Social Media Strategies in Healthcare 2026
Build a more current, credible and measurable social media strategy for healthcare.
Pricing
Member rate: $500
Non-member rate: $750 (includes one-year SHSMD membership)
Complete all six webinars, discussion questions and course surveys.
Who This Course Is For
A practical, intermediate-level course for healthcare marketing and communications professionals who plan, create, manage or measure social media content and strategy.
- Social media, marketing and communications managers, specialists and coordinators
- Digital marketers, content strategists, content creators and public relations professionals
- Brand and digital engagement leaders responsible for audience growth, trust and performance
- Agency professionals and healthcare communicators expanding their social media responsibilities
Why This Matters Now
- Platforms, algorithms and audience behaviors continue to change
- Teams are under pressure to create stronger content with limited time and resources
- AI can accelerate production, but unchecked output can create accuracy and brand risks
- Leaders expect social media teams to demonstrate measurable value
Course Overview
This six-module certificate course equips healthcare marketers and communicators with practical strategies for creating engaging content, leveraging current platforms, incorporating AI responsibly, building employee advocacy, producing stronger photo and video, and using podcasts and storytelling to build trust and improve discoverability. Participants will leave with techniques they can immediately apply to strengthen their organizationâs social media strategy.
Ready to strengthen what your social media team does next?
Register for the complete six-module certificate course.
Register NowCourse at a Glance
| Date | Module | Primary Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Tue, Oct. 13 |
Module 1 Visual Marketing: Basics for Video and Photography for Social Media |
Create effective mobile-first visual content using tools you already have |
| Thu, Oct. 15 |
Module 2 Sound Strategy: Human Voices in an AI Era â Podcasting That Builds Trust, Expertise, and AEO/SEO Discoverability |
Build a podcast strategy that improves trust, search visibility and content reach |
| Tue, Oct. 20 |
Module 3 Whatâs Working Now: Social Media Best Practices for Healthcare Marketing |
Prioritize the right platforms, content approaches and metrics for current audience behavior |
| Thu, Oct. 22 |
Module 4 An Internal Influence: How Employee Ambassadors Are Paving the Way for Brands |
Turn employee advocacy into measurable organic reach, engagement and brand credibility |
| Tue, Oct. 27 |
Module 5 AI-Powered Content Creation: Using AI to Strengthen Your Social Media Strategy |
Use AI efficiently while protecting accuracy, brand voice and human judgment |
| Thu, Oct. 29 |
Module 6 Health Care Beyond the Screen: Using the âHeart-to-Headâ Framework to Connect with Your Community |
Turn complex healthcare information into authentic, accessible cross-platform stories |
Certificate and Digital Badge Requirements
To earn the certificate and digital badge, participants must:
- Attend live or view recordings of all six webinars
- Complete all corresponding discussion questions
- Complete all course surveys
Live attendance is not required. Participants retain access to recordings and course materials for 30 days after the final webinar.
One course. Six connected capabilities.
Visual content, podcasting, platform strategy, employee advocacy, responsible AI and community-centered storytelling.
Register NowCourse Modules
Visual Marketing: Basics for Video and Photography for Social Media
Bob Mackowski
Owner
Open Aperture Photography
Learn the fundamentals of creating effective video content using the device you already have. Explore storytelling techniques that capture attention and put them into practice by creating an âAboutâ video that can be used across digital marketing channels.
View learning objectives
Learning objectives:
- Identify the role of video in an effective healthcare social media strategy.
- Apply basic storytelling and mobile video techniques to create engaging content.
- Produce a simple âAboutâ video that can be used across digital marketing channels.
Sound Strategy: Human Voices in an AI Era â Podcasting That Builds Trust, Expertise, and AEO/SEO Discoverability
Bill Klaproth
Director of Marketing
DoctorPodcasting
Stacie Saunders
Director of Content
Novant Health
Develop a podcast that supports AEO, SEO and brand credibility while humanizing care through clinician and patient storytelling. Learn how to structure content for search and AI discovery, optimize video podcasts and repurpose episodes into short-form social content.
View learning objectives
Learning objectives:
- Structure podcast interviews for AEO and SEO by optimizing topics, transcripts and search intent.
- Maximize the value of video podcasts on YouTube using effective titles, descriptions, chapters, thumbnails and transcripts.
- Repurpose podcast episodes into short-form video and social campaigns that extend reach through organic and paid social.
Whatâs Working Now: Social Media Best Practices for Healthcare Marketing
Tyler Emken
Account Supervisor of Social Media
BVK
Explore current best practices across Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, Facebook and YouTube. Learn where to focus, how to create platform-specific content, how paid and organic strategies work together, and how a full-funnel social approach can move audiences from awareness to action.
View learning objectives
Learning objectives:
- Identify current best practices for major social media platforms and how each supports different healthcare marketing goals.
- Apply platform-specific strategies to create relevant content and maximize paid and organic social performance.
- Measure and optimize social media success using analytics, audience insights and a full-funnel approach.
An Internal Influence: How Employee Ambassadors Are Paving the Way for Brands
Genevieve Moorhead
Social Media Specialist
Sheppard Pratt
Learn how to build an employee advocacy program that expands organic reach, increases engagement and strengthens brand credibility. Explore tools such as Hootsuite Amplify that help employees share pre-approved content while supporting recruitment and brand awareness.
View learning objectives
Learning objectives:
- Explain how employee advocacy programs can increase brand awareness and engagement.
- Measure the impact and ROI of employee ambassador programs.
- Use employee advocacy as a strategic component of a healthcare social media strategy.
AI-Powered Content Creation: Using AI to Strengthen Your Social Media Strategy
Julie Jenkins
Social Media Manager
Stanford Childrenâs Health
Explore practical ways to incorporate generative AI into social media workflows while maintaining organizational voice, accuracy and credibility. Learn prompting techniques, how custom GPTs can streamline content development and where human review remains essential.
View learning objectives
Learning objectives:
- Identify appropriate use cases for AI throughout the social media content creation process.
- Apply prompting techniques and custom GPTs to draft and refine social media content more efficiently.
- Evaluate AI-generated content to ensure it aligns with brand voice, accuracy and organizational standards.
Health Care Beyond the Screen: Using the âHeart-to-Headâ Framework to Connect with Your Community
Christina Teves
Founder + Senior Communications Strategist
Say Sorbet
Use the repeatable Heart-to-Head Framework to blend traditional media and video into snackable social content. Move past jargon and create inclusive human stories that build trust, regardless of your current level of video experience.
View learning objectives
Learning objectives:
- Apply the three-step Heart-to-Head Framework to transform complex healthcare information into engaging, accurate and accessible social media content.
- Use practical techniques to create videos that feel genuine, trustworthy and engaging.
- Repurpose a single content idea into a cross-platform social media strategy.
Register for the full course series
Build practical social media skills you can apply immediately across content, channels and measurement.
Register Now