The rise of TikTok has become a phenomenon with over 1 billion monthly users worldwide. It has quickly become one of THE most popular social media platforms worldwide, captivating millions with its engaging and easily digestible short-form videos.
Maximising TikTok’s newfound popularity, businesses have also jumped the craze into entering TikTok with the hopes of reaching more of their audience. But is it also suitable for medical practices? Let’s dive right in to see whether TikTok has the potential to help medical professionals and your medical practice.
Why Consider TikTok for Healthcare
The popularity of TikTok hinges on its core concept: short, engaging videos that can educate, entertain, and inspire in just under a minute. This format aligns perfectly with the way many people, especially younger generations (Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha), consume information today.
When the pandemic hit, we all saw how TikTok rapidly became the talk of the town. Because of its growth and appeal that spread like wildfire, medical practices see it as an intriguing option to expand their reach and engage with patients.
Here’s where the potential for TikTok for healthcare comes in. Let’s look at some of the benefits of TikTok for medical practices:
- Reach massive audience & new generation: With over a billion active users every month, TikTok provides a vast audience you can reach with just your fingertips. And because it appeals more to the new generation, TikTok can help attract younger patients and build a future patient base.
- Boost Patient Engagement: The interactive nature of TikTok, with its comments, challenges, and duet features, fosters a more engaging environment compared to static websites. Patients can ask questions, get clarifications, and feel more connected to their healthcare provider.
- Humanise Your Practice: TikTok allows doctors and other healthcare professionals to showcase their personalities and create a more relatable image. This can help build trust with potential patients and make healthcare feel less intimidating.
- Increase Brand Awareness: Engaging content on TikTok can go viral, reaching a large audience and raising awareness about your practice and the services you offer.
With short-form video, medical professionals can create easily digestible content that:
- Breaks down complex medical topics: Imagine explaining diabetes management through a catchy song or using a skit to demonstrate proper handwashing techniques.
- Debunks medical myths: Information is easy to access online, so much so that people don’t even know which is true or false. Doctors can use TikTok to address common misconceptions about specific conditions or treatments.
- Promotes preventative care: Creating short videos that highlight the importance of regular checkups, screenings, and healthy habits can easily persuade more viewers to take action for their health.
How to Use TikTok for Your Medical Practice
Create Informative and Engaging Content
When you do decide to leverage TikTok, try to put your focus on creating content that is both informative and engaging. Use catchy music, eye-catching visuals, and concise messaging to capture your audience’s attention.
Remember, the goal is to educate while keeping viewers entertained. Plus, this is your chance to spread out information that is accurate to build up your credibility.
Utilise Trends and Hashtags
TikTok thrives on trends and hashtags. Participating in popular challenges or using trending hashtags can increase the visibility of your videos. However, make sure that the trends you jump in align with your practice’s values and the message you want to convey.
Challenges and Considerations of Medical Practices in TikTok
Maintaining Professionalism
TikTok is known for its informal style, which makes it appealing to billions of users. While they continue to thrive in this feature, maintaining professionalism is still a must for healthcare professionals. Ensure that all content is accurate, evidence-based, and aligns with medical ethics and standards.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Respecting patient privacy and adhering to medical ethics and standards is also paramount when you choose to post content on TikTok. Avoid sharing any patient information without explicit consent. Be mindful of the content you post to ensure it complies with privacy laws and regulations, including the guidelines set by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
Managing Negative Feedback
Like any social media platform, accounts on TikTok can also have negative comments from time to time—and it’s better to be mentally ready to face them. Craft a standard operating procedure when handling criticism and addressing misinformation. Responding respectfully and constructively can demonstrate your commitment to always providing patient care and education.
Should Doctors Use TikTok?: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Wide Reach: TikTok’s global user base allows you to reach a diverse audience.
- High Engagement: The platform’s interactive features foster engagement and community building.
- Educational Potential: Short-form videos can simplify complex medical information.
- Human Connection: Personal content can make your practice more relatable, which would resonate well with your target audience.
Cons
- Time-Consuming: Creating quality content consistently requires time and effort.
- Professionalism: Balancing TikTok’s informal style with professional standards can be challenging.
- Privacy Risks: Ensuring patient confidentiality and privacy is crucial.
Expanding Your Medical Marketing Horizon
So, do you think doctors should use TikTok? That still depends on your marketing goals and objectives. It’s evident that TikTok presents a valuable opportunity for medical practices to engage with patients in a creative and impactful way. While there are still challenges along the way, medical practices still have some potential benefits when they do enter the TikTok world.
Any kind of marketing involves time and effort to ensure you can effectively let your patients consume credible information and trust you and your expertise. In case you need help with social media marketing from the experts in medical marketing, Medical Marketing Australia is here to back you up.
Book a call with us today to see what your practice can reach!
