How Doctors Can User Social Media to Communicate with Patients

My love of the movie “The Social Network” is what allows me to say, with conviction, that in February of 2004 when Mark Zuckerberg founded Facebook, he did not predict the degree to which it would become a stomping ground for companies and entrepreneurs. But that’s exactly what it has become. In fact, as of March 4^th, Facebook hit 15 million business pages!

 With this massive shift towards social media oriented marketing the next logical step is to  have clinics and practices putting themselves out there as well.

But why?             

Well first of all, having a Facebook page allows doctors to keep old and new patients up to date with the office and staff acquisitions. This keeps the practice in the public eye and establishes an online reputation. Thus the practice stays current for old patients and attractive for potential patients.

Secondly a Facebook page allows the promotion of a practice or clinic. Having contact information readily available is never a bad thing. All things being equal, if someone is choosing between your practice and another and the other has a glossy Facebook page with 5 different means of contacting them, that other practice will win out 99% of the time.

Finally, because the practice can use Facebook as a platform to demonstrate knowledge through daily posts about health tips or recent medical developments. Once the practice establishes a strong online presence the possibilities are endless. Patients could be given the ability to approach the practice with health issues in a quick and informal manner on Facebook. The cursory assessment given by the doctor could lead to even more business and thus be a huge selling point for the practice.

The possibilities are endless with a Facebook page. Though some might view Facebook as a tool of the younger generation, it’s simply not true. 65% of Facebook users are 35 or older. It is essential to tap into the online market. It is the twenty-first century and progress is a necessity.

If you are interested in setting up a company Facebook page but are having trouble, feel free to contact me at jack@pagepenguin.com for assistance!

Comments are closed.