Social media content strategy: When to stay, leave or join a network

Fifteen years ago, healthcare organizations wondered whether they should invest resources into establishing a presence on social media. Today, social media in healthcare is a given — but marketers still struggle over which platforms they should use.

Indeed, in HubSpot’s State of Marketing Report, marketers responded that their biggest social media challenge is determining which platforms to invest in. It doesn’t help that the landscape for social media seems to change every month — because of government restrictions, political affiliations and general user trends.

Here, we give you a primer on how to know if you should stay or go.

Social media content strategy

Before deciding which social networks for healthcare are best for your organization, it’s important that you develop a social media content strategy. Start with creating a mission statement for your social media. It’s a one-sentence statement that reflects your commitments and how your goals relate to those commitments. Make sure you include this statement on every document related to social media — proposals, content outlines, etc. — so you never forget what you’re hoping to accomplish.

If you aren’t sure where to start, a social media content audit is helpful. During the audit, a strategist will comb through all the social media channels you currently use and talk with you about your goals for the next year and the next five years. They will take an in-depth look at the content you’re posting and how it’s performing. They’ll also review what your competitors are posting and how it’s performing. Once you have all the facts in front of you, it will be easier to see where you could improve.

Platform-specific best practices

There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to social media best practices — it really depends on your market and the kinds of people you’re hoping to reach. Ideally, you want to find the sweet spot between providing information often enough so that people can see what you’re posting, but not so frequently that your intended audience will be tired of seeing your organization’s name.

That sweet spot changes depending on the platform. For example, Facebook users tend to skew older (think Generation X and baby boomers) and may not be on social media that often. So, in that case, it may be a good idea to post several times each day. However, once or twice a day may be all you need on Instagram.

Top social networks in healthcare

The healthcare industry as a whole is slow to pick up new networks. The most well-used social networks are Facebook and Instagram — generally, any healthcare organization that is regularly using social media is on these networks. YouTube is definitely popular in the healthcare world, yet many organizations are simply using it to house their videos, rather than for any distinctive social network marketing. Pinterest has fallen out of favor in recent years, but TikTok is still a strong presence as of this writing.

It’s too early to tell whether the new social networks Blue Sky and Threads will catch on in the healthcare world. As numbers have been dropping for social platform X, both of these networks have been clamoring to replace the network formerly known as Twitter.

It’s important that your organization keep an eye on social media trends in your specific region. For example, it might not make sense for all healthcare organizations to be active on TikTok. But if you’re based in a university town with thousands of students aged 18-23, for example, TikTok may be a good place for you to attract new patients.

When it’s time to leave a social network

When you have invested a considerable amount of time into establishing a presence on a social network, it can be a tough call to pull the plug. As X has become more politically aligned, some healthcare organizations fear that if they stay on the network, they could be seen as endorsing it. However, they have also seen that X can be a powerful tool.

You should consider leaving a network if:

• You find it no longer matches your brand and your goals.
• You’re having trouble finding engagement with your posts.
• The amount of effort you’re expending isn’t showing a return on investment.

Signs that you should join a social network

On the other hand, it’s important to know when you should jump on the bandwagon. You may want to join another social network, such as Blue Sky or Threads, if:

• Research has shown it will help you reach your target audience.
• You have the right personnel to take full advantage of this network.
• You notice that there are more viral posts emerging from this network.

WG Content can help your social media content strategy

Are you ready to take the next step to enhance your social networks for healthcare? WG Content can help. We have social media strategists who can perform audits of your current content and help you reach your goals. Reach out to us to start your project today.

Follow-up questions about social media content strategy:

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