How can the Medical Community take Advantage of Facebook’s New Graph Search?

Facebook is launching a new product, called Graph Search, which the social media platform hopes will become a primary “pillar” just like the Timeline. Currently undergoing beta testing, Graph Search is anticipated to redefine web search. Now, if you search for a topic on standard search engines like Google or Bing, the results are fairly consistent. Properly search engine optimized content is typically found within the first page results. However, with Graph Search, users will be able to search for anything shared with other users on Facebook, which means different people see different, more personalized results. Graph Search allows users to discover new things through their friends and connections.

Sure, Graph Search sounds cool, but what relevancy does it have in the medical community? Well, many of today’s pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical practice and device manufacturer Facebook pages are boring to say the least. Basically, it is as if someone advised these companies to make a Facebook page as a way to maintain some social media presence and keep up with the status quo. What these companies have failed to realize is that by neglecting these pages, they have short-changed their marketing potential. No one – not even the most avid fan – wants to visit a corporate page that hasn’t been updated in months or that has little if any pertinent information to share.

With Facebook’s new Graph Search, businesses in the medical community are going to need to revamp an active ‘Fan’ and ‘Like’ acquisition strategy. It will be critical for these companies to develop useful content and update or add to this content on a regular basis, so that their pages become a worthwhile destination. Then, these companies will need to strategize ways to acquire a vast social network of friends, fans, and followers of these pages. Companies will need people to connect with their page in order to connect with users’ social graphs.

If you’ve done your job right, then Graph Search will enable you to reach specific patients and physicians. As previously stated, the idea behind this tool is to allow users to search topics through the connections they have made on Facebook. While some users may search for things like local recommended restaurants or pictures of people attending events, other users may use Graph Search to look for friends who have possibly been diagnosed with the same or a similar condition. By finding a group of people who suffer from this condition, they are able to have conversations with others to help them through what can be a traumatic experience. By connecting with these people through the vast network you have established, you increase your chances of being found through Graph Search and improve your medical marketing potential.

As a leading medical marketing and advertising agency in the greater Philadelphia area, DDA Medical works with companies to develop and maintain relevant social media strategies that compete effectively in today’s evolving web search landscape. Contact DDA Medical at 215-355-6442 or info@ddamedical.com to learn more.