Infertility clinics are possibly the single greatest social media anomaly in healthcare.
Why? Most disciplines within healthcare are not social. Reproductive endocrinology, because of parental aspirations and deep community need, is extremely social. Therefore, the content that generates "word of mouth" referrals for fertility clinics is radically different.
People don’t go on Instagram or Twitter to talk about foot pain, skin rashes, or stomach aches. Fertility clinics don't have anything to learn from podiatrists, dermatologists, and gastroenterologists except for what not to post. People are not on Facebook or Instagram to read medical studies.
On the other hand, people want to see, share, and talk about pictures of babies on Facebook and Instagram. People want to see pictures of their friends’ children. People want to boast about their own children. Patients also use these platforms for peer support. If the fertility center uses their social media channels correctly, people will use the center as a medium to connect with the practice, each other, and bring their friends, family, and acquaintances into the circle.
The content that generates leads to more new patients is that which aligns with the reasons people are on each platform. Four types of social media content proven to work for fertility centers are:
Photos of nurses and doctors
Patient Generated Content: The pictures that patients post to your timeline (with permission)
Inspirational Quotes/Images
Infertility related e-cards and memes
Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility is unique as a social category of healthcare. Other disciplines do not enjoy "word of mouth" referral networks built on social media because their content does not align with the reasons people use various platforms. Social media serves as an infrastructure for generating new IVF patients because the content of fertility clinics matches the nature of many social media platforms.