One of the challenges facing providers as they use social media for their practice is choosing content. With the sea of information available at our fingertips, choosing content that your patients will want to consume and engage with can seem like a moving target.
Engaging content is an integral part of your social media plan. There are metrics and statistics that can help guide when to post or even where to post, but if your audience does not engage with the content, then it may miss the mark.
So what healthcare content are your patients looking for?
Wellness has become increasingly important to our culture.
Compared to 2020, Google searches about wellness have increased by nearly +25% as people search online for answers and guidance to their questions. And consumers are interested in more than just physical wellness, they want content about physical, emotional, and mental wellness.
Trending content is by definition always changing. Staying up to date on what topics and conversations are trending in your field is important for creating content that interests your audience. With a busy practice, this can be difficult, but having a team of content creators can help keep your content up-to-date to help your social media content hit even a moving target.
Patient Stories: Word-of-mouth recommendations have always been the best referrals, and the best marketing. When a potential patient can see success from an actual patient, it helps build trust and confidence. Today, as social media connects us in broader contexts, those word-of-mouth recommendations occur online through patient testimonials. Potential patients want to hear from actual patients, so highlight your practice, your patients, and their successful outcomes.
Educational content is the key to engaging existing patients, and can help them recover after a procedure or illness. Posting content that answers common questions about preparing for surgery, or recovering after a procedure, can help guide your patients and their families, while offering assurance during this difficult time in their lives.
Educational content that addresses physical, mental, and emotional wellness can help your patients grow throughout their healthcare journey. Posting on trending interests will help educate your patients, while testimonials can help gain confidence and reassurance on positive outcomes. Your social media posts can hit the target when you critically think about, and post about what content will meet your patients’ needs.
Holly Breen Olds has served the healthcare industry with over 20 years of expertise in healthcare marketing for physicians, hospitals and the medical device sector across the US.
