Use Hashtags to Promote Your Health Tips on Social Media
4 min read
When a healthcare business uses social media, they typically want to connect with an audience that is aligned with their mission and goals. Hashtags (words or phrases preceded by the pound sign #) are an essential tool for achieving this.
For example, a life coach could use the #mindsetshift hashtag to reach prospective clients. The hashtag has millions of posts.
1. Instagram
Instagram is a popular platform for sharing health tips. People use it to showcase their fitness journey and before-and-afters, as well as to promote healthy eating habits. If you’re a fitness trainer, health coach, or nutritionist, it’s important to use the right hashtags on Instagram to maximize your reach.
In addition to promoting your content, using the right health tips hashtags can also increase engagement on your Instagram profile. It’s important to do your research and find out which ones are working best for your audience. However, if you’re looking for specific tags, it can be helpful to consult an online search tool or hashtag generator.
Many users create their own hashtags to share their experiences with a specific diet or lifestyle, such as #iquitsugar for a collection of sugar-free recipes or #glutenfree to find ideas for healthy meals. This can be an effective way to build a supportive community and encourage others to follow your lead. However, it can also backfire if the community’s social norms conflict with your own goals. For example, participants in an Instagram food journal community reported increased hunger after reading posts about other users’ food choices [1]. Similarly, the Instagram community of eating disorder recovery individuals reported higher levels of depression and negative behaviors when they felt pressured to eat in ways that didn’t align with their recovery goals.
2. TikTok
TikTok is one of the most popular platforms for video content. It is used to express creativity, seek fame, promote brands, and expand social networks. It is also increasingly being used to share and discuss health-related information, with varying degrees of credibility.
While many TikTok trends are innocent enough (like the #inmydenim challenge), others can be dangerous, like the NyQuil Chicken challenge, which has resulted in hospitalizations and even death. Similarly, some trends promote unhealthy diets and unsafe exercise techniques. For example, some users have been posting videos of themselves “dry scooping” protein powder without adding water, which can cause choking.
However, some doctors and healthcare marketers have been using TikTok to actively debunk medical misinformation and spread healthy lifestyle tips. For example, Children’s Health Dallas posted a blog article to educate parents about TikTok and its dangers, while Akron Children’s Hospital published an infographic on Twitter with helpful advice for curious teens and tweens.
4. Twitter
Twitter is a powerful tool that healthcare organizations can use to promote their services. It allows users to post messages that are searchable by keywords and is an easy way for physicians and other healthcare professionals to communicate with each other on a particular topic. Healthcare organizations can also use hashtags to get their messages to the public.
Healthcare professionals can use hashtags to discuss topics like the latest research on a specific disease, new treatment methods or ways to prevent illnesses. They can also use Twitter to share their experiences treating patients with certain conditions. They can also use Twitter to communicate with other physicians and researchers. For example, a physician can tweet about a study that shows that high blood pressure is linked to a certain gene and then link it to a medical conference for further discussion.
When using Twitter for health tips, it is important to understand that not all information found on the site is accurate. A study found that about 20% of tweets about healthcare had inaccurate information, which hinders productive and helpful discussion.
5. LinkedIn
Hashtags are a social media tool that can help you get your content in front of a wider audience. But if you use too many or the wrong ones, your content can end up falling flat.
LinkedIn is a business-based social network with a heavy emphasis on professional communication. If your medical practice posts on the platform, you need to be aware of how it may be perceived. As such, you should consider creating guardrails for how you use the platform.
You can do this by filtering your feed and hiding or muting certain people, companies, or hashtags. Additionally, you can create a publishing schedule that ensures your posts are posted at consistent times throughout the day.
Hashtags are a powerful marketing tool that can help you get your healthcare content in front of the right audience. By mixing top performers with hashtags that are laser-focused on your niche, you can increase the chances of your content being seen by those who need it most. This helps you build trust and credibility with your audience.