Marketing My Pharmacy: Use Social Media to Gain New Patients and Grow Your Business
By Maya Weatherall, IPC Marketing Manager
Welcome back to our Marketing My Pharmacy series where you are learning to take actionable steps to better your business and reach more patients. Now we get to do the fun stuff of marketing your pharmacy on social media.
But wait a second. You’re probably saying to yourself, I don’t have time for social media. I’m already too busy trying to stay afloat on my daily tasks, taking care of my patients, and making sure I have enough staff to do it all.
On the other hand, you might be thinking, I understand the importance of social media and how it can help me reach new patients who’ve never heard of my store, but I just don’t have the time. The idea of taking out my phone, snapping a photo or video, writing a caption, and putting it all together feels overwhelming.
I understand your hesitation and set it aside for now. I’m here to share some simple, actionable steps to help you market yourself on social media and connect with your ideal patients. Sound good?
According to Sprout Social, Americans spend on average 31 minutes daily on Facebook with 56.3% being male and 43.7% being female. With only a few minutes to capture your ideal patient’s attention, you have the opportunity to spark their interest and position your pharmacy as a trusted healthcare partner.
Whether you’re just starting out on social media or looking to refine your strategy, this guide is here to help. We’ll dive into practical, actionable steps that can elevate your pharmacy’s online presence, and ultimately, grow your business.
What are we touching on today?
- Engaging Your Ideal Patient
- Create Thought Provoking Content
- Maximizing Reach Through Consistency
In our last blog, Marketing My Pharmacy for Low Volume Stores, your first step was to define the patients you want to attract. Well, the same goal applies when you’re deciding which platform to use to market your pharmacy on social media.
Wait, what does that mean? I thought all I had to do was choose Facebook or Instagram and start posting.
Yes, if you wanted to do that, that’s fine but like mentioned before “anybody + somebody = nobody” and we want to attract at least 20 people. (Just giving a numerical example)
Before you even start thinking about content, it’s important to identify who you’re speaking to. This might seem obvious, but not every pharmacy serves the same group of patients, and not every social media platform reaches the same people. By tailoring your social media presence to reflect the needs and preferences of your patient base, you’ll engage your audience more effectively—and keep them coming back.
Let’s look at what an ‘ideal patient’ might look like. Meet Susan, a 35-year-old mother who’s balancing raising her children and likely caring for her parents. Her priority is simplifying how she manages her family’s medications, ensuring they’re delivered on time, twice a week, while handling her busy daily schedule. That’s potentially 4-6 lives you could influence through your social media presence. If Susan doesn’t match your ideal patient, no worries—I’ve created a table below for you to fill in your own information.
Identify Your Ideal Patient (first row is an example):
| Age/Gender | Social Platform | Goals | Pain Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40–49-year-old male or female | Keep family (parents & children) healthy during the winter | Importance of flu shots | |
Once you have a clear picture of who your patients are, you can start to shape your content to match their interests. Remember, social media is not a one-size-fits-all tool. The key is to be hyper-relevant to the people you’re trying to reach. For example, Facebook is a great platform for reaching local families and older adults, while Instagram might help you attract younger patients or promote more visual content like behind-the-scenes stories of your team in action.
*Keep this in mind when filling out your table and figuring out where to start.
Now that you’ve pinpointed your audience, the next step is creating content that resonates with them. This doesn’t mean just sharing dry, medical facts. You want to create posts that are informative, visually appealing, and relatable.
This could become the overwhelming part of trying to figure out what to post and how often. But don’t fret I’m going to give you 5 weeks of content where you are ONLY posting once a week. Very, very, very low lift. See the image below.
To give you even more of a push here are some social media copy examples that you can implement right now. Want to create your own content calendar? Download the monthly calendar here.
- Sharing an Article:
“Just came across this great article about the importance of managing blood pressure! If you’re looking for tips or guidance on staying heart-healthy, give it a read. And remember, we’re always here to help with blood pressure monitoring and advice. [Insert Article Link]” - Promoting an OTC Product:
“Dealing with seasonal allergies? We’ve got you covered! Stop by and check out our selection of over-the-counter allergy relief options, including antihistamines and decongestants. Breathe easy this season!” - Customer Appreciation:
“A huge thank you to our loyal customers! We appreciate your trust and support in choosing us for your healthcare needs. Whether it’s picking up a prescription or stopping by for advice, we’re grateful to be your local pharmacy.” - Staff Birthday or Anniversary:
“Happy birthday to [Staff Member’s Name], one of our amazing team members! 🎉 We’re so lucky to have you as part of the [Pharmacy Name] family. Drop by today to wish them a happy birthday or simply say hello!” - Quick Health Tip:
“Did you know staying active for just 30 minutes a day can boost your energy and mood? Take a brisk walk, ride your bike, or try a new exercise class. Your health is worth it!”
This is a great starting point to get you started on posting on Facebook or Instagram to really engage your ideal patient and bring in more foot traffic and revenue to your store. Now let’s talk about engagement and establishing trust.
You may have heard this before, but social media is a two-way street. While posting engaging content is essential, what really sets successful stores apart is how well they interact with their audience. For independent pharmacies, social media is the perfect way to showcase the genuine, personal care you’re known for while fostering deeper relationships within the community.
Community Interaction: Your pharmacy is more than just a place to pick up prescriptions—it’s a key player in your community’s health and wellness. A simple way to reinforce this is by regularly engaging with your followers. Set aside time once a week to check your Facebook posts, respond to comments, and thank people for engaging with your content. Also, take a moment to review direct messages and answer any questions. Don’t overthink it—consistent, genuine interaction builds trust and strengthens your role as a community partner and thought leader, which ultimately helps bring loyal patients back to your pharmacy.
Building a loyal patient base leads to increased profitability for your business. Want to estimate how much new patients could contribute to your gross profit? Check out Marketing My Pharmacy – Where Do I Start? where Matt Tompkins explains how to calculate Gross Profit per prescription and the average number of prescriptions per patient each month.
Social media success doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about showing up consistently and engaging regularly with your audience. That’s why developing a content calendar is essential. Posting sporadically won’t cut it—your followers need to see that you’re actively involved and committed to sharing valuable information regularly. Good thing you have 5 weeks of content ready to go!
Let me address a common misconception I often hear about social media: the belief that you *must* post every single day to be successful. While daily posting might work for some, it’s certainly not a requirement. Your time is valuable, and as a busy professional, it’s important to find a schedule that fits your workflow without causing burnout or overwhelm. Focus on consistency and quality over quantity to ensure that social media remains manageable and effective for you.
Start with a realistic goal—whether it’s posting three times a week or scheduling one “theme day” each week, like Wellness Wednesday, where you share a health tip or product spotlight. Tools like Meta Business are great for you to schedule your posts ahead of time which in turn helps you stay consistent and keep everything low lift.
As you grow your social media presence, track your progress. Are your followers engaging with your content? Are you getting more inquiries about your services?
Social media platforms offer insights that can help you track engagement, clicks, and conversions. Use these metrics to adjust your strategy. If a certain type of content performs well, double down on it. If something isn’t resonating, tweak it or try a new approach.
As mentioned above, social media is a marathon. You must be patient and kind to yourself when figuring out your ideal patient, figuring out your posting cadence, and even more so when looking at the numbers.
Building a strong social media presence is one of the most effective ways for independent pharmacies to attract new patients and grow their business. By understanding your audience, creating engaging content, fostering community interaction, building trust, and investing in paid ads, you can leverage the power of social media to create real-world results. Stay consistent, stay authentic, and above all, stay connected to your community. Your pharmacy is already doing great work—now it’s time to let the digital world know about it! And remember, IPC has plenty of resources available to support your journey in expanding your online reach.
If you haven’t read the other blogs in our series, start with Marketing My Pharmacy – Where Do I Start, In and Around My Pharmacy, and Low Volume Stores.
IPC Marketing Team is currently building a Marketing My Pharmacy library that will be available for you to download and save to your browser. In the meantime, if you’re looking for more value, check out our Co-op Connection and search for more Marketing Tips.
