The Best Social Media Platforms for Recruiting Nurses
Just like everyone else, nurses use social media. A study found that 84.5% of healthcare professional participants said social media positively influenced their practice. The primary reasons for using social media included networking, receiving work-related messages, keeping up with the news, and leisure.
And with the chronic nursing shortage, companies need to consider creative ways to attract and recruit nurses. With targeted nursing and advertising, you can reach nurses where they spend time online.
So, which social media platforms are best for reaching and recruiting nurses? Let’s take a look.
Which Social Media Platforms Do Nurses Use Most?
According to a study looking at how nurses interact with social media, the most common platforms for nurses to use are Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. (And we will be referencing the findings of this study throughout.)
These websites help nurses stay up-to-date with the latest news and trends and keep in touch with friends and loved ones.
Each of these platforms provides opportunities for marketing towards the right nurses. With smart recruitment strategies, you’re more likely to get your positions in front of ideal hires.
Recruiting Nurses Through Facebook
For Facebook, the study found that:
- The most effective time for reaching nurses on Facebook was between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.
- The least effective time for reaching nurses on Facebook was between 4:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
- The most significant number of clicked links on Facebook occurred between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
- The least number of clicked links on Facebook occurred between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.
Based on this data, it seems that nurses are likely to be on Facebook during the early morning hours, but they might not engage with content as much until later in the morning. And morning hours appear to work better for reaching nurses than afternoon and early evening hours.
Recruiting Nurses Through Twitter
In the study mentioned above, the greatest number of nurses posting on Twitter happened between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Engagement was also highest during this time range.
On the flip side, the least number of impressions and engagement happened between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. It seems that late morning to early afternoon were the prime times for engaging nurses. Evenings were the least effective times.
Instagram seemed to provide similar results to Facebook and Twitter:
- The most impressions on Instagram happened between 6 a.m. and 7 a.m.
- The least number of impressions on Instagram occurred right after, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
- The most effective time to reach nurses on Instagram appeared to be between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
- In contrast, the least effective time for reaching nurses on Instagram was between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m.
Interestingly, these findings show that — unlikely other platforms — the best time to get nurses’ attention on Instagram could be in the early afternoon, even though they are also active on the platform in the morning.
On LinkedIn, nurses viewed posts the most between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The least active time for viewing content was 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. Like Instagram, the afternoon might be more conducive to reaching nurses for opportunities on LinkedIn.
How to Recruit Nurses Using Social Media
To effectively recruit nurses on social media, you’ll need to pay attention to the data available and have a clear understanding of your target audience. Once you know how your ideal nurses think and what they care about, you can begin crafting a social media strategy for marketing and recruitment.
Need help recruiting nurses in this challenging time? Alabama Media Group can help target the best candidates. We specialize in reaching nurses who are looking for you and ready to fill out your applications and call your recruiters. Contact us today to learn more.
