Social media has become one of the first checkpoints for patients – even if they come through a strong personal reference. They will still check your Google reviews, scroll through your social media feeds, and analyse what you post or write – everything is visible and open to judgment.
About three months ago, a distant relative of mine had a bad experience with a dermatologist and posted some harsh reviews online. I didn’t hear it from her directly – the dermatologist reached out to me through mutual friends, saying, “Hi Ami, I am in trouble – can you help?”
Of course, I helped. It took a couple of days, but I managed to convince my relative to take the posts down, purely out of goodwill. But the whole episode was a stark reminder of how powerful and sometimes damaging social media can be for aesthetic practitioners.
Online word of mouth
Today, your social media presence plays a critical role – not just in what you post, but in how you build your brand. You might be running a fantastic practice in Andheri, but if people do not know you, it is as good as invisible. It is not enough for 100 people to know you. The real question is: Does everyone in your area know and refer you online?
Referrals today go beyond family and friends. Patients are actively asking online, “Can someone recommend a trusted dermatologist in Juhu?” These posts get 150-200 comments, with people openly sharing their experiences – positive and negative. If you are not visible online, you are missing out on these high-quality, referral-based patients.
Of course, social media is a vast world. I have about 45 minutes today, so I will focus on some practical, actionable tools that you can take back – whether to your agency or your own social media strategy – and start building a stronger online presence.
What to post, how often and why?
A lot of you, I am sure, are struggling with social media – what to post, why to post, and whether it is even necessary to be active on social media every day. Do we really need to juggle it along with our practice? Where do we strike that balance? Do we have the time to manage it? How do we keep followers engaged daily? And most importantly – is it worth it?
People today are spending huge amounts on this. One of my clients, for instance, has a dedicated budget of Rs 1 lakh per month solely for increasing their followers – and they are not even a big player! That is the kind of money people are spending on building their brand and social standing online.
We will be covering some key points today, along with practical hacks. Even if you plan to manage your social media independently, there are ways to do it effectively. For example, even with just half an hour a day, you can create significant impact.
Why is social media presence important?
- Increase patient engagement: A patient you spoke to today might not always connect via calls or messages — but they will connect with you online. If they have had a good experience, they will want to follow and hear more from you. Engagement matters.
- Educate and inform: Patients are actively looking for credible information. Earlier, we would say “half knowledge is dangerous”, and every family had a few ‘half-doctors’. “Put this on your face, it will remove spots!” But they did not know the risks. That is why your role becomes vital – to step up, come in front of the camera, and offer correct guidance.
Networking and opportunities
Professional networking is extremely important. For example, Lupin Pharma, one of my biggest clients, discovered me through LinkedIn. An event agency managing its conferences across five Indian cities was looking for a social media speaker. They found my profile, conducted three interview rounds, and I landed the project – training 500 doctors across five cities. That led to work with Sun Pharma and several freelance social media training sessions for medical practitioners.
It all started with a strong LinkedIn profile. My digital presence opened up those opportunities. So yes, social media has its downsides – but it also builds careers. The goal is to use your time wisely online. Not just endless scrolling – but strategically investing it in growing your practice.
Branding and reputation management
Branding and reputation management are crucial. What kind of content are you posting? What does it say about you?
Now, medical practitioners do face certain limitations when it comes to marketing – you cannot promote like consumer brands do. But there are ways to ethically promote your practice. When it comes to platforms, LinkedIn is a goldmine for your profession. You will find professionals and high-net-worth individuals from across the globe.
Personal branding
A strong personal LinkedIn profile is more valuable than even a business page. Shark Tank’s Aman Gupta is a classic example. None of us knew him before the show – now his personal brand is everywhere. That is the power of digital presence.
As a doctor, you can use LinkedIn to:
- Connect with peers,
- Share research or insights,
- Stay updated on industry trends.
The 3 A’s framework
These are the three pillars of your strategy, no matter the platform — Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube.
Awareness:
If people don’t know you, they can’t find you. Your profile must be SEO optimised. That means:
Use relevant keywords.
- Include your profession in your name: e.g., “Rupesh Rathod, Dermatologist” not just “Rupesh Rathod”.
- Think like your patient: What would they search for? “Skin doctor” might be more common than “dermatologist”.
Also consider:
- Authentic branding (your offline and online persona should align),
- A defined colour palette,
- Consistent fonts and visual language.
Asset Creation:
This includes: Posts, Reels, Stories, Content calendars.
Example: Ask ChatGPT for a 30-day content calendar. Specify that you want educational posts, case studies, filler content, quotes, and before-and-after stories. Use Canva Pro to design posts, brochures, portfolios, and even AI-generated images.
Amplification:
You have built content – now how do you reach more people?
Use the Meta Ads Library to study competitors and understand ad trends. You can target specific demographics — people getting married in Mumbai in 2 months? Yes, even that’s possible.
Ads help you get leads, drive traffic, build followers, and create awareness.
Pro tip: Share your customer data with Meta and ask it to find a similar audience. It works!
Right Ad for the right result
There are various ad types:
- Traffic ads (drive people to a site),
- Lead generation ads (collect contacts),
- Engagement ads (increase followers),
- Awareness ads (boost brand visibility).
Meta lets you create hyper-targeted ads. It even tracks your conversations (yes, really!). So imagine the level of data it can work with.
Key safety tips: Protect your reputation and privacy online
- Avoid controversy: Do not argue publicly. Even if you’re right, screenshots can ruin your reputation.
- Maintain patient confidentiality: Never name patients in case studies.
- Do not share advice via DMs or chats – these can be used as legal evidence against you.
- Activate two-factor authentication (2FA): Your account could get hacked. 2FA protects it.
- Avoid clicking on suspicious links – even if they come from close friends or family.
- Use tools like Grammarly to avoid typos and grammar errors.
- Do not post misleading or inaccurate information – it can harm your reputation.
DIY social media design tools that actually work
- Canva: Beyond posts and stories, now you can design presentations, brochures, leaflets, portfolios, and even generate QR codes.
- Magic Media (in Canva): Generate AI images by simply typing a prompt.
Giphy: Use for fun GIFs, memes, and short film clips to make your content more engaging.
About the author:
Ami Savla Hemani is the Founder & Trainer of Socialise Store – Social Media Training Hub. She is an award-winning Social Media Consultant and Trainer, and has served as a visiting faculty member at NMIMS. She has trained over 10,000 individuals, addressing the training needs of corporate clients such as French Tourism, Sun Pharma, and Lupin Pharmaceuticals. She is the Founder of Socialise Store, a dedicated social media training hub.
(This article is adapted from Ami Savla Hemani’s presentation at the Aesthetic Medicine India Conference 2025.)