Social media content marketing is where social media strategies meet with content strategies in order to deliver engaging posts for your followers. While it may seem easy to upload a photo and post on Instagram, there is a catch! According to Moz, in order for your post to be successful, it needs to be 10 times better than the next organization’s content to engage prospects. So, how can healthcare companies create engaging content to attract current and potential patients?

Use Conversational Tone

In the health market, there are many studies, research papers, and articles that may appeal to other doctors or surgeons but are probably too technical for the average reader. Your content shouldn’t read like a thesis, especially if your potential customers just want to figure out how to solve their personal health problems.

What is Conversational Writing?

Conversational writing aims to target the audience and address them. It breaks most of the grammatical rules. Sentences may begin with pronouns and end with verbs. They may even begin with “and,” “but,” and “yet.” The conversational tone makes an article sounds like a conversation between two people rather than a textbook caption.

Benefits of Conversational Captions

• Creates Connection – Writing in a conversational tone will make your organization feel more authentic and real. Your followers will feel like they know you in person and you will hold their attention for longer.
• More Reader Engagement – Once a personal connection is established between your healthcare organization and your followers, current and potential patients will feel more involved, which encourages them to have a discussion with you or engage with your post.
• Makes Your Post Fun – Most people would prefer having a conversation on how to change a tire that read an instruction manual. Writing conversationally can turn your boring wall of text into an engaging conversation with your followers.

Humanize Your Healthcare Organization

The healthcare industry is known for being sterile. That can be great when it comes to your waiting room and medical equipment, but it could cause your social networks to lack personality with patients and the public.

As a healthcare company and healthcare marketer, it’s important that you know how to use the various social media platforms and how your target audience interacts with posts. Share what motivates you to provide health services and inspiring stories about your medical practice. Stories and testimonials tend to resonate with visitors and make your organization look human.

Show your medical practice’s personality by posting photos and videos of your medical staff. If the nurses at your hospital dress up on Halloween to cheer up the kids on the pediatric floor, share pictures of the experience. Humanizing your healthcare organization can take some creativity, but it will go a long way in creating positive brand awareness and future patient experience.

Use Hashtags Wisely

The greatest temptation when posting on social networks or loading the end of your caption with various hashtags. Don’t add a hashtag just for the sake of having one. Hashtags are a way to build a community of like-minded people and to bring awareness to certain topics.

Make sure the hashtags you are using are relevant to your post. Creating an interesting and memorable hashtag that is unique to your healthcare organization will help you advertise specific content.

Quick #Hashtag Tips:

• Keep your hashtags concise, relevant, and conversational.
• Don’t use too many hashtags in one social post.
• Don’t use spaces or punctuation.
• #DoNotStringTooManyWordsTogether or #Tag #Every #Word.

Make Sure Your Posts Promote Engagement

“Engaging with your following is a great way to let your patients and community know that you value them. Responding to social comments and asking open-ended questions show that you are readily available to answer any questions and are interested in knowing what they are looking for in regard to social media content. You don’t want to miss the opportunity to engage with a complimentary comment that could potentially turn into a good Facebook review.”

Kelly Sanders, an Account Manager at Evok

A strong content marketing strategy is essential for successful and engaging social media marketing campaigns. Content is the cornerstone of any social post. If your captions or images are just spouting out statistics or boasting about your medical equipment it might not attract followers to stop scrolling through their feed and actually engage with your post.

Here are some content ideas that can help increase engagements on your healthcare social media profiles:

Be on Top of What’s Newsworthy

Look for and present information that is new and useful. Find ways to spotlight timely aspects of your healthcare message, product, or service. Social media has become the place to communicate breaking news, share safety or medical information during natural disasters, and post vital information during a health crisis. Make sure your social media manager jumps on these topics to show your community that you are in the loop and ready to help.

Announce 24-hour services to treat ill or injured residents if a tornado has just destroyed your community. If COVID-19 cases are still prevalent in your city, continue to encourage increase hygiene and social distancing measures. Show your community that your organization is informed and has quality information to help get through the hard times.

Mix Up Your Content

Move beyond straight text and add some flair to the way you present your content. People love sharing their opinion and winning competitions. Healthcare companies can take advantage of this by creating a survey and contest campaigns on various social channels.

Videos generate more engagement than any other content on all social platforms. In fact, tweets with videos see 10 times more engagement than those without, and LinkedIn users are 20 times more likely to share a video on the platform than any other type of post. Interview your staff and ask them what inspired them to enter the healthcare industry. Film a behind-the-scenes tour of your facilities to attract new patients.

Creating engaging content for your social media networks that resonates with the healthcare consumer involves planning and creativity. People have many questions when it comes to their health, and it’s vital that you can demonstrate your expertise through content. Need help coming up with content? We can help you curate the perfect message for your audience.