How Should Pharmacies Use Social Media?
In this era that is so strongly driven by social media, it is important for businesses of all types to have a social media presence. However, just putting up a Facebook page and sharing an article here and there isn’t quite enough. While it can be lots of fun, social media is something that you should go into with an air of seriousness. It can be a wonderful tool to boost your pharmacy’s business when you follow a few social media best practices.
Decide How You Want to Engage
You’ll want to choose the platforms that you use on social media carefully. Twitter can be a great way for quick, real-time engagement, but keep in mind that you are limited to a certain character count per tweet. On Facebook, there is far more opportunity to share information on a larger scale and you can boost posts to a targeted audience for a more effective reach. Instagram and Pinterest are very visual platforms, while YouTube allows you to upload helpful and informative videos that relay bits of knowledge to your audience.
Share Relevant Information
Carefully screen the content that you’re sharing and ensure that it is accurate and truthful, providing sound information to your followers. Though the occasional appropriate meme is always a lot of fun to include, you will want to be sure that what you are sharing makes sense for your brand. Also, be sure that you are crediting sources and only posting content that you have permission to share. Copyright really does matter. Just because you found it on Google doesn’t mean that it is free for you to use.
Take Care with Advice
When sharing advice on a social media channel for a pharmacy, you will want to be very careful. It is important to refer people to come in to a pharmacy for a consultation or recommend that they visit their physician or emergency center for emergent medical advice. Though you can give more basic suggestions or ideas when asked, save the more complex or serious questions for an in-person consultation where you are able to get more detailed information.
Have Fun, but Stay Professional
Social media is a lot of fun, but it is important to your image and reputation to remain professional. You certainly can an appropriate joke, share a funny meme, or throw out a well-placed pun now and then to bring a little personality to your brand. However, when interacting with your audience, remember that you are in a place of authority as a representative of the medical community and need to keep a professional tone in most of your communication. Additionally, keep HIPAA regulations in the back of your mind as you have conversations on public and private social media platforms.
Overall, social media is a great idea for anyone in business. It gives customers a place to get quick answers to questions, learn about promotions, and develop a relationship with their pharmacy, pharmacists, and other care providers. With the right approach and attitude, your pharmacy will find great success with its social media endeavors.