The Power of Hashtags in the Medical Device Industry
We hope that by now, most providers in the healthcare and medical device industries are aware of the value in having an online social media presence. More doctors and healthcare leaders are participating across multiple social media channels than ever before. To name a few, these are some of our favorite influential figures in the healthcare and medical device industries that are on Twitter today:
- @DrLeslieSaxon: Clinical Scholar · USC Keck School of Medicine & Executive Director of USC Center for Body Computing
- @KevinMD: Physician Author · Keynote Speaker · USA TODAY's Board of Contributors
- @JohnNosta: Digital Health Philosopher and Strategist · Lead thinker at NostaLab Google Health Advisory Board
- @GarryChoy: Physician focused on Quality and Systems Improvement
- @davidmcnierney: Director of Medidata
- @jkvedar: Vice President of Partners News Connected Health Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School
- @EricTopol: Cardiologist Researcher · Editor-in-Chief at Medscape · Author of The Patient Will See You Now
- @Paul_Sonnier: Founder of a 30,000+ member #DigitalHealth LinkedIn group · Social Entrepreneur · Strategy Consultant
What are Hashtags?
To describe it in an easy to understand context, a hashtag is just a fancy way of saying “keyword”. For example, if you search “healthcare” on twitter, it will automatically come up with posts that users have tagged as related to the topic of healthcare.
All these influential Twitter users we mentioned above have one thing in common, the fact that they are using consistent hashtags to represent what it is they stand for and are experts in. Depending on what you specialize in and the type of content you’re sharing, you should thoroughly research hashtags that are related to your industry in order to target the right audience. After conducting our own research, these are some of the most currently used hashtags in the healthcare and medical device industries:
Why Use Hashtags?
Hashtags not only represent your field of expertise, they also become a keyword that individuals will start relating you to. Social media users will start searching for these hashtags to find the subjects that might relate to your expertise. These hashtags are a way for your followers to find your content, understand it, and engage with it. They are a great way to reach a wider audience on social media, interact with individuals interested in a specific topic, and interact with other experts in your field.
How Many Hashtags Should I Use?
Did you know that “tweets with hashtags get two times more engagement than tweets without?” (BufferSocial) Although these hashtags are valuable to use, you don’t want to overdo it by using too many in one tweet. Ideally, you should use no more than two hashtags per tweet.
A Hashtag is Your Brand:
One of the most important things you have to think of when using hashtags is “Does this keyword match my branding pillars? Is it something I want to stand for?” Just like any other digital marketing effort, your social media presence must align with your brand image. You always have to portray the appropriate voice, messaging, and value to your followers.
