If you’re an MD or dentist, you have undoubtedly seen many articles discussing when and how medical practices can utilize social media websites. Social media methods include the likes of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogging, Google plus and many more, including the ever more popular Pinterest and Instagram. I am sure you have wondered if you even half to use these sites to enhance communication with your patients or even gain the attentions of new ones.

Social media pages and websites are now the most powerful tool in the online world. They have an astounding potential of disseminating information, messages, videos and pictures at the speed of light. The information that has the potential to go viral could be anything a new healing method to extreme before and after images. These posts may be vital information or it may not. They could simply catch the attention of a group that is interested in your topic.

The categories of information that is being disseminated daily on many social media sites include

Social media management requires a lot of time and dedication; after all, the main aim of setting up a social profile is to make sure it is interactive and engaging. Social Media can be kept engaging by publishing things that are captivating and can draw attention from the target audience.

A list of engaging items that could be posted includes pictures, videos, blog links and articles. Patients are also interested in participating in surveys and interactive posts such as photo contests.

Social media pages may be about

Social Media and Medical Practices

According to recent reports released by leading researchers, it was observed that at least 35% of the American population uses the Internet for diagnosis or for better understanding of their health. What seems amazing is that 77% employ the use of top search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing to seek information concerning health. “In a 2011 survey, 23% of US adult Internet users with chronic medical conditions (e.g., hypertension, diabetes mellitus, or cancer) had gone online to find others with the same medical conditions compared with 15% of users without a chronic condition.”

41% of people said social media affects their choice of healthcare provider and 94% of prospective patients say reputation of a facility is important in provider selection.

Since then, there have been many symposiums that are evaluating effective implementation strategies that will benefit the many medical practices that have recently claimed their profiles on social media websites. If the larger percentages of people in America (77%) search for health information online, it would be easy to conclude that medical practices that strive to increase their social media presence and search engine visibility will come out on top. Creating a presence before the category of medical is well established in the social ecosystem will give the front-runners the advantage.

The Strategy

Ultimately, being visible on search engines is more important than social media. However, they both work hand in hand. Medical content/articles can be used to drive targeted audience on social media to your medical practice website/blog. This is very effective in ranking your medical practice website higher on search engines and at the same time, there would be an increase in social media followers. Since people want efficient and reliable health information, physicians can post health info to their social sites quickly and effectively. With this, they (physicians) improver their online reputations, increase their patient/fan base, and promote their medical practice to a new audience.

Having a medical practice on social media is all about building a kind of affectionate trust that enhances the relationships of physicians with their patients. There is virtually no type of social media that will not be effective for building online physician/patient bonds. However, before setting up a medical practice social media account, the following questions should be answered

Who is my target audiences/patients?

What do I intend to gain/accomplish through social media?

How do I make my content gainful and interesting enough that my patients would be on the lookout for my posts?

Tips to maintaining an efficient and effective social media site

Create and Optimize All of your social profiles

Try to keep it friendly, interesting and natural

Maintain friendly communication with your patients

Make your medical practices’ social media a referral page

Make public announcements regarding local health concerns

Create special promotions and events

Run good advertising and social media marketing campaigns

Research some social media marketing suggestions related to Medical

Link your social profiles to a well designed web page

Attach blog features and publish proper SEO medical content that is written by a qualified medical writer

Connect your social media i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Google plus, LinkedIn and others

Join health care related niches where posting and sharing of links is allowed

Share your health information on all your connected and functioning social media sites

You are busy practicing medicine and all of this may seem as bit overwhelming. However, engaging a professional social marketing company that focuses on medical and dental practices will ensure that your social assets will be managed and properly protected in the competitive online arena. All to often this very important area of marketing is left to the front desk personnel or the office manager with less than ideal results. Postings become irregular, content are inconsistent, and valuable opportunities to engage with your audience are missed. This can be avoided by contracting with a professional social media manager.

Cherie Munchez is the CEO of Clever Maniacs, a digital agency that focuses on the branding and marketing of behavior health, medical and dental practices.