Social media for clinics and healthcare practices

Patients rarely follow a clinic for fun. They look you up before booking, check your opening hours, and want to know who they will see. Your social profiles are a second front desk, so choose a few and keep them accurate.

Two to four posts a week is enough. Clinics are busy and every post may need a clinician's check, so plan a week ahead and approve the batch in one sitting.

• One patient-education post: a common question answered in plain language.
• One people post: a clinician or receptionist and what they do.
• One practical post: new hours, a service, parking, or how to book.
• Optional: an awareness day or community event you genuinely take part in.

The best clinic content reduces anxiety. Show what a first appointment looks like, who greets you at the door, and what to bring. Answer the questions your reception team hears every day.

Keep education general. Explain what a check-up involves or when to see a professional, and avoid anything that reads like a diagnosis for one person. Point people to book or call rather than to the comments.

• "What happens at your first visit" in five photos of empty rooms.
• A clinician answering one frequently asked question on camera.
• Myth and fact posts, checked by a qualified member of the team.
• Team milestones, training and new equipment.
• Reminders for seasonal services, such as booking check-ups before the holidays.

Many patients find a clinic through a local search. Google's guidelines name doctors and dentists as individual practitioners: a public-facing practitioner who can be contacted at the verified location during stated hours can have a profile, while support staff should not. Where several practitioners work at one location, the clinic should have its own profile for the location too.

Use update and event posts for new services, extended hours or health days. When you reply to reviews, Google advises against sharing a reviewer's private information. For a clinic that means never confirming someone is a patient or mentioning their treatment, even if they did first. Thank them and invite them to contact the practice directly.

1. Check the category, hours and holiday hours every month.
2. Add photos of the entrance, waiting area and team, with no patients in shot.
3. Post one update a week.
4. Use a set, neutral reply for reviews that mention care, and move the conversation offline.

Sources: Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google, checked 14 October 2026; Google Business Profile Help: Create & manage posts on your Business Profile, checked 14 October 2026; Google Business Profile Help: Tips to get more reviews, checked 14 October 2026

In the US, the HIPAA Privacy Rule says that, with limited exceptions, a covered provider needs a patient's written authorisation before using or disclosing their protected health information for marketing. A testimonial, a before and after photo or a recognisable story all count as patient information. Get a signed authorisation first, store it, and remove the post if the patient withdraws.

In the UK, the General Medical Council's social media guidance says doctors must not disclose identifiable information about patients on social media without explicit consent. It also warns that small details which are harmless alone can add up to identify a case, so a date, a rare condition and a town together may be enough.

Health claims need evidence. The US Federal Trade Commission's guidance on health products says health claims must be truthful, not misleading, and backed by competent and reliable scientific evidence, and that this covers social media. Avoid words like "cure" or "guaranteed" unless you can prove them.

This is general information, not legal advice. Ask your professional body, compliance lead or a lawyer before posting anything about a patient or a treatment outcome.

• Never post a patient's name, face, records, screen or appointment details without written permission.
• Check backgrounds for files, screens and whiteboards before you take a photo.
• Do not give individual medical advice in comments or messages; ask people to call or book.
• Keep consent forms on file and record which posts each one covers.

Sources: HHS: HIPAA Privacy Rule guidance on marketing, checked 14 October 2026; GMC: Using social media as a medical professional, checked 14 October 2026; FTC: Health Products Compliance Guidance, checked 14 October 2026

Use four pillars: education, people, practical updates and community. Pick one awareness day a month that matches a service you offer, and skip the rest.

Disclosure: this guide is published by Zolyp, an AI social media manager. Zolyp plans a calendar around your content pillars, writes and designs each post, and schedules it to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads. You start in review-everything mode, so nothing goes live without your approval. Brand Brain lets you list topics the team must never cover, such as named patients or treatment results. Zolyp does not check posts against health privacy or advertising law, so have a qualified person approve each week. Plans start at $29/mo.

1. Week 1: list the month's questions from reception and pick four to answer.
2. Week 2: introduce one team member and post a practical update.
3. Week 3: post for the month's awareness day, if it fits your services.
4. Week 4: review which posts led to calls or bookings and plan next month.