If you’re in healthcare marketing, you already know patients are finding and trusting through web searches and on social media sites like TikTok and Reddit—but you might not realize doctors are jumping in, too.
According to one survey by JAMA, more than 70% of physicians and surgeons surveyed had professional social media profiles, while two-thirds say they’ve used social for professional purposes, whether that’s patient or group communication, networking, or research.
That’s why it’s so important for those in the medical field, as well as institutional users like hospitals and health systems, to have a robust social media presence.
Whether you’re building a social media strategy for a doctor or a hospital, here are three great places to start. And don't miss our free, complete guide to building your specialty healthcare marketing strategy.
1. Choose the Right Platforms
First, you’ll need to decide which platforms make the most sense for your goals and target audiences, and how your resources compare. We’ve been recommending for years that our clients pick the 2-3 platforms that they feel reflect their brand, rather than trying to reach the seven major social platforms out there today (per Gary Vee: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube Shorts.)
Each platform favors a specific type of content, and reaches different demographics. Make sure you are focusing your strategy on reaching your target patients.
Learn more: 5 Tips on Creating Social Media Engagement
- Facebook – This platform is considered a must-have for marketing, outreach, responding to inquiries from new patients, and responding to patient feedback (to the extent that HIPAA guidelines permit).
- YouTube – This video platform is the world’s second-most popular search engine and a great tool for educating patients and establishing your practice as a thought leader.
- Instagram – Instagram is a platform for compelling images—it’s great for “putting a face” to a business brand like a clinic or hospital system. Medical providers just starting their social media program can quickly increase their presence without increasing workload by simultaneously posting to both Facebook and Instagram.
- X – Formerly known as Twitter, X is a conversational platform for connecting with patients and other medical professionals. It’s also the best place to participate in health policy debates on a public stage, although the tone and tenor of conversations on the platform have intensified in recent years.
- LinkedIn – Connecting with other medical professionals on LinkedIn is a great recruitment strategy. It’s also where you can establish yourself and your practice as industry thought leaders. LinkedIn has a particularly high value if your medical practice relies on referrals.
Learn More: 5 Popular Social Media Platforms and the Companies Using Them
2. Focus on Education
Medical providers are leveraging social media to educate and control the conversations around medical information. That often means combatting misinformation.
Recent studies find that 25% of people have used social media to “self-diagnose” a condition. Sometimes that diagnosis is useful and leads to a much-needed follow-up—but oftentimes it leads to an emotional spiral where a search for “earache” ends in concern over a life-threatening condition.
As a medical provider, you have the power to give people accurate information on your social platforms. This extends your ability to care for patients’ well-being and mental health outside the hours of your practice. You just have to be aware of the regulations that you must follow.
3. Understand Privacy and Regulations
The biggest hurdle in using social media in the medical field is protecting individuals’ privacy and following both organizational and legal regulations. You must always protect personal health information (PHI), and avoid using photos of patients (even in the background) without their express written consent. Failure to use care could result in regulatory fines and penalties and litigation.
HIPAA, a federal law enacted in 1996, exists to protect patient privacy, and contains a number of different regulations and definitions healthcare marketing teams need to know, including:
- Who is covered under HIPAA
- The use and disclosure of PHI
- Patients’ rights to access and amend their PHI
- Patient privacy notification requirements
- Administrative requirements related to patient privacy
Before you unleash your marketing teams to create viral content:
- Establish guidelines around your voice, topics, and branding – many healthcare systems have security, safety, and non-endorsement standards for their digital communications.
- Get your legal team’s approval, if you have one, to protect your team from borderline posts or unintentional errors
- Get familiar with HIPAA’s various rules and requirements
Establishing a social media presence for your medical practice is a must, but you have to do it the right way. If you need a guide through healthcare’s social landscape, our expert team is ready to help. Reach out today!
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