Hashtags are still relatively new to social media, but they’ve gained more importance the longer they’ve been around. Hashtags can also be used across all social media networking platforms – from Twitter to Instagram to Facebook – and while they may seem like a trend, you’re really missing out on expanding the online reach of your practice if you don’t use them. Here’s why:
Find New Followers
Hashtags are phrases or keywords that are used to categorize posts on social media so users can find what they’re looking for. If you’re using them to promote your medical, dental or veterinary practice, you’d probably use hashtags directly related to your specialty, so you can attract new patients who are looking for the services you offer.
Increase Your Engagement
Did you know that tweets with hashtags get two times more engagement than tweets without them? That means that more users are clicking on your links, retweeting, favoriting or replying to your tweet than they would if it didn’t have a hashtag.
This can help you build up more of a connection with your followers. Since your posts have more engagement, it can also help increase your presence on social media and expose your account to a wider audience, so you can potentially gain more followers.
Reach Out
Special events like health awareness days often create a specific hashtag to connect with followers and to promote awareness of a cause. This is a great opportunity for you to show your support for the community and to also reach out to patients looking for more information or care on a specific medical condition that you can treat. This will help you gain more followers and may also be an opportunity for your practice to convert those followers into new patients.
If you want to add hashtags to your social media healthcare marketing strategy, contact one of our talented healthcare marketing consultants at info@practicebuilders.com for more information.