Healthcare social media marketing is changing the game in the medical industry. From a patient perspective social media has enhanced the way people view healthcare. A recent study by Evariant found that 57% of patients make decisions on whether to receive medical treatment based on the social media of a healthcare provider. To say these numbers are staggering is an understatement.

Perhaps an even more surprising statistic shows that only 1 in 4 hospitals use social media as part of their marketing strategy. From these polls we can come to two main conclusions; first, maintaining an active social media presence is essential to your healthcare organization, and second, investing in social media channels will give you a major leg up against the competition.

At the heart of any healthcare social media marketing strategy is the belief that your efforts should establish trust with patients. Education and inspiration for individuals to examine careers in the medical profession are also byproducts of a sound healthcare digital strategy. To help you in your digital marketing journey here are a few do’s and don’ts:

Do work to advance public health through social media

Many healthcare organizations use social media to relay public service announcements and fight misinformation. The World Health Organization does a terrific job of sharing research, safety advice, and promoting infographics through social media. The example below examines some of the harmful effects of smoking. Their Twitter feed is filled with #NoTobacco links, polls, and other interactive content to take advantage of No Tobacco Day.

Don’t violate privacy laws

Any legitimate medical organization is well aware that privacy is one of the most important aspects for patients in the industry. The government has passed HIPAA laws to protect patient confidentiality and promote trust with doctors. Healthcare social media marketing can use patient stories and interviews to great effect. If a patient is about to go through a specific treatment, hearing about successes from another patient who went through the same treatment can be very powerful. However, make sure you have proper consent in writing from those patients before disclosing anything. Otherwise you can find yourself in a lot of trouble.

Do make your expectations clear to your fans and social media managers

Social media can be a powerful asset to your healthcare organization. But that comes with a need for increased responsibility. Goals and guidelines can be easily lost in translation, especially through non-personal communication (ever misunderstand tone in an email?). So make sure everyone on your team is on the same page. When it comes to HIPAA, this has never been more important. One person making a mistake will stain your organization. Restrict admin privileges on your website and social media for authorized users only. Your head doctor may love Twitter and uses it all the time. And that’s great. But if he/she is not a spokesperson for your organization then they don’t need access to your Twitter profile. The last thing you need is something going out incorrectly.

Employees need training sessions on HIPAA and organizational goals. This should NOT primarily be in the form of a training manual, although the use of a manual is good to reinforce policy. But you need to have face-to-face communication (yes, even if it’s over skype) to make sure nothing gets lost.

Now here’s the tricky part. Employees are not the only people who need to be aware of HIPAA. If you allow commenting on your site then you need commenters to be aware of HIPAA practices. Social media comments need to be monitored too and violations or inappropriate material must be removed quickly. Sunnybrook Hospital published a social media commenting policy that can be a good template for your organization.

Don’t be boring by only using one form of content in your healthcare social media marketing

Are all of your social media posts a link to your website? Are you only sharing press releases or industry news? Don’t be boring. Social media is supposed to be fun and informative. You have to connect with your audience. Make sure to spice things up with videos, patient success stories (when given the proper permissions, of course), infographics, images, and other types of media. This is essential to building engagement.

The Mayo Clinic does a great job of using different types of content on their Facebook Page:

Do share news and articles related to a variety of healthcare subjects

Use social media to share all sorts of content related to healthcare. Unless you’re a niche medical company, it’s a good idea to offer a variety of topics. This is great for SEO and it will cast a wider net as people search for specific content. Feel free to share medical breakthroughs, new technologies, industry news, and important research.

Main Line Health does an excellent job of sharing wellness news relevant to their patients. They feature information about their particular practices as well as industry news. They also keep it light with fun posts on their Facebook page meant to increase engagement. Check out this post about a great recipe for an alternative to a sugar rich latte:

Main Line also posted about increasing awareness concerning workplace assaults in health care. They posted this video to recognize Hospitals Against Violence Day:

Don’t give medical advice

This gets back to earlier points regarding HIPAA. The Internet is NOT the place to give medical advice. Patients deserve privacy. Even if they ask for medical advice on social media, do not give in. Kindly suggest they make an appointment or delete their post. Do not fall into this trap. This may seem like a no-brainer but it happens all the time.

Even if a patient sends a private message, do not be tempted to respond with medical advice. Make sure your contact information for your organization is easily found. Also consider a disclaimer on social media sites that no medical diagnosis or treatment will be discussed online.

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If you’d like more information, make sure to download our e-book: Facebook Ads For Healthcare Professionals.

Inside you’ll find guidance on where to begin if you’re just starting out and examples of quality healthcare ads that you can use as a template for your own advertising campaigns. There are step-by-step directions on how to create the perfect healthcare ad in Facebook and tips on creating audiences proven to be effective – and more!