I want to review a good article I just found called Social Media for Healthcare: How to Keep Patients Engaged. It is always good to scan the web and see what others are doing. Why reinvent the wheel, right?
To answer the question posed in the headline, I think you do need social media for your DPC practice. As the article I found states:
The applications of social media for healthcare are endless. It’s a new patient acquisition tool, a brand management tool and a public awareness tool all rolled into one.
Is that true for DPC?
- Patient acquisition tool – check
- Brand management tool – check
- Public awareness tool – check
Social media gives you a chance to educate the public about DPC, about health topics, about the problems with the healthcare system, and so much more. It’s marketing without marketing.
You also become “the trusted expert” on health topics which gives you more credibility. It’s also a way for prospective patients to see a face and relate to you before joining.
Here are some highlighted points from the article that you can dig deeper into by clicking the link above:
Social media for healthcare marketing best practices
1. Publish educational content to keep patients in the loop
2. Use inspirational content to motivate followers
3. Post infographics for increased engagement
4. Harness the power of health-related hashtags
5. Take your audience behind-the-scenes
6. Publish patient shout-outs to spread positivity
I do not know many DPC practices that ignore the benefits of social media. I am sure they exist but I believe it’s a huge opportunity missed. It takes a little effort but you now have the time to do it.