Throughout the last 20 years, social media has undergone an incredible transformation. What started as a fun way to connect with friends is now big business. And for good reason.
Social media has evolved beyond status updates with pop lyrics, lists of top 8 friends, and photos from lunch. These platforms are also a place for organizations, religious groups, non-profits, and businesses to connect with their audiences. And you better believe your patients and their caregivers are searching social media for autism-related information.
Sixty-eight percent of parents use social media to get medical information about their children.1 In many cases, especially from the perspective of connecting more authentically with providers, social media is actually a force for good. From the provider’s point of view, 60% of doctors agree that the use of social media improves patient care.2
So whether you’re a social media novice and your center has no social assets or you’re a seasoned pro looking to revamp your pages, here’s what you need to know about raising the visibility of your autism treatment center on social media.
What Are The Benefits Of Using Social Media?
Social media is a uniquely effective way of building trust and creating relationships with your patients and their families. Both are essential for any type of medical treatment, especially autism care. But this isn’t the only advantage.
1. Raising Awareness
Seventy-two percent of adults turn to the internet looking for answers to health-related questions.3 One of the macro goals of your digital marketing strategy should be to establish your program as an authority in the field of autism treatment. Raising awareness, of both your center and autism in general, is an important step towards being seen as an expert.
2. Creating Community
There are countless autism-related organizations on Facebook. Take the time to check them out and consider connecting. If you decide they’re aligned with your program, you can like and share their content with your followers (and vice versa!). This is a great method for networking with leaders in the medical community and patients, too.
3. Spreading Truth
Social media gives you an unparalleled opportunity to spread the truth about autism. Because, unfortunately, medical misinformation is a problem on social media. A recent study found that a sample of just 174 pieces of misinformation were viewed on Facebook 3.8 billion times in 2020.4
Make genuine, brand-building connections on social media by crowding out the misinformation with accurate, researched autism insights and data.
What Platforms Should I Use?
This is a question most behavioral healthcare providers are asking. There are so many options. Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Google Business Profile, TikTok… ? Where do you begin?
In a recent survey of 3,371 hospitals, 3,351 had Facebook Pages.5 We’ll let you do the math on that, but the conclusion is obvious. Clearly, a Facebook Page is an absolute must in the healthcare game and a great way to connect with and meet your patients and their families where they are.
YouTube is the second-largest social platform and is a wonderful place to share informative videos and success stories. YouTube is also important because it feeds directly into Google, and your autism treatment center’s YouTube channel helps build and support your overall SEO strategy. Google Business Profile is an absolute must-have. Not only does your GBP connect with Google, it’s a great place to share important information about your center, including the physical address of your center (which helps connect you to the Google Map pack and boosts your local profile), your phone number, hours of operation, services offered, and more.
Also consider using Instagram and TikTok to post photos and videos, as many healthcare providers have found success there, too.
What Should I Post?
Great question! Luckily for you, the answer is simple: everything. Is your autism treatment center opening a new wing? Post a video of the event! Have you hired a new staff member? Share a welcoming introduction from them to the world! Did a patient have an excellent experience? Confirm that you have their permission to share and get their success story out there! Was an interesting new study just released? Post your take on the findings!
You see where we’re going here? There’s really no limit to what you can include on your social media accounts. Just make sure what you put out into the world is on-brand and consistent. Not only should all of your social media accounts have the same voice, but they should also hold the same authority and values. Keep an eye on your engagement, and get in the habit of posting at least a few times a week.
With every post you write, make sure what you say or show is respectful, inclusive, and accurate. Social media is a big place, and your reach is far beyond your target market. When people comment on your content, respond to them to demonstrate your commitment to the community.
Ready to start a social media campaign, or need help revamping your autism care center’s existing accounts? Dreamscape Marketing can help. Call 888.307.7304 to schedule a strategy session.
For a list of references, please contact us.
