More and more healthcare providers are finding social media marketing to be a versatile way to connect with their patients. Perhaps the idea of patient interaction via the social network excites you. Or are you hesitant? Do you wonder how best to approach the topic of personal health via the unknown of the Internet? Here are some tips for marketing smart with your new social media campaign that will keep your patients coming back for more.

As a physician, your top priority is to serve the community, so it is best to enter the world of social media with the intent to solve problems and offer solutions. One of the main benefits of social media is that it allows the patient to develop a personal connection with your practice. They learn to see you and your staff not as a faceless information entity or a gatekeeper of charts and prescription pads, but as people with emotions and opinions and a desire to assist however they can. Keep this in mind. Every Tweet or blog topic or Facebook post should be in consideration of the patient. Give them a reason to keep listening to you.

Social media can be a successful healthcare marketing tool when used correctly. This includes keeping the information you post fresh and dynamic and consistently updated. If your pages remain static, then your customer base will eventually lose interest, and your efforts will be wasted. In the same token, do not fall into the trap of auto-responding to patient comments or posting generic messages. Have you ever had a company put you on hold, only to hear the automated message of “Your call is important to us.” Does that sort of trite message truly make anyone feel important? Social media is a beautiful thing because it gives you the opportunity to go beyond the generic and make every patient feel like he or she is an individual.

You may know that it is common on certain social media sites to see status updates such as “I am drinking a cup of coffee” or “I am going to work now.” Very rarely does this sort of chatter bear any point or significance, and it is best to avoid it. Tweets and status updates have little value unless they contain information that is useful to the audience. Which would you prefer? A status update posted at 6:00 PM on Thursday which says, “We are closed now,” or one which says, “Dr. James’ office will be closed on Friday in honor of Veteran’s Day.”

At MindStream Creative, we understand that launching a social media campaign takes time and dedication. Keeping content fresh and original is important, but it can also be overwhelming. There is a vast amount information available to your patients on the internet, and if you want to give them the best of the best, you have to understand what it is they are searching for. If you do not have time to write blog posts or answer Facebook comments on a regular basis, allow MindStream to help you develop the creative tools you’ll need to make your social media campaign successful!