Ready to incorporate social media into your marketing? A few tips:
- Don’t start what you can’t finish. Too many businesses (not just healthcare) jump into social media, initially investing great amounts of energy and resources, and then once they realize the ongoing commitment of time and energy required, they fizzle out. If you are going to do social media, ensure you have someone within your organization who is accountable and committed to making it work for you, long-term.
- Invite participation. Just because you build it does not mean they will come. Find ways within your practice to let your patients know about your social media presence and encourage them to engage. Sure, you can invite them to join you by e-mail (assuming you are asking for and collecting e-mail addresses), but also post signs/flyers in your waiting and patient exam rooms letting folks know about your site(s). And empower your staff to let patients know, especially at check-in or check-out.
- Don’t be a loudspeaker. If you only use social media to push out your message, you are missing the whole power of this tool. Those engaged in “following” you will quickly become turned off. Yes, you can give updates and share news (having a blog and posting links to new posts is a great way to feed your followers), but also be sure to ask questions and start conversation. Ask your followers what they think. Find out what they feel, want and value about you. Get them talking about you. And be sure to listen and deliver the information they want (and yes, there are ways to do this without crossing the line of providing medical advice online). That is the power.