In this era, no matter who you talk to, you will find that they are using some social media. Be it baby boomers, millennial, or your local milkman, social media has become an integral component of our day to day life. According to Oberlo, it is estimated that there are 3.5 billion social media users across the globe, where the number is increasing exponentially on day to day basis.
Currently, Facebook remains to be the social media behemoth with almost 2.32 billion active users at any instance. At this point, there is no other social media platform that can match Facebook's number. At present WhatsApp is said to have 2 billion active user, whereas Twitter has almost 330 million active users. Therefore, this makes a lucrative platform for doctors to make use of in order to reach patients.
Today, there are a variety of ways through which medical professionals can use social media to bolster their business, stay in contact with patients and generate awareness. Once you understand the benefits of this dynamic platform, you are likely to understand the need for a strong social media presence.
1. Educating Patients
Social media is an important tool that is being readily used to educate the general public and patients. There are a variety of ways to educate people through this medium. For instance, you can publish new research regarding your area of expertise.
Similarly, you can also record your Facebook Live or YouTube videos and share them with your audience/followers on social media. The core aspect is to improve the quality of life of patients and individuals at large, where the information you shared plays an important role.
You can also use to share snippets on platforms like Twitter to put your message across in a concise manner. Considering the character limit, you will write something that communicates effectively using hashtags to penetrate deeper into your intended audience.
2. Improved Customer Service
Today, your patients expect you to be on social media where almost 67% use it to fulfil their customer service related needs. If your competitor is assisting patients online, you would not want to risk losing potential customers. While it is understandable that you may not have enough time to answer all questions or deal with patient queries, but deploying a designated officer to handle these concerns on social media can give you an edge over your competitors.
Instead of spending a fortune on answering services that you may use, hire a nurse or a healthcare expert who can take live chats in real time. They can immediately help patients by letting them know if they are required to go to the ER or if the issue is minor, they can wait for their next scheduled visit. Further, this officer needs to be trained to schedule appointments on the go.
3. Minimizing the Need For In Person Appointments
Today, technology is evolving at a rampant pace, where apps are enabling people to have instant access to resources via live video where patients can directly connect with their healthcare expert. Today, some insurance companies are also covering such appointment costs. This technology is also appreciated by doctors as it saves time and the expenses incurred in commute.
Such a setup is ideal for mental health clinics, where the expert can meet with their patient via live chat. Similarly, research indicates that such application can reduce anxiety and depression with people struggling with such issues.
4. Scheduling
While you must have noticed that nothing is more infuriating for patients than an overcrowded doctor's office. For instance, one day you wake up feeling down or running a high grade fever, you pick up the phone to schedule an appointment, only to find yourself waiting on call. This can ultimately also result in you losing potential patients.
The main issue is that at a doctor's clinic, the receptionist is taking the calls for appointment. He/she is also required to greet patients as they arrive, take out files and perform other tasks. This can get very overwhelming for a person to handle.
You can invest in technologies that enable patients to schedule their appointments online. This way, you system will be intuitive and you will be a step ahead of others. There are a variety of software that you can choose from according to your individual requirement.
5. Increase loyalty
By having a staunch online social media presence, you can increase your brand engagement and loyalty. According to a recent study, brands that engage on social media regularly have better customer loyalty ratios.
Further, during a regular clinic visit, the doctor might be in a hurry and may not have the opportunity to engage with patients the way they'd like. Social media enables them to reach out to them and share their thoughts with their followers. Moreover, it also gives them the opportunity to keep up with life events such as birthdays, marriages, etc. by focusing on creating a dialogue that social media allows makes it easier to connect with the patient. You need to understand that a patient will not go to any other doctor in the vicinity if they are getting a holistic experience.
Here are just a few ways through which social media can radically improve your business. There are other ways through which you can use social media such as targeted marketing. If you are dedicated and are committed to working consistently, you social media presence will grow. By using an inexpensive marketing platform, your overall costs will also go down significantly.