Traditional Marketing Talks at People. Content marketing talks with them. - Doug Kessler
So you have set up your Facebook Page, checked what AHPRA says you can and can't do marketing your health business in the digital era. Time to get active on social media but where do you start and what do you post.
To help you, we've listed five content ideas that will help you take your first steps on the road to content and social media marketing success.
1. Treatments
Treatments and procedures are among the most frequent topics that internet users search for. You may write an article yourself (see next point) but there's nothing wrong with posting other professionals' content and offer your own insights alongside. Just be aware that under the AHPRA guidelines you are responsible for what you publish even if someone else wrote it.
Tip: whenever you come across an article that you may want to repost on your social media profiles, copy the link and ad it to a "swipe file" this way you build up an inventory of content you can repost whenever you are short on content ideas.
2. Articles written by you
One of the values of content marketing is that is a great way for you to build your profile and position yourself as a subject matter expert. An easy way to get started with this is to answer some questions you get asked often. Keep in mind who you are writing for. Your content is targeted at a prospective patient not a peer, so keep your tone approachable, friendly yet professional.
3. Health News Items
Breakthrough research or drugs newly registerd by the TGA can all be interesting and valuable content to share with your existing and prospective patients. It shows you are up to date with your industry and gives patients confidence that you keep on top of what is new in your industry.
4. Photos
Photos are content too and offer a great way to mix things up and give your followers a view inside your practice. Post photo's of your team, your premises, reception area and even new equipment you have in your practice. Just be careful about patient privacy and stay clear of including patient's photos.
5. Community News
For a local practice this is a great way to build engagement. You may want to raise some awareness for local causes or charity events that you support or sponsor.
6. BONUS TIP- Video
This list would not be complete without a mention of video content. Some practitioners are reticent to feature in their own video but the benefits are real. Research shows that 51% of marketing professionals worldwide name video as the type of content with the highest ROI.
Videos receive excellent engagement. Consider recording and posting short clips (2 minutes max) explaining a procedure or particular treatment method. Your prospective patient gets and idea of the type of professional you which is a great way to build trust.
In conclusion...
Getting started is the hard part, so pick one of these ideas that appeals the most to you and build on it from there. An effective healthcare marketing strategy uses a combination of content types. Planning content is key so consider creating a content calendar and scheduling your content out in advance rather than leaving it up to the last minute.
