At first, the popular social media site, Pinterest, may seem better suited to companies that sell home decor, food or craft items. However, this social media phenomenon can be useful for medical practices, too, if you know how to use it wisely.
About Pinterest
Pinterest, which launched in 2010, is one of the fastest growing social media sites in history. The site works as a collection of virtual bulletin boards, allowing users to "pin" articles and images from around the Internet to boards they create and share. Eighty percent of Pinterest users are women and roughly two-thirds are age 35 and older. That's an interesting demographic for medical practices that focus on women's health issues and pediatrics.
How to use Pinterest for your medical practice
You don't have to be a home improvement or travel company to make good use of Pinterest. Below are a few ideas for using this site to communicate with existing and potential patients.
1. To educate readers. Pinterest is all about visual images. Promoting good breast or heart health with pictures of what to expect during a mammogram or a stress test can help to take some of the anxiety out of such tests and encourage women to make an appointment.
2. To promote special events. If your practice sponsors special events, such as awareness walks, health fairs or free screenings, posting pictures of past events with information about upcoming events can help to get the word out and encourage Pinterest users in your area to sign up.
3. To help mothers keep their kids healthy. Seventy-five percent of Pinterest users are moms. That's a group that's always looking for new ways to help keep their kids healthy. If you see pediatric patients, you could use Pinterest to post healthy, kid-friendly recipes, help mothers identify health concerns in their kids and offer suggestions for making living a healthy lifestyle fun.
While Pinterest may not be the first social media site you think of when you consider promoting your medical facility or practice, the site bears consideration, especially if your practice caters to a primarily female demographic.