For physicians, social media is terrifying. For marketers and advertisers, social media is a goldmine still in its infancy. And while Facebook and Twitter are the popular platforms for conversation, it’s Pinterest and Instagram that are truly shaking things up, producing results that are sometimes hard to believe.
According to Entrepreneur.com, businesses have a lot to gain from Pinterest (and social media in general): new customers, more engaged customers and sales. According to a June 2013 report by market intelligence firm Visioncritical, four in 10 social media users have purchased an item online or in store after “favoriting” or sharing it on Pinterest, Twitter, or Facebook. Nearly half (47 percent) of Pinterest purchasers say they pinned and purchased something after simply stumbling across it on the site -- not because of a focused search for the item.
Of course, if you’re a health care professional reading this post you’re probably thinking, “It’s only ecommerce businesses pulling in those numbers. That doesn’t work for physicians.” Ah, but you are wrong…oh how wrong you are.
Pinterest By The Numbers
Before you bounce away from this article, I invite you to take a look at some amazing statistics from Pinterest:
- 80% of Pinterest users are women
- Most Pinterest users are between the ages of 24 to 34
- 50% of all Pinterest users have children
- Pinterest pins with prices get 36% more likes than those without
- Pinterest hit 10 million U.S. monthly unique visitors faster than any independent site in history
- Pinterest referrals spend 70% more money than visitors referred from non-social channels
- 57% of Pinterest users interact with food-related content
How To Kill It On Pinterest
Pinterest can be used very effectively for every segment of the health care sector, from promoting general practice’s to specialists and OB GYN groups. Here’s how:
1. Be Creative – Yes, this is where having a creative team – a marketing and advertising agency like that at Quaintise – comes in quite handy. Pinterest takes the cake for originality. You absolutely need to be unique, inventive and distinct when developing your brand on Pinterest. Consider the fact that half of all Pinterest users have children, along with the demographic skewed towards women. Create boards that are not all associated with health care, but geared towards the specific demo that spends time on Pinterest.
2. Brand Consistency – Of course, when being innovative and developing your boards, don’t forget about brand consistency. Yes, you should absolutely create boards that are unrelated to health care alongside boards that are 100% dedicated to health care, specifically women’s health. No, you should not create boards that do not align with your overall brand message.
3. Food Boards – As mentioned above in the numbers, the food category is the single, most popular category on Pinterest. Use this to grow your brand. Consider boards centered around healthy eating, healthy recipes, holiday healthy recipes, etc. Take advantage of a known fact on Pinterest, and spin it to represent your brand message.
4. Engage – From patients to family and friends, everyone on social media likes to talk about themselves. We live in a strange era where consumers and patients are more willing to share personal information about themselves on social networks then in their doctor’s offices, so be mindful of this when inviting health care conversation on Pinterest. Ask pinners to post pictures of their favorite healthy foods, their favorite place to run, their favorite place to find peace and relaxation. Get your Followers involved.
5. Tell a Story – While it can be complicated in health care in regards to HIPAA, you can always find ways to tell patient stories. Telling a story is the most powerful way to spread your brand message, and patient stories – truly inspiring recoveries or triumph over adversity – will always increase your brand’s visibility.
Most of all, remember to provide actual health care facts, education and information that will spread positive and medically accurate information. Create boards that not only maintain brand consistency, but represent your practice, your staff and your offices. If you need help, you can always call on the social media experts at Quaintise!