Using Social Media to Promote Your Healthcare Brand

Almost everyone has at least one social media account in 2023. In our current digital era, we interact on social media to communicate, access information, connect with businesses, learn about our health, network, and market ourselves. Healthcare brands are no different, specifically ambulatory surgery centers. For ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), leveraging the power of social media can offer a range of benefits, starting with enhanced patient communication to brand awareness or patient trust. 

If you want to show patients, physicians, nurses, and the general public that your center should be their primary choice where they will receive premium patient care, you should have a strong online and social media presence. ASCs can benefit greatly from utilizing social media to engage with patients, establish a prominent online presence, and succeed in a world that is becoming more and more interconnected. Understanding and harnessing the power of social media is crucial to achieving these goals.

Continue reading to learn more about how to build your social media presence to market your ambulatory surgery center online.

1. Define your goals for having a social media presence. 

What made you want to pursue social media for your ambulatory surgery center in the first place? There are plenty of reasons to do so, including establishing a digital footprint, being searchable on social platforms, and popping up on the first page of search engines. Whatever the reason you want to start a social presence for your business, it’s essential to thoroughly understand your why. 

With an increasing number of patients using social media as a trusted source of information, ASCs need to adapt and leverage these platforms to connect with their patients, enhance their brand, and establish themselves as reputable healthcare providers in the digital age. Understanding why you have social media for your ASC is crucial when it comes to creating the correct type of content and time investments. 

Do you want to…

• Increase brand awareness and visibility
• Enhance patient communication and education
• Build a strong digital presence through follower development
• Leveraging social media for community outreach and events
• Attract an audience that converts into patients

It makes even make sense to be multipurpose for your ASC marketing strategy. But once you have a purpose in mind, then you can create posts on social media that match your goal. For example, if you are looking to attract an audience that converts to patients, your goal should be finding quality followers over the number of your followers on each platform. If you want to increase your brand awareness and improve your digital visibility then your focus will be more attuned to growing a following and maximizing user engagement. 

2. Decide What Platforms You Will Use. 

Here are 7 popular social media sites to consider: 

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Threads
• Tik-Tok
• Twitter
• YouTube

From Facebook to Instagram, Twitter to YouTube, the options for social media platforms seem endless. Each platform offers unique features and caters to different demographics.

When investing in social media platforms you should think about the type of audience you are trying to target. Depending on your goals, you can determine what content format and platform is most effective. This can include patients, physicians, and other individuals that would engage with your content. While Linkedin offers many features optimal for recruiting healthcare professionals, other platforms offer other benefits. 

Instagram, Facebook, Treads, and TikTok are ideal for B2C; reaching potential patients where they already spend time online. When trying to reach a younger demographic such as millennials or Gen Z, Instagram and TikTok are ideal platforms. Instagram, Facebook, and Threads are all interconnected and if you decided upon one, it is always a great idea to magnify your digital presence on the others. 

3. Source Quality Photos For Your Platforms. 

Real images matter to the public especially with 127.2 million US-based users being on Instagram alone. It is safe to say that audiences prefer organic content, as opposed to stock images that generically represent the ideas of your brand rather than reality. Patients would rather receive accurate imagery that details the true imagery of your ambulatory surgery center so leads are more interested in getting involved with the practice. Quality images add credibility and trust to the content that you publish and allow the highlights of your ASC to be exemplified through imagery. 

4. Create Distinct Captions With a Consistent Brand Voice. 

Your content needs to stand out above other brands on social media, and distinctly define your brand’s voice to set it apart from competitors. The information that you share on different platforms should help provide leads with a reason to become patients while developing a clear and easy-to-identify brand. Whether you choose a friendly or professional approach, your followers will become familiar with your brand voice and feel more inclined to engage with your content.

5. Respond to Comments

Engaging with your audience is crucial to maintaining a growing platform. Brands that fail to respond to comments and communicate with their followers can lose their reputation, resulting in fewer leads. If your brand has a social media presence, staying active is essential to the success of your ASC marketing efforts. 

6. Encourage Public Conversations About Health Without Giving Direct Health Advice

Contributing to conversations about relevant health topics is an essential factor for healthcare social media accounts. However, the brand must be conscious of the information they are sharing. While newsworthy and factual content is desirable on social media, certain content can go too far. For example, healthcare brands should hold back from directly providing medical advice to patients on social media or sharing any patient information. These standards are reinforced by HIPAA regulations as well. 

How Does NewGen Marketing Utilize Social Media

At NewGen, we believe a comprehensive approach to social media is necessary for brands to see substantial results. Consistent content means almost nothing if the brand is not actively engaging with followers and working to build the platform. NewGen Marketing offers a variety of social media management tools including content creation, engagement with followers, and social media advertising services. Regardless of what your vision is for your brand, NewGen can help you build the social media platform you have been thinking about.