Social Media and Dermatology: Key Considerations for Marketers
When it comes to social media marketing, there are key things dermatology practices should keep in mind. For example, in a recent post, we discussed the use of evidence-based social media marketing campaigns for specialty practices. The takeaway there? When you know what topics specific demographics search for and what platforms they use, you can take a targeted — even formulaic — approach.
Here, we’ll take a look at additional factors to consider — including the impact of health misinformation; the importance of upholding standards regarding patient privacy, professionalism, and ethics; and the role of social media influencers.
Social Media in Dermatology
In “Social Media in Dermatology and an Overview of Popular Social Media Platforms,” researchers describe social media’s popularity and its surge in use during the pandemic — especially in healthcare.
“Notably, social media has largely impacted medicine, with how healthcare providers, educators, patients, and peers interface, both in how medical knowledge is disseminated and care is delivered,” they write. “…Especially in dermatology, providers have leveraged social media to directly connect with and educate the public, as well as promote their brand and practice. In fact, it has been suggested that dermatologists with a social media presence receive higher patient ratings.”
In their analysis, they include an overview of several popular social media platforms and how each is being used in dermatology — including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Snapchat, and others.
- Disease-specific support pages
- High impact journals sharing content
- Dermatology residency information
- Disease-specific hashtags and discussion
- Photo/videos of dermatologic information and procedures
- High impact journals sharing content
- Product promotion
- Dermatology residency information
- Disease-specific support pages
- High impact journals sharing content
- Discussion of dermatology topics
TikTok
- Product promotion
- Photo/videos of dermatologic information and procedures
YouTube
- Product promotion
- Photo/videos of dermatologic information and procedures
Snapchat
- Photo/videos of dermatologic information and procedures
- Disease-specific support pages
Although the “various collaborative features” of social media platforms have “proven appealing to organizations and users seeking dermatology-related content and medical advice,” the researchers emphasize that the “potential for propagation of inaccurate or even dangerous information is high.”
Regardless, they underscore the value social media can provide for the field of dermatology.
“Despite the risks associated with social media usage, dermatology can benefit from opportunities to connect and engage with audiences through these platforms,” the researchers write. “Dermatologists should be encouraged to increase their presence on multiple social media apps to dispel and counteract misleading posts with evidence-based knowledge.”
The recently-published “Use of Social Media for Patient Education in Dermatology: Narrative Review” concurs with the power of social media in the field of dermatology — as well as the importance of increasing the availability of accurate and reliable medical content: “Of all dermatology content created on social media platforms, content creators consisted of nonphysicians (52%), physicians (32%) of which 84% were dermatologists, and private companies (16%). This suggests that much of the content currently circulating is not created by dermatologists.”
Citing the need to address health misinformation while also upholding standards regarding patient privacy, professionalism, and ethics, the author also underscores the valuable role social media can play for dermatology:
- “Effective social media practices are crucial to building a community of users that trust the information that they are being presented with. As such, physicians should be aware of and develop effective social media practices to cater to younger populations without sacrificing patient privacy or professionalism.”
- “Integrating social media as a component of private practices, programs and academic research journals can help combat misinformation, promote health literacy, and allow patients to make more informed decisions about their care.”
- “…if used properly, social media can also help to increase diversity and inclusivity by increasing the opportunity for more open discussions among trainees, physicians, and patients, with different skin conditions across a variety of demographics.”
Influencer trends in dermatology marketing
A recently-released study, 2023 Healthcare Influencer Marketing Index, examines “what drives dermatology brands’ success.”
“The report identifies best practices for these brands as they continue to refine and optimize marketing campaigns, focusing on the best content and influencers performing best,” Tagger by Sprout Social said in the announcement.
Noting that healthcare brands face “unique challenges” compared to other industries that use influencer marketing, Tagger said such challenges include the need to prioritize patient privacy, regulatory compliance, and ethical standards.
“However, the benefits of influencer partnerships far outweigh the challenges, as brands can drive education and awareness to their target audiences via influencer-driven content,” Tagger said.
“Influencers build trusted relationships with their followers, which makes them extremely useful for dermatology brands as they look to drive awareness of practices, products, and treatments,” said Dave Dickman, Head of Global Sales and Services, Influencer Marketing. “With this latest Index, we looked closely at the brands that are having [success] partnering with influencers to drive education and awareness of their offerings and skin concerns or conditions. The data paints a complete picture of who’s having conversations and on what platforms.”
Tagger says it leveraged its social intelligence engine, Signals, to create the Healthcare Index, which examines data that dermatology brands need to know “to build traction via the creator economy.”
Informed by dermatology-related posts from influencers globally across social platforms from January 1, 2023, through June 30, 2023, the report identifies the following key takeaways from more than 138,000 creators with 1 million dermatology-related posts:
- Beauty and lifestyle influencers lead the way: “Beauty influencers post the most about dermatology brands, followed by Lifestyle, Healthcare and Sports and Fitness. However, Lifestyle influencers have the highest engagement rate at 1.89%.”
- Video on top: “…video is king for brands today. Instagram Reels and TikTok Videos have the highest engagement rates of all content types for dermatology brands. This makes sense for healthcare as video allows influencers to provide more narrative around why they use specific products and the results.”
- Nano to mid-tier influencers perform well: “Engagement rates for nano- to mid-sized influencers posting about dermatology brands are very impressive. Nano-influencers see engagement rates of 4.58%, meaning their content is resonating with audiences and resulting in actions taken.”
Learn more through Tagger’s full 2023 Healthcare Influencer Marketing Report.
At Advance Healthcare Marketing, we specialize in partnering with healthcare organizations to craft bespoke marketing plans tailored to their unique needs and objectives. Our dedicated team is committed to developing compelling creative solutions and messaging that resonates with your target audience. Moreover, our proven track record underscores our ability to deliver tangible, measurable results, ensuring that your marketing endeavors yield the desired outcomes. Contact us today to get us started on your personalized strategy.
