Social Media and Pharmacy - Pharmacy Consulting

Pharmacy and Social Media is a topic that we have we have been talking about for many years now. How does a Pharmacy best utilize Social Media? How does it work and add to a Pharmacy's bottom line? How does a Pharmacy get started and maintain a Social Media presence? What resources are required for a Pharmacy to even have a Social Media program? Is Social Media even worth a Pharmacy's efforts?Let's start by facing facts: Social Media is not going away! The growth of the number of Social Media sites is ever expanding, plus the use of Social Media by patients of all demographics (age, race, income, geography) is almost exponentially expanding. So whether to "get in the game" is not really the right question. The right question is "when"? The answer is now!Start with asking yourself the right question: "Why does my Pharmacy business need to get a Social Media strategy?". There are various answers to this question, but let's address the top three reasons (although you may even disagree with us):1. To make money by attracting new patients or keeping our current patients coming back. (Just a quick note here that Social Media is actually an integral part of the complex Google ranking algorithm and your efforts affect where you rank on Google searches.)2. To be prepared for negative publicity by being pro-active regarding your Pharmacy's online reputation.3. To communicate with customers and help educate our patients & keep them informed.Each of these requires an entire blog post individually, but let's move on to the next important question that a Pharmacy owner should ask: "With all the Social Media sites available, where do I concentrate my efforts and resources?".  Facebook, YouTube, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest,........ it is a long and ever growing list! Plus don't forget blogging!! The answer depends on several factors, including your objectives from the first question above. BUT the best advice is this: pick one first for the right reasons and concentrate on that one. Don't "dilute" your efforts by trying to be "everywhere" quickly. You will end up with a useless Social Media presence and a waste of your efforts and resources.Pharmacy and Social Media is a topic that HealthCare Consultants Pharmacy Staffing and Consulting knows about. Having been in business for over 27 years, HCC was one of the very first in the entire Pharmacy arena to have a website, plus knows how to use Social Media to make money, protect a Pharmacy's online reputation and help patients.... all at the same time. HCC can assist you in the process of developing a Social Media plan and presence. We actually have an in house Social Media consultant with over 20 years of experience that you can talk to! Call us today at 800-642-1652 for a free consultation and let us help you understand the best way to utilize Social Media for your Pharmacy and "get in the game" with a plan that fits your budget.