Ask Alex

“Should I jump on trends in social media or is that unprofessional?”

There is a fine line between pop culture entertainment and unprofessional medical aesthetics marketing. However, the keyword in that sentence is entertainment. If your social content isn’t getting the attention it used to, it might be because it is boring.

You can pour your heart and soul into the educational side of your content, but it needs to catch your audience’s eye, and making it entertaining will bank you more engagement, which will hopefully lead to more web traffic and more patients.

While we’d all love to be trendsetters rather than trend followers, using pop culture and what’s going viral on social platforms is a great way to tap into the current moment online and generate organic engagement (which is getting harder to come by).

Think about the last time you might have shared something funny or topical with a friend. You made a connection with it, and thought of them, knowing they’d like it. Wouldn’t it be great if that was your content they were sharing?

Using trends and pop culture references that are suitable for your audience makes your social presence feel more human. Rather than a perfectly curated feed of ‘work stuff’, which is fine but not ‘in the now’, use what’s popular online. Linking things that your audience loves with your business will reinforce your brand in their mind. These trends do not mean you have to ruin your dignity and professionalism by doing dances in your clinic car park if that just isn’t you!

The topics that come under pop culture are:

• Entertainment – music, TV, movies

• Big events – think awards season!

• Fashion

• Sports

• Current affairs

• Slang and memes – language and phrases evolve

Remember, these posts don’t have to be feed posts either. If you get good story views on Instagram and Facebook, running references in there to TV shows, awards or live events can grab engagement! I’d recommend using stickers for reactions and polls on these too, to get people clicking.

We’re in a visual industry, red carpet looks at the Oscars (be positive!) or performances on Eurovision are in the right lines. But beware – there’s no point in being late to this party, as the results won’t be as good! A couple of days is a very long time on the internet.

Sometimes the most simple Instagram Reel with trending audio, a short video clip and a bit of text over the top can generate great interest. I know I speak all the time about not just doing content for numbers, but keeping half an eye on what’s happening in pop culture can be helpful to keep your content visible.

Remember to stick to your brand’s style and voice online – making a meme randomly out of the blue might not sit right with your audience. Rather, create topical content and sprinkle it in between your feed and story to connect with them.

It’s useful if you are plugged into what’s trending on socials and in society – if not, ensure your social media manager is. Just remember to stick to your audience’s demographic – the latest TikTok filter trend might go over the heads of your Facebook 50+ audience, but other nostalgic references might go straight to their heart!

ALEX BUGG

Alex Bugg works for Web Marketing Clinic, a familyrun digital agency, which specialises in medical aesthetics. The business builds websites and delivers marketing campaigns for doctors, nurses, dentists, distributors and brands. Contact her: alex@webmarketingclinic.co.uk or follow her on Instagram: @webmarketingclinic