, the type of content they engage with, and even the time of day they are most likely to consume content.
Understanding your audience will help you determine the type of content you post, how frequently you post, and even your tone of voice.
Content is key
It’s sometimes easy to fall into the trap of posting every day, just because you planned to or feel like you must. In truth, you should focus on quality, not quantity.
Whilst consistency will help to grow your audience, there is a fine line between sharing, and overdoing. If you post too much, you risk your audience becoming bored, if you post too little your audience may just forget you. Aim to post around three times per week, but ensure your content is quality.
Try to provide useful, and shareable content that aims to inspire and educate your audience. If your audience feels like they learn something from your content, they are much more likely to follow and share your content, which is crucial for the algorithm.
Try to mix up your content a bit to keep it fresh. Try to use a mixture of still photography, videos, reels, lives, and infographics. Don’t be afraid to promote new content in your stories, this is another way to reach your target audience, and get them to pay attention.
Remember, your content is what keeps your audience engaged, and it allows you to showcase the different elements of your clinic.
Don’t be afraid of Hashtags
Hashtags are there to help users filter content and find exactly what they are looking for. Research relevant and popular hashtags for your clinic and add them to your posts. Again, this helps build brand exposure and helps you to join in with relevant conversations.
Be careful though, try not to use too many hashtags, and make sure they are quality ones that directly relate to your clinic and services. You could also try experimenting with geotags to pinpoint your location.
Keep your Tone uniform
Try to make sure your content is uniform, and you are using the same tone of voice throughout. Try to be informative, yet don’t be afraid to let your clinic’s personality shine through.
If you have a specific colour used throughout your clinic, reflect that by using it within your posts. Not only does this help to keep your content looking clean, but it also helps your audience to identify you.
Stay Engaged
This part can be tricky when you are juggling a lot of plates, but it is important to engage with your audience.
Pay close attention to post comments and direct messages and respond to them as soon as possible ensuring you are answering questions and providing useful information. This helps to build your reputation and instil trust. It also helps potential patients get to know you.
If you spot any conversations happening on other pages where your clinic could help to add value, don’t be afraid to comment and share your opinion. This helps your clinic to stay visible and get build your brand exposure which in turn may help you generate more leads.
Social media is one of the best ways to keep in touch with your patients and attract new ones. But it is important to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day, it takes time to build a successful strategy and start seeing the benefits. Set small, manageable goals, be consistent, and don’t be afraid to get creative.