For some time now, social media has become a go-to way for businesses to promote what they're about and stay in constant communication with clientele.
What’s especially interesting about social media, though, is you will not always know ahead of time which type of content will gain traction, and which will merely exist on your page. While building some sort of groundswell is important, it is equally significant to simply have a social media presence.
These days, medical clinics can use various social media channels to stay in touch with current patients, as well as make an impression on those seeking a new physician. What’s more, when a practice opts to offer virtual medicine services to patients, their social media accounts are a great place to talk about such an initiative.
While there are a multitude of deep strategies medical clinics can explore to up their social media game, here we are going to focus primarily on some easy-to-implement starting points:
Select Platforms Relevant to the Clinic
When developing a social media strategy for your medical clinic, don’t go too overboard when deciding on which platforms to use. Instead, realistically look at the platforms available and determine which ones could be best used to interact with patients.
Sometimes, this can be determined based on the age and characteristics of your patients. In other situations, such a decision can be based on which platform(s) those who work at the clinic are most comfortable with.
Yes, there is Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, Pinterest, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc. All have their benefits and all have their challenges. For best results, focus really hard on a few. This will make it easier to build-out your online following.
Advertise Your Social Media Presence
If your clinic has social media accounts, you need to promote them to patients. Of course, some will just so happen to find you, but that’s not a winning approach.
On your clinic’s website and/or email blasts, share links to your social accounts. Additionally, when you begin offering online doctor’s appointments, tell patients that matters related to telemedicine are being explored on your social media accounts.
Offer Helpful and Interactive Content
Since not all patients will immediately grasp how a virtual medicine appointment works, your social media accounts should offer helpful, interactive content about it.
For instance, one post could offer a step-by-step explanation on how to log on for a live video chat online with the doctor. Another could explain how telemedicine solutions like Banty Virtual Clinic keep patient information private and secure. For patients who love this type of technology, you could do mini social spotlights on how certain video call features work.
Really, the possibilities are endless. When the proper content is shared, though, you’ll not just be expanding the clinic’s brand, but also building the confidence patients have in the virtual medicine services you offer.
Be Responsive
After you create mesmerizing online medicine-related content for your socials, there is a strong possibility patients will engage with the post by asking questions or leaving comments. You need to be responsive to such activity.
Acknowledging a patient’s social media participation is huge. When a patient asks about how to book a video conference with their doctor – in response to a virtual medicine-themed post – this question needs to be answered. Otherwise, the patient could feel slighted and no longer feel good about the telehealth services being offered at your clinic.
People like to be heard, yes, but they also like to have conversations about matters important to them.
Maintain Your Accounts
To keep patients engaged about the practice’s virtual medicine endeavours, it’s imperative to keep your social accounts active and maintained. Try to post something at least once a day, or train patients to expect new content on a certain schedule – like Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
On a housekeeping level, always ensure all important practice details (i.e., contact information, hours, and telemedicine services being offered) are always up to date.
When someone is looking to find a ‘virtual doctor appointment near me,’ make sure your clinic is ready to serve them in this capacity. Tap here to learn more about Banty Virtual Clinic and all of its offerings.
