Social media has become an indispensable tool for healthcare companies attending scientific and industry conferences. When used strategically, platforms like LinkedIn can significantly enhance your profile and presence, expand your network among scientific peers, investors and the media, and maximise the value you derive from the event, whether it be virtual or in-person. We have laid out below a few tips on how to harness the power of social media before, during, and after your next conference.
Which platforms?
It’s worth talking upfront about platforms. We have all experienced whiplash from X (formerly Twitter) in the past couple of years. Once a great platform to connect quickly with peers and journalists, X has turned into a difficult-to-navigate forest of unknowns, with many of its highly respected users reducing their presence or leaving completely. Some in healthcare still enjoy using the platform, and companies with a large retail investor presence often find a lively audience there. However, it has lost its relevance for a large number of companies and is fraught with reputational risk.
LinkedIn remains the industry standard today. We are beginning to see other platforms emerging which could challenge it, such as Threads, but they are some way off.
And so to the tips:
Pre-conference engagement
- Announce your participation: Share your excitement about attending the conference on all your social media channels. Use the official event hashtag to increase visibility and connect with others who are attending.
- Highlight your contributions: Presenting new data or exhibiting the company? Create teasers about your booth, presentations, symposia or products you’ll be showcasing.
- Schedule meetings: Use LinkedIn to connect with other attendees and schedule face-to-face meetings.
During the conference
- Provide live insights: Share real-time updates, key takeaways, and interesting quotes from sessions you attend (tagging the speaker of course 😉). This positions you (and your company) as an engaged industry player.
- Share visual content: Post photos or short videos of your team, your booth, your presentation or interesting exhibits. Visual content tends to get higher engagement on social media platforms – even more so if you tag external individuals.
- Engage in discussions: Hearing some breakthrough data? Check in on official conference hashtags and join conversations via comments or connect with other participants. Offer your expertise and insights to demonstrate thought leadership.
Post-conference follow-up
- Recap the event: Create a comprehensive blog post or LinkedIn article summarising key learnings and experiences from the conference. Photos or videos are a bonus!
- Share your presentation: If you presented, share your slides (if you can) and promote them across your social channels.
- Continue the conversation: Keep engaging with new connections you made at the conference, through social media platforms – you never know who could be a future partner.
- Gather feedback: Use social media polls to gather opinions on topics discussed at the conference, furthering industry dialogue.
While social media can be your most valuable tool while on the move at a conference, there are a few potential pitfalls to keep in mind:
- Avoid over-promotion: It can be exciting to update your followers on all the activities happening but excessive self-promotion is a turn-off.
- Conference compliance: Some conferences have guidelines regarding social media promotion and use of hashtags. Ensure you read and comply with them to avoid any issues. And stick to embargo rules.
- Respect privacy and preferences: Always respect the preferences of individuals who don’t want to be photographed or to have their photos posted online. Ask for permission beforehand or if someone objects to their image being used after it’s been posted, promptly remove it.
- Be mindful of sensitivities: Before posting any content, have a read (or get a second opinion) to check whether there are any sensitivities in the copy or imagery (eg, language that can be taken out of context, images that do not represent your or your company’s values.)
By using social media throughout the conference journey, you can amplify your (and your company’s) presence and profile, foster meaningful connections, and extract maximum value from the event. Remember, the key is to provide value to your followers while strategically promoting your expertise and ideas.
ICR Healthcare/Consilium can help you prepare your social media strategy as you prepare to head to your next conference. Get in touch: Kris.Lam@icrhealthcare.com
