X AND LINKEDIN
EFFECTS OF X AND LINKEDIN IN THE MEDICAL FIELD:
Overview
Social media platforms have increasingly become integral to various industries, and the medical field is no exception. Two of the most prominent platforms that healthcare professionals and organizations are using today are X and LinkedIn. These platforms have reshaped the way healthcare professionals communicate, share information, and collaborate. This case study examines how X and LinkedIn impact the medical field—and how Social Thrive leveraged social media to transform one doctor’s online presence from zero to a top influencer in just one month!
- X: X is a microblogging platform that allows users to post short messages (tweets) up to 280 characters long. It has become a space for real-time conversations, public debates, and information dissemination. In the medical field, X is frequently used for:
- Medical News and Updates: Sharing research, medical breakthroughs, and public health information.
- Professional Networking: Connecting doctors, researchers, and other healthcare professionals.
- Patient Advocacy: Providing a platform for patients and healthcare professionals to voice concerns and discuss medical issues.
- Public Health Campaigns: Engaging in health awareness initiatives, especially during crises like pandemics.
- LinkedIn: LinkedIn is a professional networking platform where users create profiles to showcase their career achievements, skills, and professional connections. In the medical sector, LinkedIn serves as:
- Networking Tool: Helping doctors, nurses, healthcare administrators, and researchers to connect with industry peers.
- Job Searching and Recruitment: A key platform for finding medical jobs, recruiting talent, and highlighting career advancements.
- Sharing Thought Leadership: Professionals share articles, posts, and research papers to establish their expertise and provide value to their networks.
- Organizational Branding: Medical institutions use LinkedIn to market their brand, share institutional achievements, and recruit staff.
Impact on Medical Professionals:
Increased Knowledge Sharing
Both X and LinkedIn have facilitated the rapid dissemination of medical research, breakthroughs, and best practices. Medical professionals can instantly share articles, studies, and opinions with their peers. This encourages a more collaborative approach to healthcare, where information is readily accessible and shared globally.
When you share content as thought-leadership or subject matter authority, it helps build trust and credibility with your audience, positioning you as a go-to expert in your field. As you consistently share valuable insights, solutions, and unique perspectives, you attract followers who are eager to learn and engage with your content, increasing the potential for a loyal, growing following over time.
Enhanced Professional Networking
LinkedIn, in particular, has allowed medical professionals to connect with colleagues worldwide, fostering global collaboration and idea exchange. X has also facilitated direct communication with thought leaders, which was particularly evident during health-related events and discussions.
Patient Education and Advocacy
Both platforms enable healthcare professionals to directly engage with the public and provide valuable information. This is crucial in combating misinformation, especially when medical issues go viral on social media.
Real-Life Example
Dr. Jason Efstathiou approached Social Thrive seeking help with building his online presence and personal brand. At the time, he had no social media presence, so we were tasked with creating one from scratch.
With the ASTRO 2024 Annual Meeting just a few weeks away, Dr. Efstathiou had a significant opportunity to present the results of the PARTiQOL trial—a pivotal study that examines the potential benefits of proton therapy for prostate cancer. The trial also explored innovative strategies to boost patient recruitment, particularly within minority communities. With data from 450 patients across 29 centers, this research aims to provide critical insights into proton therapy’s effectiveness.
Given the tight timeline, we quickly developed a plan to jump-start his social media presence and maintain his engagement.
Brand Development: Given the tight timeline, we quickly established a cohesive brand identity for Dr. Efstathiou, ensuring that every aspect—from colors and fonts to messaging—aligned with his values and goals. We focused on creating a brand that resonated with his target audience – his colleagues in the Oncology & Urology field. We wanted the tone to be professional, objective, and fair. Dr. Efstathiou still wanted our tone to be authoritative and subject matter expert while still being light and whimsical so the everyday consumer would understand as well.
Content Strategy: Our content strategy was built with the primary goal of creating newsworthy, smart content that would drive engagement and increase visibility for Dr. Efstathiou online in the lead-up to the conference. We developed a content calendar that included a mix of introductory posts, informative posts, industry insights, and event teasers. The goal was to not only educate the audience but also build anticipation for the conference. To ensure we reached our target audience we were sure to tag key players in our posts and use relevant hashtags across X and LinkedIn.
Audience Engagement: To maximize engagement, we actively interacted with followers by responding to comments, participating in relevant conversations, and sharing user-generated content where possible. We also utilized community management – following, liking, commenting – on relevant profiles and posts—ensuring that we weren’t just broadcasting content but actively fostering relationships. Engaging with content that aligned with Dr. Efstathiou’s values and goals was another tactic, allowing us to tap into conversations and increase our reach.
Paid Social: Given the urgency of the timeline, we strategically incorporated paid social ads on both X and LinkedIn to boost key posts, drive engagement and reach, and amplify conference-related content. The paid strategy was finely tuned to ensure we were targeting the right individuals—healthcare professionals, hospitals and healthcare groups, and conference-goers—based on job titles, interests, and industry sectors.
Target Audience: Our target audience was specifically defined to ensure that our efforts were as effective as possible. We focused on professionals in healthcare, specifically Oncology and Urology, with a strong emphasis on those active in GU, Bladder Cancer, Prostate Cancer, etc. By using LinkedIn’s advanced targeting options and leveraging X’s algorithm, we were able to zero in on the right individuals and ensure that our messaging reached the people who would derive the most value from our content.
By combining these strategies—brand development, tailored content, proactive audience engagement, paid ads, and targeting—we were able to rapidly grow the client’s audience on X and LinkedIn, ensuring strong brand visibility and engagement ahead of the conference.
During the ASTRO Annual Meeting, we ramped up community engagement on his profiles, actively sharing and commenting on content related to the event. Thanks to our efforts before and during the meeting, Dr. Efstathiou emerged as one of the top influencers at ASTRO 2024!
The ASTRO 2024 Meeting was September 29 – October 2, 2024. Below is our increase from September to October on both LinkedIn and X.
| LINKEDIN METRICS | |||||
| MONTH | IMPRESSIONS | REACTIONS | COMMENTS | SHARES | FOLLOWERS |
| AUGUST | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEPTEMBER | 262 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| OCTOBER | 63,355
(+24,081.30%) |
64
(+540%) |
2 | 2 | 24
(+300%) |
| X METRICS | |||
| MONTH | FOLLOWERS | IMPRESSIONS | ENGAGEMENTS |
| AUGUST | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEPTEMBER | 63 | 10,089 | 537 |
| OCTOBER | 120
(+90.48%) |
93,376
(+825.52%) |
1,193
(+122.16) |
Conclusion:
The rise of X and LinkedIn in the medical field has led to significant changes in how healthcare professionals communicate, share knowledge, and advocate for public health. These platforms have created opportunities for real-time updates, professional networking, and patient education.
Just like any business, it’s essential for medical professionals to build and maintain a strong online brand and identity. By leveraging best practices in branding, content creation, and community management, we successfully enhanced Dr. Efstathiou’s online presence, grew his followers and impressions, and positioned him as a top influencer at the annual meeting—all within just one month!
Date:
March 10, 2025
