You may be new to social media, or you may feel stuck on improving your engagement and performance. Check the list below to ensure you’re following standards that will help make your social media successful.
FOCUS ON ONLY ONE (OR TWO) PLATFORMS
It’s hard to create enough quality content across multiple social media accounts, so it’s best to pick one or two platforms where you can find your audience. Pick one major platform and one more niche one that targets your audience. With healthcare, the best options might be LinkedIn and Instagram.
TAILOR CONTENT FOR EACH PLATFORM
If you have more than one social media account you post to frequently, be sure to customize the content for each platform. Using the same content idea across your accounts is okay, but be mindful of things like image size and audience type across platforms. A static image with text might do better on a more professionally-based platform like LinkedIn, while video reels on Instagram perform higher there.
HIGHLIGHT USER-GENERATED CONTENT
People who tag you in the content they create and post probably like you and your business. Ask if you can repost their content on your account: they’ll most likely be honored and agree to let you use their content. Content that users make is seen by many as authentic and adds credibility to your message. Here are some keywords that are used by healthcare agents: #InsuranceAgent #Healthcare #MedicareQuestions #MedicareAdvantage
FOCUS ON QUALITY
Three well-thought-out posts per week will perform better than a larger number of more rushed content. Spending the time really considering what you’ll be posting will help increase the quality of your content as well as providing greater value (in terms of information, education, or entertainment) for your audience. When posting on social media, you do need to make sure that your posts are compliant with Medicare marketing rules, but some good generic content ideas that don’t need disclaimers include saying, “Ask me about Medicare”, asking “Are you turning 65?”, or asking if they are ready for annual enrollment when AEP is about to begin. Always make sure to include a way to reach you, as this is required for compliance.
ENGAGE WITH YOUR AUDIENCE
Social media is most successful when it’s a conversation. If users take the time to write comments on your posts, be sure to respond. Responding will help increase your reach in the platform’s algorithm and strengthen the commentor’s bond with your brand.
EMBRACE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK
If you receive negative comments or complaints, think of it as a way to improve your service. Respond professionally and promptly to feedback, especially when your commentors have a complaint. Use a two-pronged approach of acknowledging their concern or issue and then provide a solution or a method to contact you for further assistance (especially if it’s not something you can resolve in the comments section of a social media post).
WORK WITH DENTAL OR PHYSICIANS’ OFFICES
Sometimes it’s a good idea to find other people or companies in adjacent industries and contact them to collaborate. You may want to find a local or national dental office that has an online presence and ask to work together to create content that can benefit both of your audiences, such as tips for their clients or information about how to go about finding the best insurance plan (hint: they should contact you!).
KEEP AN EYE ON THE COMPETITION
There are several reasons to keep up with your competitors, such as seeing new trends and opportunities within your industry. You can also keep an eye out in case there’s a problem within the industry that you can prepare for, such as upcoming changes to healthcare laws or other things that can cause problems. Another reason would be to see what content their audience engages with, so you can better communicate with people you hope will buy your product.
SCHEDULE AT OPTIMAL TIMES
It might be obvious, but schedule your content to post when most of your audience is online to see it. If it goes live in the middle of the night, it will most likely be buried by other content when the sun comes up and your audience is on social media. One of the biggest groups of Medicare users is the over-65 age group, so look to analytics to find when those people will be online and post at those times.
TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE
Posting often will help more people see your content, but you need to target them to make sure the right people see your content. Use common hashtags for your industry or create your own. Once you become more known, others will know to find your content under that hashtag. Also, ensure that your content is relevant to the people you want to reach. Encourage your audience to like and follow your content – that will ensure that your posts will show up on their home feed. You can also use a hashtag for your local area to target those in your city or state. Some tags you can use to make sure the right users see your content are: #MedicareAdvantage #Healthcare #MedicareFacts #Turning65 #HealthcareOptions
EMBRACE VIDEO
It can be scary! Newer smartphones have pretty good video editing programs and cameras, and you don’t want your video content to look overly produced to keep your message authentic. Short-form videos are easily digestible by your audience and have become very popular. Make it fun, and your audience will want to engage with you more frequently.
KEEP TRACK OF NEW PLATFORM FEATURES.
Social media platforms frequently introduce new features that can be useful to you and your audience. Check release notes with app updates or platform blogs for exciting new options developers have added. For example, Instagram recently added a feature that allows users to tag their businesses on maps so users can find local businesses that are relevant to them.
OPTIMIZE YOUR BIO
The bio is often a second stop for people who see your content. If they like something you’ve posted, they might want more information about what you offer or how to get in touch with you. Be sure to concisely post your intention and give them a way to get in touch with you. Add your website or phone number to encourage them to schedule a consultation with you.
GAIN FOLLOWERS ORGANICALLY
You can buy bots to pad your social media following, but most platforms have found ways to make this less beneficial. They may lower the placement of highly-padded accounts, or consumers themselves may realize that the follower count isn’t organic and lose trust in your brand.
EXPERIMENTING IS FUN!
New will always be the language of social media. Have the courage to try new things. Doing so will excite you and your audience and breathe new life into your social media campaigns. See what other healthcare agents might be trying and think of how to put your own spin on it to make it yours.
Never Miss an Update by Joining Our Mailing List and Following Us on Social Media!