The ever- growing popularity of social media has led it to over 4 billion users worldwide, with 72% of Americans using some type of social media in 2021. This growth has made it essential for any medical practice to have a social media marketing strategy. As part of this strategy, you need to be aware of the latest social media trends. This is easier said than done; social media moves and evolves at lightspeed. You don’t want to spend months working on a strategy that incorporates all the hip new trends. By the time you implement it, those things will no longer be trendy.

It is undeniable, however, that a strong social media presence and marketing strategy improves patient acquisition and allows you to reach a larger audience than traditional means of marketing. To get that reach you have to have your finger on the pulse and know what all the new trends are when they happen. Social media trends might be a bit different for medical practices, but here’s all you need to know to stay in the loop.

Short-Form Video
Online video platform originally gained popularity through YouTube, a social media platform.. While videos on YouTube can be quite long, other platforms tend to perform better with short-form video content. Platforms that have their own version of video content include Instagram, Snapchat and, most importantly, TikTok. TikTok is a relatively new player to the game, launching in 2016 in only China, before making its way to the global stage in September 2017. Out of all the platforms listed here, TikTok has by far been the most important in pushing the popularity of short-form video content. Instagram’s video feature, known as ‘Reels’, was released in response to the popularity of TikTok. With studies showing that Instagram has a higher tap forward rate for videos (viewers are more likely to engage with video over photo), it is crucial that medical practices begin taking advantage of the innate engagement that the short-form video format brings. And with tools like Sssigram you can also download these Instagram videos.

Snapchat and, most importantly, TikTok. TikTok is a relatively new player to the game, launching in 2016 in only China, before making its way to the global stage in September 2017. With the possibility to buy tiktok followers and views making video traffic reach tons of viewers. Out of all the platforms listed here, TikTok has by far been the most important in pushing the popularity of short-form video content.

Shopping
Social media commerce in 2020 was expected to reach $46.3 billion, with total sales of over $79.6 billion expected by 2025. The growth in popularity experienced by social media commerce was due, in larger part, to the global pandemic. With physically going to the store made difficult by social distancing and lockdowns, many turned to the internet for all of their shopping. Everything was bought online, from basic necessities to the latest technology.

Not all healthcare practices deal only in services. Many also offer a wide range of healthcare-related products for sale. Having these products available for sale on your social media pages will lead to a significant bump in sales and revenue.

Learn More: 5 Healthcare Marketing Trends to Watch

Purpose-Driven Campaigns
Purpose-driven marketing campaigns promote a business by making its core values central to all marketing. By doing so, the brand is able to form meaningful connections with its audience, inspiring strong brand loyalty through shared values. Nearly 77% of consumers say they want to buy from companies that are actively working to make the world a better place, Twitter surveys show consumers want brands to share more positive stories. People want purpose-driven marketing campaigns from their favorite brands. For a healthcare practice, that could take the shape of campaigns that promote exclusivity or those that are actively taking steps to assist the most vulnerable members of their communities.

Authenticity
Patients now want to greater involvement in their healthcare than any other time in history. Part of that is the desire for increased transparency and authenticity. They want to know what the practice is doing and how it goes about doing it. Inclusivity and diversity help with this. To build an authentic brand, remember to be fully transparent and honest with your patients in all interactions, both online and in-person.

Live Streaming
In 2019, live streams in the US had a total of 126.7 million viewers. In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this increased to over 150 million and is expected to continue growing all the way to 164 million by 2024. Live streaming was popular before the pandemic, experienced a massive boost in popularity during the pandemic, and is expected to continue growing. Where once Twitch and YouTube were the primary forms of live streaming, platforms such as Instagram and Facebook have also added live streaming functionality. Your practice could benefit greatly by streaming on the latter two, with an occasional stream on Twitch thrown into the mix for good measure, to reach a massive audience and gain exposure.