With at least 95 million new posts per day on Instagram alone, there’s a lot of competition on social media for hospitals (and everyone, really). Stopping the scroll has never been harder.
Resharing blogs and showing facility upgrades isn’t enough to succeed on social media today. Your content needs to be fresh, relevant and exciting. But how?
Take some inspiration from 5 of the best hospital social media accounts. See which strategies are right for your organization:
- MD Anderson Cancer Center
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- Mayo Clinic
- Northwestern Medicine
- RUSH University Medical Center
Tips from the best hospitals on social media
No one does social media quite like these organizations. Each of these hospitals has found a way to cut through the noise and connect with people. Check out these posts and walk away with some fresh ideas for your accounts.
1. Tell patient stories like MD Anderson
The only thing better than a good story is a true story. Patient stories are both. Share patient spotlights (with permission, of course) to inspire your readers and show the heart behind your hospital.
In your patient stories, highlight the transformation your hospital helped them achieve. How did overcoming their illness or injury change your patient’s life? Did it allow them to reach a goal or check off a bucket list item?
MD Anderson Cancer Center spotlighted Steve, who achieved his post-surgery goal of hiking again with their help:
View this post on Instagram
Pro tip: Keep tabs on mentions of your hospital so you can share any positive stories that patients are posting about your organization or staff.
Get more ways to make an impact using patient stories.
2. Find creative ways to spotlight patients like St. Jude
Inspiring stories and testimonials aren’t the only ways to highlight your patients on social media. See how else you could involve patients in your social media pages.
St. Jude shared one patient’s artwork in celebration of National Doctors’ Day:
View this post on Instagram
More ways to spotlight patients:
- Use their photography in your posts
- Reshare content created by your patients on social media
- Have a patient “takeover” day, where a patient runs your account and answers questions
Related: The 10 Best Hospitals on Instagram
3. Educate your audience like Mayo Clinic
Use your hospital’s social accounts to spread information about topics that matter. Educating about health issues can build deep-rooted trust in your hospital — and, more importantly — change a reader’s life.
Mayo Clinic raised awareness around the number of people waiting for an organ transplant in the U.S. and called on readers to register as a donor:
Remember to keep educational content approachable for all of your readers:
- Avoid jargon
- Write in plain language
- Use visual, relatable references (like Mayo Clinic’s football stadium analogy)
4. Tie in relevant topics like Northwestern Medicine
Put your outstanding knowledge of pop culture to work. Incorporate trending songs, sound bites and TV shows to make your content more relatable (and fun).
For example, an infectious disease specialist at Northwestern Medicine weighed in on the possibility of a fungal pandemic just in time for the season finale of “The Last of Us”:
@northwesternmedicine As viewers prepare to tune in to the season finale of “The Last of Us” this Sunday, many are wondering…could a fungal pandemic really happen? Infectious Disease Specialist Michael P. Angarone, DO, weighs in. #TheLastOfUs #SeasonFinale #Fungus #Infected #Infection #FungalPandemic #Pandemic #Disease #InfectiousDisease #NorthwesternMedicine #NMBetter
Culturally relevant posts invite your audience in and are easy for them to engage with. These kinds of posts can result in more likes, comments and shares. They’re also a good pattern disruptor, helping you get (and keep) a viewer’s attention.
Related: Should Your Hospital Be on TikTok? 5 Considerations
5. Stand for a cause like RUSH University Medical Center
Want to get noticed? Take a stand. Hospitals on social media can start to sound the same — but making your voice heard is one way yours can stand out.
RUSH used their platform to raise awareness of an issue — and raised money for a local organization. See how RUSH stood for equity in healthcare during Black Maternal Health Week.
Think about your hospital’s mission and how you can use social media to speak up. Your audience might find a new perspective refreshing!
How hospitals can take advantage of social media
How can your hospital get the most out of social media?
- Use attention-grabbing visuals to stop the scroll
- Add video to your marketing strategy with Reels and Stories
- Include a clear CTA that tells viewers what to do next
- Use social media trend data to keep up with what’s current
Hear what else our founder, Ahava Leibtag, has to say about social media marketing for hospitals:
There used to be this slap-and-dash attitude, where you made one piece of content and blasted it on all of your channels. But having a different strategy for each channel is the answer. You need to know what each channel is for.
For example, hospitals seem to use Instagram for employee recruitment and retention. It’s a place to highlight staff and show the fun work culture.
The takeaway? Know the differences between platforms and who is your audience on each one. If you aren’t sure, it’s time to do some research.
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