Your community pharmacy is already a cornerstone of local health and well-being. You connect with people daily, offering essential services and trusted advice. But in today’s evolving landscape, reaching a wider audience and highlighting the expanding services you offer is crucial. Social media can be the key to unlocking this potential, allowing you to connect with more individuals, promote your offerings beyond dispensing, and solidify your position as a go-to health resource.
We understand that navigating the world of social media might feel daunting amidst your busy schedule. You’re a healthcare professional first and foremost, not necessarily a marketing guru. That’s why we’ve put together this guide – to empower you with the confidence and knowledge to harness the power of social media effectively for your pharmacy.
By the end of this post, you’ll have a clearer understanding of which platforms best suit your goals and the kind of content that will resonate with your audience.
Choose your platforms for your pharmacy wisely
It’s tempting to think you need a presence on every social media platform. However, spreading yourself too thin can be counterproductive, especially when time is a precious commodity. Instead, focus on identifying where your current and potential customers are most likely to spend their time online.
Think quality over quantity. It’s far more effective to build a strong presence on one or two platforms than to have a fleeting presence across many. You can always expand later, bringing your established audience with you.
Here’s a brief overview of popular social media channels and how they might fit your pharmacy:
- X (formerly Twitter): With about 5.6m daily users in the UK, X can be excellent for quick updates, promoting timely services like flu vaccinations (while keeping your message concise, within 280 characters!), sharing health tips, and engaging in local conversations.
- Facebook: Boasting the largest user base (nearly 55M users in the UK), Facebook allows for diverse content formats: text, images, and videos. This versatility makes it ideal for sharing more in-depth information, running community events, showcasing your team, and building a strong local presence.
- LinkedIn: While often perceived as a professional networking site, LinkedIn has 43 million users in the UK and can be valuable for sharing expert health advice, staying up-to-date with industry trends, positioning your pharmacy as a knowledgeable resource, connecting with other healthcare professionals, and even for recruitment purposes.
- YouTube: This video-centric platform, with more than 56 million users in the UK, offers a fantastic opportunity to create engaging educational content, explain complex health topics simply, offer behind-the-scenes glimpses of your pharmacy, or even host Q&A sessions with your pharmacists.
- Instagram: This social media platform has about 35 million users in the UK. Driven by visuals, Instagram is perfect for showcasing products, highlighting seasonal health campaigns (like Mental Health Awareness Week or Stoptober), and creating visually appealing health tips and infographics. These could be high-quality photos and short, engaging videos (Reels), which will help you grow organically.
- TikTok: Don’t dismiss TikTok! Its 23Mm user base in the UK and often younger demographic can be reached with creative and engaging short-form video content. The TikTok algorithm promotes discoverability, so engaging content from new or small accounts can quickly go viral. You can address health myths, offer quick wellness tips, or even put a fun and approachable spin on important health messages like smoking cessation or flu jabs (while maintaining professionalism, of course!).
Humanise your pharmacy
Let’s face it, social media feeds are saturated. To cut through the noise, your pharmacy needs to be willing to be a little different. Start by identifying topics that will genuinely interest, educate, or entertain your audience. Then, brainstorm creative ways to present this information.
Video content is incredibly powerful. Don’t be afraid to step in front of the camera yourself or encourage a team member to do so. This personal touch can build trust and help your customers connect with the faces behind their local pharmacy.
Experiment with various content formats, short videos, informative graphics, engaging polls, behind-the-scenes glimpses, patient testimonials, and see what resonates best with your audience.
Delegate responsibilities
One of the biggest hurdles to successful pharmacy social media is consistency. It’s easy for posting to become sporadic when everyone is juggling multiple responsibilities.
Social media platforms reward active and engaging profiles. To maintain momentum, consider delegating responsibility for content creation and posting. This could involve rotating tasks among team members or assigning a dedicated individual to manage your online presence.
If your budget allows, investing in social media expertise can be a game-changer, ensuring a steady stream of high-quality content.
While embracing a «progress over perfection» mindset is helpful when starting, it’s essential to have a clear social media policy in place. This helps ensure your pharmacy’s online presence aligns with your values and avoids potential pitfalls.
Consider outlining topics to avoid (e.g., political commentary, controversial subjects) and defining the key themes and values you want to consistently promote across all your channels.
Handle online interactions carefully
While social media offers incredible opportunities, it can also expose you to negativity or disruptive behaviour. Having a plan for addressing such situations is crucial.
Familiarise yourself with the comment moderation tools available on each platform. You might choose to disable comments on certain posts or proactively delete the inappropriate ones.
For genuine complaints, respond promptly and professionally. Offer a direct line of communication (e.g., email or phone number) to take the conversation offline and address the issue privately.
Add value with your pharmacy’s content
The golden rule of social media content for pharmacies is to focus on providing value to your audience.
Think about the questions your patients frequently ask. What health advice can you offer? What services or events can you promote that will genuinely benefit them?
Start with sharing practical health tips, highlighting seasonal health concerns, promoting your services (like medication reviews or health screenings), and announcing in-store events. As you become more comfortable, your content ideas will naturally expand.
Connect your online and offline worlds
Don’t let your social media efforts exist in a vacuum. Integrate your online marketing with your in-store activities.
If you’re running a promotion on a specific product or service in your pharmacy, make sure to highlight it on your social media channels simultaneously. This cross-promotion amplifies your message and increases the likelihood of driving foot traffic and sales.
Ready to make your pharmacy thrive?
Social media marketing offers a powerful avenue for community pharmacies to expand their reach, promote their services, and strengthen their connection with the community. By being strategic, creative, and consistent, you can harness its potential to elevate your pharmacy’s success.
For pharmacies aiming to significantly boost their recognition within the wider community and drive increased sales, establishing a strong social media presence is a valuable strategy. However, building a successful and engaging social media presence demands consistent effort and dedicated resources for content creation and community interaction. While you’re working to enhance your online visibility through social media, consider complementing these efforts with a streamlined sales solution like LUDA Partners’ collaboration with Just Eat. It allows you to effortlessly list and sell your pharmacy products directly on the popular Just Eat app, tapping into a 19M customer base and boosting your online sales, all while operating on a convenient pay-per-sale basis.