So you decided to start using social media to promote your pharmacy…. Now what?
Once ‘the wild west’ for businesses, these days having a social media presence is no longer optional; it is a must. And while navigating the social media landscape can seem vast and limitless, essentially only three platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter—control the overwhelming majority of the relevant market. Perhaps even more comforting is that there is no “right” way to tackle social media! That said, there are a few simple guidelines that do tend to apply across the major social media platforms.
So, without further adieu, let’s dive in!
Engage your followers
Social media is after all, social. That means a dialogue–between friends, businesses, and followers. Knowing your audience is always important, and it’s fairly safe to assume that your pharmacy’s followers will most likely consist of current and prospective patients. So when you post, it is important to always think of your audience. Having a sale, hosting an event, or celebrating an industry award? Share it! Don’t have any pharmacy updates? Share articles about other relevant content. Just make sure the content ties back to your pharmacy, or the community you serve!
While engaging doesn’t mean responding to every comment or post (which could be logistically challenging and time-consuming), dedicating some amount of time to respond or “like” comments is a great way to let your followers know they’re being heard. This not only helps grow loyalty among your existing consumer base, but it also increases the likelihood that your message is shared with their friends and followers, widening your pharmacy’s reach and helping to attract new customers.
Check your DM’s!
Most social media platforms (and all the majors) allow your followers to send you a direct message (DM) privately to your inbox. And in case you couldn’t tell, checking your DM’s is important! Many people use the DM feature to communicate with businesses in lieu of picking up the phone. In other words, there could be—and often is—important information sent in a DM, so make sure you check.
Still, you are running a pharmacy business, which means that HIPAA regulations apply. So, use your best judgment with regards to what information can be discussed online—even if it is in a private DM.
When to post?
In short: whenever you want! The most important part about posting is being consistent. There is no magic formula, and you’ll figure out the schedule works best for your pharmacy. Posting once a day, every other day, or at least once a week is a good way to stay relevant and ensure you don’t become a stranger to your followers! Remember, they choose to follow you, because they want to hear from you!
While there is much commonality across social media platforms, it is important to understand that not all are created equal. To further help ensure your social media journey is a successful one, here’s a quick overview and points of differentiation between Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
The largest social media platform in the world, Facebook is best known for allowing its users to create profiles that share a variety of information, such as status updates, photos, articles, and more! Individuals will “like” and “follow” businesses and pages they are interested in to keep up to date.
Facebook business pages have designated areas to post business-specific information, such as your pharmacy’s address, phone number, and hours of operation. Keeping this information up to date is critical, and can be frustrating among current and potential customers when inaccurate. For simple directions on how to set up a business Facebook page, click here!
Most commonly utilized via mobile app, Instagram’s predominant purpose is to share images. While you don’t have to be a professional photographer, steering clear of blurry, grainy, or poorly lit photos is a good rule of thumb.
Instagram also provides your business with an opportunity to show off its lighter, creative side. This is particularly true when posting Memes, pictures with funny, relatable captions and utilizing hashtags, a word or phrase preceded by a hash sign (#) designed to help optimize exposure. Of course, always try to keep your Memes and hashtags as pharmacy-centric as possible.
Quick fun fact: Instagram is owned by Facebook’s parent company, Meta. So, it shouldn’t be surprising that linking your Facebook business page to your Instagram business account isn’t only doable, but quite simple! To set up an Instagram business account, download the app and follow these simple instructions!
Falling somewhere between Facebook and Instagram, Twitter is more of a conversational forum (also utilized via mobile app) with “Tweets” limited to 280 characters or less—so you keep it short and sweet! Given the content restriction, simple posts such as, “Happy Friday! Our Pharmacy hopes you have a fun weekend!” are perfect for the platform.
Unlike Facebook and Instagram, Twitter doesn’t offer “business” accounts, so it’s a good idea to include a link in your bio to a website with more information, like your Facebook page. Also, Twitter has a polling feature, which allows you to conduct short, impromptu polls with your followers. This can be a great tool for basic research purposes—“What other services would you like to see our pharmacy offer?”
Want to learn more about how you can start leveraging the power of the PrescribeWellness solution to elevate your online presence? Leave your information below! We look forward to hearing from you.
