A few weeks ago, we shared our free downloadable 2021 Social Media Holiday Calendar but throughout the year, there are countless health observances that raise awareness for a variety of conditions and remind people to be proactive about their health.
These aren’t just bigger awareness campaigns like Breast Cancer Awareness Month and World AIDS Day. But also lesser-known dates, such as National Family Health History Day, Give Kids a Smile Day, or National Mediterranean Diet Month.
Keep track of the events that are important for your practice — and discover some new ones, too — with this 2021 health awareness calendar.
How to Use this Calendar
As a physician or other healthcare professional, your time and resources are likely limited, so creating a social media content calendar for your practice is one of the best strategies to set yourself up for success and get the results you want.
You’ll be surprised how quickly you can map out an entire month of social media posts by using this process.
Getting Started
Begin planning your social media content quarterly, but if that seems overwhelming to you, then start out by planning a month.
You can use a spreadsheet or a good old-fashioned paper calendar. Just remember, you’ll likely move things around and make changes, so you may want to use a pencil at first.
- Start by noting any national holidays, dates your practice will be closed, or those you may have different business hours that need to be announced.
- Add in any events that your business is hosting or participating in. Maybe you’re sponsoring a local 5K, presenting at a conference, or hosting an educational seminar like a joint replacement surgery information session.
- Then use this health awareness calendar to identify any that are relevant to your practice. They’re a great way to mix up your content and drive engagement. For example, during National Nutrition Month you can ask followers to share their favorite healthy recipes in the comments.
- There’s also value in real-time content like Instagram Stories or a live Q&A with a subject matter expert. Come up with some ideas and pencil them in on your content calendar. Social media algorithms love when accounts use these features so try to use them regularly.
- Lastly, add user-generated content and/or curated content from other credible sources to fill in any gaps. These help with engagement and relationship building. This could mean sharing a birth announcement (with patient consent) or a relevant local news story.
You can write and schedule posts ahead of time, but remember that your social media strategy should be flexible so you can make adjustments based on the content your followers are most engagement with and when unexpected events occur (i.e coronavirus).
As a health professional, you can leverage social media in a variety of ways including to market your practice, raise awareness for diseases and medical conditions, and promote medical education.
Ready to start growing your practice? TargetMarket offers full-service social media management that includes creating posts, engaging with your community, and measuring metrics to fine-tune a plan to what works for your practice. Call (888) 632-4499 or fill out our free consultation form.
