Social media for hearing care and audiologists: a practical guide

Hearing loss often creeps up slowly, and family members frequently notice before the person does. Your posts need to speak to both: the person who keeps turning the television up, and the partner or adult child who is trying to persuade them to book a test.

Make every video accessible. Add captions to everything, keep background music low and show faces clearly when people speak. A hearing care page with uncaptioned videos sends the wrong message.

Two to four posts a week is enough. The WHO's World Hearing Day on 3 March each year is a natural moment for a campaign about getting your hearing checked.

• Monday: a sign of hearing loss, explained in plain words.
• Tuesday: a step-by-step of what happens during a hearing test.
• Wednesday: a hearing aid care tip, such as changing a dome or cleaning a filter.
• Thursday: meet the team, with roles and registration.
• Friday: a tip for family members, or practical details such as home visits.

Source: WHO: World Hearing Day, checked 15 October 2026

UK: the ASA's advice on hearing amplifiers and hearing aids says the testing, assessment and prescribing of a hearing aid must be done by a registered dispenser. The HCPC lists "hearing aid dispenser" as a protected title. Hearing amplifiers and listening aids need no testing, and the ASA says ads should not blur the line between them and hearing aids. Claims that a device can alleviate hearing loss, or replace a hearing aid, are likely to be seen as medicinal and are only likely to be acceptable if the device has the right conformity marking and MHRA registration.

The same advice says amplifiers should not be described as "invisible" or "virtually undetectable" if they are visible outside the ear, and that marketers should not claim to give independent advice on the best products and prices unless they can show no links to manufacturers or retailers.

US: the FDA says over-the-counter hearing aids are intended for people 18 and older with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, are not for severe or profound loss, and that hearing aids for people under 18 need a prescription. If you post about OTC aids, be clear who they are and are not for.

This is general information, not legal or clinical advice. Rules differ by country and change, so check with your regulator, professional body or a lawyer before you post claims, prices or photos of the people you serve.

Sources: ASA Advice Online: Hearing amplifiers and hearing aids, checked 15 October 2026; HCPC: The professions we regulate and their protected titles, checked 15 October 2026; FDA: OTC hearing aids, what you should know, checked 15 October 2026

A patient's story about hearing their grandchildren again is powerful content, and it is health information. The HCPC says you should not share a post that could identify a service user, or images related to their care, without their permission. The ICO treats data concerning health as special category data. In the US, HHS says the HIPAA Privacy Rule generally requires written authorization before protected health information is used for marketing.

The FTC's endorsement guidance says that if you cannot show an experience is typical, the ad must make clear what people can generally expect. Adjusting to hearing aids takes time for many people, so say so.

1. Get written consent that covers social media before filming or quoting a patient.
2. Keep audiograms, records and screens out of every shot.
3. Do not post a patient's hearing test results, even with their name removed, unless they have agreed.
4. Show the adjustment period honestly, not just the first moment of switching on.
5. Take a post down promptly if the patient changes their mind.

Sources: HCPC: Guidance on use of social media, checked 15 October 2026; ICO: What is special category data?, checked 15 October 2026; HHS: HIPAA Privacy Rule, marketing, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: FTC's Endorsement Guides, what people are asking, checked 15 October 2026

Hearing aid prices are a common worry. If you post prices, show what is included, such as fitting, follow-up appointments and aftercare. The CMA's price guidance says the headline price should normally include unavoidable charges, and that hiding them until later is illegal drip pricing.

Ask every patient for a Google review the same way, for example after their follow-up appointment. Google's policy bans incentives for reviews and selectively asking happy customers. The FTC's 2024 rule bans fake reviews and rewards that depend on a review's sentiment.

Sources: GOV.UK (CMA): Providing clear and accurate information about prices, summary, checked 15 October 2026; Google Maps user-generated content policy: fake engagement, checked 15 October 2026; FTC: Final rule banning fake reviews and testimonials (August 2024), checked 15 October 2026

Plan around the times families get together, such as the winter holidays, when hearing difficulties become obvious, and around World Hearing Day in March.

Disclosure: Zolyp, which publishes this guide, makes an AI social media manager. It plans a balanced week across your content pillars, writes the captions and designs the visuals in your brand voice, and schedules them to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads. You can add your own photos to any post, and you start by approving every post. Brand Brain can hold words you never want used, such as "invisible" or "cure". Zolyp does not check posts against ASA, HCPC or FDA rules, so read every post before you approve it. Everything in this guide works just as well done by hand.

• Week 1: check Google hours, services and prices.
• Week 2: film one captioned hearing aid care video.
• Week 3: one post for family members and one team introduction.
• Week 4: reply to reviews and plan next month.