The benefits of using social media in healthcare<\/a> are tangible: 57% of people<\/strong><\/a> say a hospital\u2019s social media presence \u201cstrongly influences\u201d their choice of where to access healthcare<\/strong>, and 81% associate a strong social presence with having cutting-edge technology.<\/p>\n But it can be complex to navigate compliance with laws and regulations in your region on top of producing high quality content.<\/p>\n Keep reading to learn why using social media in healthcare marketing is worth the work and get tips to succeed with your strategy in 2024.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Bonus:<\/strong> Download a free social media toolkit for healthcare professionals<\/strong><\/span> with post ideas, templates, and more. Save time and get inspired!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Healthcare organizations aren\u2019t usually what most people associate with brands, like remembering a Coca-Cola commercial from their childhood. But brand recognition and perception is even more important for healthcare organizations because a provider-patient relationship centers around trust<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Posts demonstrating your values go a long way toward building trust with both prospective patients and employees, like this Reel from St. Jude\u2019s:<\/p>\n For public health bodies like health authorities or government offices, social media is a powerful tool to reach the majority of your region\u2019s population relatively inexpensively.<\/p>\n For those in the B2B health space, social media is both a way to promote your products to healthcare organizations and help contribute to public health literacy with educational content.<\/p>\n Besides sharing your own news, social media keeps you informed about what your competitors and industry as a whole are up to.<\/p>\n With a social listening tool like Hootsuite<\/a>, you can search for keywords across billions of online sources in seconds. More than search results, Hootsuite Listening shows you relevant conversations in context, including measuring positive vs. negative brand sentiment and the most popular content for your keywords.<\/p>\n For even more powerful features, our upgraded listening tracks historic brand sentiment over time, identifies top influencers in your industry, expanded audience demographics, and much more. Interested in a free demo? Book one now<\/a>.<\/p>\n Knowing what your audience wants is half the battle of creating content. Use social media to find out what your audience wants to learn more about, and any potential misinformation you can clear up.<\/p>\n A lot of this can happen directly on your social profiles:<\/p>\n Hootsuite Inbox<\/a> makes it easy to see and respond to comments across social networks in one place, and manage them in a streamlined way with your team.<\/p>\n Social listening can also identify key public health concerns and sentiments about current outbreaks or health events. Studies have found analyzing social media posts provides a comparable level of accuracy<\/a> as national health surveys, which usually take a lot of time to put together. Hootsuite Listening<\/a> makes getting unlimited, accurate insights 24\/7 easy by simultaneously searching billions of online sources at once.<\/p>\n By searching for this information, you can develop content that answers people\u2019s questions and serves as an educational resource, in addition to building your brand.<\/p>\n Being active on social media helps boost your engagement and, as a result, grow your profiles. Comments from your audience should be welcomed (and replied to!), although there may be a concern of people posting inaccurate information you don\u2019t want to be associated with.<\/p>\n Hootsuite Listening can help here, too. It helps find posts to comment on to forge new relationships, while also scanning comments on your own content to filter spam and problematic content.<\/p>\n Ochsner Health<\/a> successfully used social listening<\/a> to combat misinformation and build their brand awareness, resulting in a 129% increase in engagement<\/a> and 5% website traffic boost from social media.<\/p>\n We\u2019ve always tried to stay on top of comments, but the process was manual. Talkwalker by Hootsuite<\/a> automates this, crawling through social platforms to spot issues. We have far more robust processes in place for funneling potential risks through the organization.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Amber Welch, Assistant Vice President, Digital Content and Creative Media, Ochsner Health<\/em><\/p>\n Attracting the top medical professionals to work for you helps shape the future of your organization. Additionally, in areas with healthcare labor shortages, social media can help you advertise, recruit, and retain employees in competitive markets.<\/p>\n The main ways to support hiring with social media are to:<\/p>\n Plus, of course, the brand-building effect of regularly posting on social media that will keep you top of mind when people are looking to switch jobs or enter the healthcare field after graduating.<\/p>\n Source: NHS Health Careers<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Last, but most definitely not least. As mentioned earlier, over half of consumers are influenced by social media on where to access healthcare. In a survey, 12.5% of healthcare organizations<\/a> said they\u2019ve directly attracted new patients from social media.<\/p>\n In our recent survey, 63% of healthcare social media managers<\/a> say keeping up with regulations makes their job tougher. You\u2019ll need to check which federal and regional laws apply to your organization, as well as any social media rules your profession\u2019s licensing authority requires.<\/p>\n Below, we\u2019ve summed up the general regulations that apply to most healthcare organizations, but it\u2019s always wise to consult your legal team with any questions.<\/p>\n HIPAA is the most important regulation to be aware of for U.S.-based healthcare organizations on social media. HIPAA is a federal law regulating the collection and privacy of personal health information.<\/p>\n Essentially, HIPAA means you can only use and disclose patient information during normal healthcare operations, like treating a patient. \u201cPatient information\u201d includes anything that can personally identify someone, from their name, birthday, or account number to things like their web IP address or license plate \u2014 18 total identifiers<\/a> are covered under HIPAA.<\/p>\n In addition to keeping patient information confidential, HIPAA also requires healthcare organizations to use specific security measures, such as each employee having their own login account and storing records securely.<\/p>\n HIPAA was first signed into law in 1996<\/a>, pre-dating the modern social media age, though it is updated at least every few years to keep pace with technology and security best practices.<\/p>\n For more information on HIPAA, see the U.S. government\u2019s official website<\/a> and HIPAA news and updates<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of note, several U.S. states have passed their own privacy laws that are stricter than HIPAA, including the California Consumer Privacy Act<\/a> and the Colorado Consumer Privacy Act<\/a>. They do exclude some types of healthcare organizations but you will need to verify whether or not they apply to you.<\/p>\n The FDA regulates data privacy and safety of medication, food, and many other health or beauty products. The federal organization also oversees human safety during clinical trials<\/a>, requires financial disclosures<\/a> in research, and regulates radiation-emitting devices<\/a>, which includes everything from MRI machines to microwaves.<\/p>\n For more information on current regulations, see their FDA for Industry<\/a> or FDA for Health Professionals<\/a> portals.<\/p>\n Like the United States, Canada has their own healthcare privacy regulations. Federally, that falls under PIPEDA, which protects consumers\u2019 personal data across all private-sector businesses, including some healthcare organizations.<\/p>\n Whether or not it applies to you is a little more complicated. Several provinces have privacy laws that supersede PIPEDA (Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec), so those provincial laws apply instead, with a few exceptions<\/a>.<\/p>\n PIPEDA regulates the private sector, so while Canadian hospitals may be exempt, private sector providers \u2014 mental health counselors, physiotherapists, and many others \u2014 are not<\/a>.<\/p>\n Four Canadian provinces also have healthcare industry-specific data privacy laws that apply alongside PIPEDA for healthcare organizations in New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, and Ontario<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s best to consult with a professional advisor about which laws apply to your organization, although you can start with this list of current privacy laws<\/a> in each province.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Create and publish posts. Talk to patients and prospects. Measure ROI. Save time and grow faster.<\/span><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBook a demo<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n While these may not be legally binding laws, it\u2019s best practice to follow the social media guidelines set by your licensing or regulatory body. In some cases, failure to do so may jeopardize your ability to practice in your region.<\/p>\n For example, the British Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons explicitly lists what doctors can and cannot do<\/a> when advertising or communicating with the public, including on social media.<\/p>\n Most of these regulations are likely to be in line with existing current federal or regional laws, but ensure you\u2019re aware of any social media-specific guidance from your regulatory body before you begin posting on social media.<\/p>\n Here are a few examples of what to avoid in healthcare social media marketing.<\/p>\n Not only would this be a violation of HIPAA patient confidentiality regulations \u2014 it could also erode trust in your organization.<\/p>\n While no medical professional has likely done this with ill intent, it\u2019s important to note it does happen: in a review<\/a> of posts made by healthcare professionals on X (formerly Twitter), 2% included a patient name. For anonymous stories, friends or family of the patient could likely identify their loved one\u2019s story in 32.1% of posts.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not sure if what you want to post is anonymous enough, it\u2019s best to avoid potentially sensitive information altogether.<\/p>\n Not using the most current medical language may imply a bias or judgment, even if you didn\u2019t mean to come across as judgmental at all.<\/p>\n An example could be referring to substance use disorder issues with (unintentionally) stigmatizing language which may alienate potential patients. The National Institute of Health has some great advice on science-based language<\/a> relating to this example, though there are parallels for many other health topics.<\/p>\n We don\u2019t think you\u2019re going to say something on social media if it hasn\u2019t been clinically proven. But even saying something like, \u201cXYZ Product works for most<\/strong> people,\u201d without a citation backing that up can land you in hot water with the FTC<\/a>.<\/p>\n What counts as most: 90%, 75%, 51%? Which study verified that claim? While you don\u2019t need footnotes in a social media post, be prepared to back up any claims with evidence if asked.<\/p>\n Healthcare ads need to follow much stricter rules than regular consumer ads. The main key is ensuring they are clear, accurate, and not misleading in any way, even by way of omission.<\/p>\n In addition to being governed by privacy laws like HIPAA, healthcare ads are also regulated by the FDA and FTC in the United States, and other government firms around the world.<\/p>\n A few resources to reflect on when crafting ads:<\/p>\n There are many ways to be successful on social media in healthcare while remaining compliant with laws.<\/p>\n Educational + entertaining = edutaining. Just because you\u2019re in healthcare, doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t be fun.<\/p>\n If only Joey Tribbiani had seen this Reel from Cleveland Clinic, it would\u2019ve been a very different day at the beach for Monica and Chandler\u2026<\/p>\n People say the top reason<\/a> they use social media is to be entertained and 53% wish brands were more relatable<\/a>. Across all industries, people dislike brands who are too self-promotional, post low-quality content, or don\u2019t engage with their followers.<\/p>\n Foster engagement by focusing on entertaining your audience. You can still educate at the same time.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Hootsuite Social Trends in Healthcare 2024<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n A great example of mixing education and entertainment is the Mayo Clinic Minute series. The Reels are fast-paced, engaging, and informative.<\/p>\n \nhttps:\/\/www.instagram.com\/reel\/C9xdgmBt3mx\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n 62% of people<\/a> say they\u2019re less likely to engage with or trust AI generated content, although that varies widely by generation. Gen Z is, predictably, more likely to trust AI content, whereas baby boomers are the least likely.<\/p>\n Even so, AI use is skyrocketing across industries, including healthcare, with some organizations reporting a 422% jump<\/a> in usage vs. 2023 for some types of AI tasks.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Hootsuite Social Trends in Healthcare 2024<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n You can still use AI content creation tools<\/a> to save time without sacrificing trust by ensuring you have an approval workflow to fact-check content before publishing.<\/p>\n Hootsuite\u2019s OwlyWriter AI<\/a> can draft new posts or repurpose existing content into posts tailored for each platform in just a few clicks. Since it\u2019s built into Hootsuite, you can draft and schedule weeks\u2019 worth of content in minutes \u2014 plus collaborate with your team and assign approvals before going live, all in one place.<\/p>\n Besides checking for regulatory and ethical compliance, social media audits uncover:<\/p>\n We\u2019ve got a full step-by-step on running a social media audit<\/a>, complete with a free template.<\/p>\n Every company should have a thorough review process before anything goes public on social media, especially in sensitive industries like healthcare. Using compliance software like Proofpoint takes approval workflows a step further.<\/p>\n Proofpoint<\/a> connects to and monitors your social media accounts through Hootsuite to check for brand compliance and flags and\/or removes posts that may violate policies and laws. It works automatically while keeping accurate digital records for a transparent and compliant digital presence<\/a>.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Hootsuite<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n Proofpoint is available as an integration for Enterprise Hootsuite customers. Learn more about setting it up.<\/a><\/p>\n 49% of healthcare organizations<\/a> say their biggest social media challenge is related to the cost or time it takes to maintain their presence on multiple platforms.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Hootsuite Social Media Trends in Healthcare Report 2024<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n So\u2026 don\u2019t! You don\u2019t need to be on every social platform out of obligation. Just because the average person uses seven social media platforms per month<\/a> doesn\u2019t mean you need to try to meet them on all of them. Focus your time and budget on the one or two platforms that are driving the most results according to your social media goals<\/a>.<\/p>\n For example, Northwestern Medicine<\/a> prioritizes video content for TikTok and Instagram rather than trying to \u201cdo it all.\u201d Their videos make excellent use of tools to hold the viewer\u2019s attention, like this countdown timer, which increases the likelihood of people watching the entire video.<\/p>\n Evaluating the ROI of social media marketing is a challenge for many brands, healthcare organizations included. 69% of those we surveyed<\/a> said they were concerned about their social media ROI.<\/p>\n Source: <\/em>Hootsuite Social Media Trends in Healthcare Report 2024<\/em><\/a><\/p>\nThe benefits of social media in healthcare<\/span><\/h2>\n
Build a positive brand image<\/h3>\n
Raise public awareness of health issues and best practices<\/h3>\n
Stay up to date with industry news<\/h3>\n
![\"Hootsuite](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-31-at-6.51.16%E2%80%AFPM-620x433.png?resize=620%2C433&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nDiscover your audience\u2019s knowledge gaps<\/h3>\n
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![\"Hootsuite](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Screenshot-2024-07-31-at-6.52.17%E2%80%AFPM-620x399.png?resize=620%2C399&ssl=1\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nBoost engagement<\/h3>\n
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Support hiring<\/h3>\n
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![\"NHS](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Social-media-healthcare-620x1108.png?resize=620%2C1108&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\nAttract new patients<\/h3>\n
Regulations that healthcare social media managers need to know (and follow)<\/span><\/h2>\n
HIPAA<\/h3>\n
FDA<\/h3>\n
PIPEDA and Canadian privacy laws<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Hootsuite_Product-Popups_5.png?ssl=1\"\/)
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Most Trusted Social Media Tool for Healthcare\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span><\/p>\nCollege or regulatory body laws<\/h3>\n
Inappropriate uses of social media in healthcare<\/span><\/h2>\n
Sharing patient stories with identifying information<\/h3>\n
Negative remarks<\/h3>\n
Unproven claims<\/h3>\n
Misleading ads<\/h3>\n
6 tips for using social media in healthcare the right way<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n
1. Share edu-taining content<\/h3>\n
![\"audiences](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/social-media-healthcare-2-620x652.jpg?resize=620%2C652&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n2. Don\u2019t fear AI<\/h3>\n
![\"graph](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/social-media-healthcare-3-620x337.jpg?resize=620%2C337&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n![\"OwlyWriter](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/Automation-Hero-600x500%402x-620x508.png?resize=620%2C508&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n3. Run regular compliance audits<\/h3>\n
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4. Stay secure<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/word-image-479760-6.png?resize=867%2C419&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n5. Focus on a few platforms<\/h3>\n
![\"orgs](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/social-media-healthcare-1-620x543.jpg?resize=620%2C543&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n6. Measure your ROI<\/h3>\n
![\"Social](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.hootsuite.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/social-media-healthcare-4-620x278.jpg?resize=620%2C278&ssl=1\")
<\/figure>\n