5 Surprising Facebook Tips for Healthcare
Sick of posting the same types of updates over and over again to your healthcare organization’s Facebook page? It’s a fun marketing tactic for your team to take on. And yet, many businesses’ Facebook strategies tend to grow stale over time.
We’ll be the first to admit that organic Facebook activity is not a primary source of lead generation for healthcare organizations. (You can read more about the benefits of a paid social media strategy here.)
Still, it’s worth trying these tips to make your page stand out when prospective patients happen across your brand.
#1: Use plenty of video
It’s probably not surprising that you can post video to your feed. But it may be surprising how much of a difference video makes in your social media advertising strategy.
According to Hootsuite, 71% of people have increased their amount of time spent watching online video since 2018, and it is the dominant form of media on the internet today. Additionally, Facebook video can increase brand awareness to about 67%—as long as it’s optimized for a mobile device.
Use video as often as you can if you want to reach more people, both organically and in Facebook ads. On average, people watch video 5 times longer than they look at text posts or image posts online.
#2: Expand video to your cover photo
You don’t have to limit your videos to your news feed. Make your business profile stand out with a video cover image. People on the fence about following you may be drawn in by movement, whether it’s video of happy patients or shots from around the office.
Here’s a tip: you don’t have to have each video professionally made. Your cover photo (and your online ads) could be improved even with a simple animation. Use a site like Animoto (or any of dozens of apps like it) to make video creation a lot simpler. Any amount of movement is proven to be more effective than a static image.
#3: Animate your profile picture
You could have movement in both your business profile’s cover photo and profile picture. You’ll simply upload a GIF as a profile photo using a tool like GIPHY to create it from a video clip.
We’d recommend against having too much movement on the top of your page—you might consider picking either an animated profile picture or video cover photo. You don’t want to distract from your ultimate message—that people should follow your page or, more importantly, call for an appointment.
#4: Pin posts to the top of your page
Got a big announcement to make that you want everyone to see? Chances are high that you’ll keep posting and re-posting about a new practice location, a new service line, or something else that may be of interest to a prospective patient. And that’s a solid strategy.
But there’s another easy way to make sure this announcement is the first thing people see when they click on your page. Simply pin your announcement to the top of the page by clicking the ellipses at the top of the page.
#5: Don’t leave out the little things
One of the most surprising things we see in Facebook business pages for healthcare organizations is how much is missing.
Many businesses don’t realize how important a call-to-action is. People need to know what action you want them to take after visiting their page. Should they “Call Now” or “Book Online?” Business pages have the option of adding a call-to-action that links to a phone number, website, or booking tool.
Otherwise, just make sure your profile is completely filled out. Include links to your website and YouTube channel. Fill in your “About” information and make sure people know how to find you with your full address and contact information.
Optimize your Facebook even further with the help of social media advertising experts. Contact Healthcare Success at (800) 656-0907 for a complete online advertising strategy that includes mobile-optimized video ads that reach your target audience.
