In our previous article, Digital Marketing Strategies for Healthcare Brands on Instagram, we shared our expert advice on how marketers can leverage Instagram to drive toward their business objectives.
Instagram remains a popular platform for both brands and online users, but it’s not the only one to consider. For some healthcare companies, LinkedIn may be a better choice. In this article, we share our insights and strategies on how to elevate your healthcare brand on LinkedIn!
What Healthcare Marketers Need to Know About LinkedIn
Officially launched to the public in May 2003, LinkedIn’s buttoned-up approach to social media makes it stand out amongst its competitors, whether it’s Facebook with its focus on connecting with friends and family, or TikTok’s emphasis on short videos and virality. LinkedIn is the place for users to create a professional network — connecting with alumni or work colleagues, searching for industry events, and so on.
In the early years, many job seekers flocked to the site, leveraging LinkedIn as a powerful tool to look for opportunities in their industry. While that remains the case today, LinkedIn has evolved over the years to encompass a wide range of content, from CEOs and executives sharing thought leadership content on their personal profiles to businesses sharing updates on their company pages.
There are over 1 billion LinkedIn members around the world, with over 220 million in the U.S. In terms of demographics, LinkedIn tends to skew slightly older when compared to other social media platforms. The majority on LinkedIn are Millennials (ages 28 – 43), who make up 47% of the share of users, followed by Gen X (ages 44 – 59) at 29%.
For healthcare marketers specifically, LinkedIn offers a unique environment to connect with professionals in the industry, including executives and decision-makers. One study found that LinkedIn users have twice the buying power when compared to the average online audience, which aligns with LinkedIn’s B2B-centric audience. Another report found conversion rates on LinkedIn were 2x higher compared to other social media channels, making it an effective platform for lead generation.
In the next few sections, we take a look at LinkedIn features that can support healthcare marketers and their digital marketing strategies.
LinkedIn Newsletters
Unlike a short post on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn posts can be longer in length. Another long-form content option is LinkedIn Newsletter. This native publishing tool allows users — and companies — to share long-form articles directly on the platform. Organic posts shown in users’ feeds have a short lifespan, but articles typically have a longer shelf life, are indexed by Google, and provide readers with more in-depth insights.
This feature is particularly useful for healthcare marketers who want to establish credibility and educate their audience on complex topics. LinkedIn articles can also be sponsored, which makes them an effective complementary piece to your primary LinkedIn advertising program.
How can healthcare marketers use LinkedIn Newsletters?
1) Develop a strategy, figure out the right cadence, and stick to it
Whether you’re sharing a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly LinkedIn article, it’s always best to start with a clear strategy in mind. What do you want your articles to be about? Will you have a series where all articles are related to one primary topic, or will you have a series of one-off articles, each with its own unique insights? A strategy helps set a strong foundation for creating engaging content.
2) Don’t forget — SEO matters
Remember how we mentioned that LinkedIn articles are indexed by Google? This means that your article has the potential to reach an even wider audience outside of LinkedIn. It’s important to leverage search engine optimization (SEO) tactics to ensure your LinkedIn post ranks high in Google’s search results.
3) You may already be sitting on a treasure trove of content
Does your website already have case studies? Webinars? Research reports? White papers? Take those and repurpose them for your LinkedIn article. You’ll need to update the formatting and pay attention to SEO as mentioned above, but repurposing content can help save healthcare marketers a lot of time.
Executive Social Media Thrives on LinkedIn
At our sister company, Influential Executive, the team shared an article titled, The Rise of C-Suite Activity on LinkedIn: What it Means for Your Brand, along with original research about the use of LinkedIn among Fortune 500 CEOs.
In short, executive social media is thriving on LinkedIn. What is it, exactly? Executive social media is the strategic positioning of executives and business leaders on social media platforms. By sharing a consistent stream of thought leadership content on an executive’s personal social media profile, companies can reap the benefits, including increased brand awareness, improved sentiment, and even lead generation.
How can healthcare marketers use executive social media?
1) Focus on thought leadership with industry insights
An engaging executive social media program delivers valuable insights into industry trends and challenges. It not only positions the executive as a thought leader, but also the company. Healthcare marketers — either working directly with the executive or with an external agency such as Influential Executive — can collaborate with executives to share thought-provoking posts.
2) Leverage employee and peer engagement
LinkedIn’s network means content from high-profile individuals, like executives, has the potential to reach a broader audience. Encourage employees and other company leaders to engage with and reshare executive content, which helps to amplify reach.
3) Consider business objectives and map them to your digital marketing program
A digital marketing program encompasses many different strategies, from Google SEM and social media buying to your executive social media program. While some business objectives may make more sense tied to Meta ads, for example, your executive social media program may help support other areas. Promoting company culture, attracting top talent, and building credibility are all sample goals.
Is LinkedIn Right For Your Healthcare Marketing Brand?
Healthcare marketers, use LinkedIn if you…
1) Are looking to build trust and credibility by sharing thought leadership content relevant to the healthcare industry.
2) Have a digital marketing strategy encompassing different topics, such as company news, employee-related content, and thought leadership.
3) Want to target a B2B audience, such as healthcare executives and decision-makers.
Healthcare marketers, skip LinkedIn if you…
1) Primarily seek to engage directly with patients or a broader B2C base, where platforms like Facebook or Instagram may offer better reach.
2) Focus mainly on visually-driven, casual lifestyle-oriented content, which tends to perform better on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
3) Need a platform that’s heavily interaction-driven, as LinkedIn’s engagement model is more suited to professional networking than casual social interactions.
For many healthcare brands, repurposing content to LinkedIn is also a viable strategy, but there are ways to make the content more authentic to each platform. If you’re curious whether LinkedIn — or another social media platform — is the right fit for your brand, click the button below and schedule a one-on-one consultation with our digital marketing experts!