It’s a simple enough concept: your clients are on social media, so you need to be too.
And while you may be hesitant to add another to-do to your plate, there’s no getting around the fact that social media is a powerful tool. When done right, it’s an ideal way to engage with your existing clients, potential new clients and the broader community, keeping your practice top-of-mind.
But, for your social media presence to be effective, you need a plan.
And that’s where a consistent posting schedule comes into play.
A well-planned posting schedule ensures regular engagement with your audience without the chaos of last-minute content creation.
It allows you to thoughtfully plan your content in advance, allocate responsibilities, and free up time for client care and other critical tasks.
We’ll guide you step-by-step to create a streamlined, effective posting schedule for a healthcare social media strategy that will enhance your social media presence.
Step 1: Identify Your Social Media Channels
Before diving into the specifics of crafting the perfect posting schedule, identify which social media platforms your target audience tends to use.
Find Your Audience
Start by researching the platforms where your target demographics are most engaged.
For instance, if you aim to connect with a younger demographic, platforms like Instagram and TikTok are likely to be more effective than LinkedIn or Facebook.
For a more mature audience, Facebook and Twitter might be a better fit.
Define Your Goals
Once you’ve identified your social media channels, set clear and actionable goals for each platform.
Here are some common objectives healthcare practices might consider:
- Build awareness: Use the platform to educate the public about your services, share health tips, and raise awareness about various health conditions and preventative measures.
- Drive engagement with clients: Use social media to answer general queries (while maintaining client confidentiality), share client testimonials, and post staff introductions to foster a sense of community and trust.
- Promote services and events: Highlight new treatments, technology, or services that your practice is offering, and keep your followers informed about your team members, easy appointment scheduling, webinars, or special promotions.
- Reputation management: Engaging social media posts can help to shape public perception of your practice.
Step 2: Conduct an Audit of Your Practice’s Current Social Platforms
An audit of your current social platforms involves taking a close look at the content you’ve been posting and the engagement it’s been receiving.
Here’s how to break down this process:
What Content Have You Been Posting?
Create a catalogue of the types of content you’ve posted in recent months.
You can group the content into categories such as:
- Educational content: Articles, infographics, and tips about health and wellness.
- Client testimonials: Stories or quotes from satisfied clients.
- Staff introductions: Profiles or interviews with members of your team.
- Service promotion: Posts about specific treatments, services, or products your practice offers.
- Community engagement: Updates on your practice’s involvement in local events or health fairs.
What Has the Engagement Been Like on Your Posts?
Engagement is a key metric that provides insights into how your content is being received by your audience.
Consider the following metrics:
- Likes/reactions: The number of likes or reactions a post receives.
- Comments: How many people are commenting on your posts? What are they saying?
- Saves: The number of users who saved a specific post.
- Shares/retweets: The frequency with which users share your content.
- Click-through rate: How often are people clicking through on posts that link to your website?
What Are Your Most Popular Posts/Post Types?
With the data you’ve compiled in your audit, you can now identify patterns to determine which posts are most popular with your audience.
Ask yourself:
- Which post categories are consistently receiving the most engagement?
- What content format is most popular (for example, images, videos, text-based posts, polls)?
- Are there specific topics within those categories that seem to resonate more than others (for example, posts about mental health, women’s health, or new treatment options)?
Step 3: Decide What Metrics to Track as Part of Your Social Media Content Calendar
When you decide in advance what you want to track and how often, you can measure the success of your social media strategy.
Here’s how to approach this:
What Metrics Are Important to You?
Every healthcare practice might have slightly different objectives for social media strategy, so it’s important to align your key performance indicators (KPIs) with your specific goals.
Some fundamental metrics that you might consider tracking include:
- Engagement: This includes likes, shares, comments, saves and reactions.
- Reach and impressions: These metrics tell you how many people view your content and how often.
- Click-through rate (CTR): If your goal is to direct users to your website (for appointment booking, blog articles, etc), CTR is a crucial metric.
- Follower growth: Track the change in your follower numbers over time. Are you attracting new followers at a steady rate?
- Conversion rate: For posts encouraging specific actions (like booking an appointment), tracking the conversion rate is key.
How Often Will You Track Your Metrics?
Set a consistent schedule for reviewing metrics, as it allows you to spot trends and make timely strategic adjustments.
You can track your metrics weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.
Decide on a tracking frequency that works for your team and aligns with your overall business reporting. Add recurring reminders to your practice management calendar to ensure consistent tracking.
Step 4: Plan Your Social Media Healthcare Calendar
When it comes to healthcare social media strategy success, it’s not just about what you post; it’s how often you post.
Establish a consistent posting rhythm – it’ll help keep your audience engaged and informed without overwhelming them or yourself.
Here’s a guide to help you map out your posting strategy:
How Often Do You Want to Post on Each Platform?
Different platforms have their own norms for posting frequency, and different audiences have varying expectations and tolerances for content.
- Facebook: 3 to 5 times per week is generally a good range.
- Instagram: Daily, or 3 to 7 times per week.
- Twitter: Daily, or even multiple times daily, due to its fast-paced nature.
- LinkedIn: 2 to 5 times per week is generally adequate.
What Types of Content Will You Post?
Based on the results of your social media audit, you’ll have a good idea of the intersection between the content that draws the most engagement and the content that best aligns with your health practice’s goals.
Consider a mix of educational posts, client service promotion, and community engagement.
Try Having a Theme for Each Day of the Week
Creating daily themes can bring structure and variety to your posting schedule.
We’ve got you covered – here’s a sample week:
- Monday: Team Member Highlight or Health Tip
- Tuesday: Behind the Scenes (show a day in the life at your practice)
- Wednesday: Quote of the Day
- Thursday: Client Success Story (with consent)
- Friday: Special Promotion or Q&A
When Will You Create the Post Content & Who Will Do It?
Set aside dedicated time for content creation, and decide whether content creation will be the responsibility of a dedicated team member or a collaborative effort across various teams.
Bear in mind:
Content approval is an important step. Designate who has the final say on content before it goes live to ensure it’s error-free and adheres to healthcare compliance standards.
Schedule the Posts in Advance
For your healthcare calendar, choose a scheduling tool that suits your needs and budget, and start populating it with your posts for the weeks ahead.
Tools such as Meta Business Suite (which is free of charge) allow you to schedule Facebook and Instagram posts in advance.
For a tool that allows you to schedule posts across multiple platforms, look at Buffer and Hootsuite.
Step 5: Track & Report on Published Content
Circle back periodically to assess the performance of your social media strategy.
Tracking the success of your published posts allows you to refine your strategy over time and prove the value of your social media efforts.
Here are some guideposts to track and report on your published content:
When Will You Review Your Social Media Performance?
Establish a consistent routine for checking in on the performance of your posts.
Your reviews can occur weekly or monthly and align with the cadence you chose for tracking metrics in Step 3.
How Often Will You Report on Your Chosen Metrics?
Deciding on reporting frequency is pivotal for monitoring the performance of your social media efforts. You can report monthly, quarterly, or annually.
Make Adjustments to the Calendar as Needed
Your social media content calendar isn’t set in stone; it’s a living document that should evolve based on the data you gather.
After each review period, set aside time to make data-driven updates to your content calendar. This could involve changing the types of content you post, the frequency of posts, or the platforms you focus on.
Conclusion
A social media schedule for your healthcare practice enhances client engagement, streamlines your workflow, boosts visibility, and empowers you to make data-driven decisions.
To start creating your healthcare social media strategy, set objectives, choose your target platforms, and draft a social media strategy calendar.
Ready to develop your social media strategy?
