Utilizing Social Media to Expand Your Digital Footprint, Engage with Patients | NCPA 2024

Nearly 300 million people in the United States reported using a social media site in 2023. That number is only expected to grow, with some estimates putting it at 326 million by 2029.¹ With so many users spread across various platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, it represents a prime opportunity for pharmacies to expand their digital footprint, market their services, and grow their patient base.

At the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) 2024 Annual Convention and Expo, held October 26 to 29 in Columbus, Ohio, Drug Topics sat down with Erin Rexroth, director of marketing at NCPA, to discuss what role social media plays in building a pharmacy’s digital footprint, and how pharmacies can effectively use platforms like Facebook or Instagram to engage with patients.

“The role [social media] plays with building [a pharmacy’s] digital footprint is, one, it’s giving Google more options to search for your pharmacy,” Rexroth said. “You have your Facebook business page or Instagram and every time you create a post, that is creating a searchable link for google to find so that you’re ranking higher on their search….It also helps you reach an audience that, unless they’re coming directly from your website, are not going to find you.”

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Coverage of the National Community Pharmacists Association 2024 Annual Convention and Expo was supported by Red Sail, with independent editorial content creation on-site by the Drug Topics team.

References

1. Number of social media users in the United States from 2020 to 2029. Report. Statista. August 20, 2024. Accessed October 27, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/278409/number-of-social-network-users-in-the-united-states/