Pharmacy website. Check. Pharmacy mobile app. Check. Pharmacy Instagram account. Check. Pharmacy Facebook account. Check.
But what about a Pharmacy TikTok account?
If you’re at all familiar with the popular app TikTok, then you know whether it’s something for you and your pharmacy…or not. If you’ve never downloaded the app before, you might want to check it out. TikTok is just another way for pharmacists to educate others on such things as medication adherence, what it’s like to work in pharmacy, and so on.
If you’re not in the know of TikTok, it’s a popular video-sharing app that allows users to create and share short-form videos on any topic. Starting an account is fairly easily, and posting can be fun. But you have to post regularly in order to get noticed and to start acquiring followers who like what you post.
Once you start an account on TikTok, here’s what you’ll need to start posting your own content:
- A smartphone with a camera
- The TikTok app
- A TikTok account with a unique username and profile picture
The process of signing up and getting involved on TikTok is fairly simple. Just remember: No one expects perfection on TikTok. It’s fun, educational, and entertaining. Plus, there’s something for everyone on the app.
12 important pharmacy tips to help you navigate and post on TikTok:
You’re not too late. Jump in and start your own TikTok channel. Just remember that everything on the app is immediate and short-term. So, if your content delivers value, you’ll have no problem attracting followers and views.
Don’t forget that you’re a pharmacy. You may think you have to dance or sing to be successful on TikTok, but that’s not true. Instead, you can educate people with what goes on in a pharmacy each day. For example, show how fast you can fill prescriptions with new technology. You can also post serious messages such as how important it is to take your medications regularly or what it’s like to be a pharmacist.
You might also want to create content around:
- Mental health issues
- Taking medication correctly
- Giving product demonstrations
- What happens behind the scenes in your pharmacy
- Discussing treatments for common minor ailments
- Busting healthcare myths
Keep in mind who’s watching: Not everyone on TikTok is in the high school and college crowd. In fact, plenty of adults are on TikTok, too. However, the younger crowd battles disorders such as anxiety these days due to excessive use of social media. As a pharmacist, you can offer helpful advice on the subject as well as other mental health issues.
Know your goal. The more followers you have, the better your brand will be perceived. However, while you build your audience, remember that your end goal is to nurture trust with your audience while developing engagement.
Use your team. The younger members of your pharmacy may not have much pharmacy experience, but they most likely will have a lot of TikTok experience. Therefore, make use of that by adding social-media content creation a part of their job description, or give them cash incentives per video. Also, be sure to pay both the person filming and the star(s) of the video, and encourage them to have fun with it. Be aware that some of your staff members may not be comfortable on camera. With the right incentives, however, they might change their mind.
Engage with others. Follow healthcare hashtags and other small businesses in your community. Be sure to comment on their content.
Reuse your content. Your TikTok content will work well on different platforms, so don’t be shy in sharing your videos on Facebook, Instagram, and more. And if you have digital screens in your pharmacy, play your videos on your screen. This will bring the fun into your pharmacy! Plus, it’ll also help boost your followers as customers in your pharmacy learn you’re on TikTok.
Keep it short and sweet. Keep your videos between 15-30 seconds long. Longer videos are okay sometimes. However, if viewers see a video is long, it can deter them from watching it.
Link your website in your profile. Perfect your profile and maximize the exposure to your pharmacy services. If one of your videos catches someone’s interest, they’ll be able to click on your profile and learn more.
Use hashtags. Without them, the algorithm for TikTok won’t know what your content is about. That means it won’t be shown to people who like content associated with those subjects. Therefore, always include a location hashtag, especially as a community pharmacy.
Track and analyze. Measure what you’re doing. If you don’t, you won’t know if it’s going to be effective or not. Check your video postings and discover which type works best. Ditch the videos that don’t work.
A Member-Owned Company Serving Independent Pharmacies
PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and owned by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited secondary wholesaler with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
