Life Sciences
July 30, 2024

6 Promising Social Media Platforms for Life Sciences Brands

In a recent blog post, we provided an overview of how social media can offer life sciences brands valuable avenues for engaging with healthcare providers, scientists, researchers, patients, and consumers. Now, let’s do a deeper dive into six different promising platforms and how to craft targeted strategies for creating effective content and making meaningful connections.

1. FACEBOOK

  • What It Is: A versatile platform that lets users create personal or business pages and share multimedia content.
  • Who’s on It: Over 2.8 billion monthly active users, with especially strong engagement among adults 25–54.
  • What Performs Best: Images (1200×630 pixels), short videos (1–2 minutes), and text (40­–80 characters).
  • What to Avoid: Lengthy or overly technical content that may not resonate with a broad audience.
  • How You Can Engage Others: Reply to comments and tag partnering organizations in your posts.
  • Example Post: Share a brief video showcasing a research breakthrough that involved your product.

2. INSTAGRAM

  • What It Is: A visually-oriented platform focusing on photos and reels (short video clips with audio and effects).
  • Who’s on It: A younger demographic that includes college students and early-career professionals.
  • What Performs Best: High-quality photos (1080×1080 pixels) and videos (15–30 seconds) with short captions.
  • What to Avoid: Text-heavy posts and intricate images that don’t translate well to a mobile phone screen.
  • How You Can Engage Others: Like posts, share user-generated content, and hold live Q&A sessions with experts.
  • Example Post: A visually striking photo of a cutting-edge laboratory setup, showing your products in action.

3. X (FORMERLY TWITTER)

  • What It Is: A microblogging platform that lets you post updates and engage in real-time conversations.
  • Who’s on It: A broad mix that trends somewhat younger, male, American, college-educated, and affluent.
  • What Performs Best: Images (1600×900 pixels), concise text (70–100 characters), and links.
  • What to Avoid: Content that’s more promotional than informational or in-depth stories best suited to a blog.
  • How You Can Engage Others: Reply to comments promptly and use relevant hashtags to join trending topics.
  • Example Post: A tweet sharing a link to a recent article, along with a short summary and hashtags.

4. LINKEDIN

  • What It Is: A professional networking platform where users can share industry news and insights.
  • Who’s on It: A variety of professionals, including healthcare providers, academics, and business leaders.
  • What Performs Best: Images (1200×628 pixels), videos (30–90 seconds), and text (1,200–2,000 characters).
  • What to Avoid: Content that is too personal or casual, live event coverage, and direct sales pitches.
  • How You Can Engage Others: Post interactive polls, join industry groups, and contribute to collaborative articles.
  • Example Post: A poll asking specialists to weigh in on a trending topic, with ongoing discussion in the comments.

5. YOUTUBE

  • What It Is: A video-sharing platform where users view and share content that informs and entertains.
  • Who’s on It: A global, multilingual, mobile-first audience whose fastest-growing segment is adults over 34.
  • What Performs Best: Videos of various lengths, with relevant titles and descriptions (up to 5,000 characters).
  • What to Avoid: Videos with a lot of text, cluttered backgrounds, and other elements that aren’t mobile-friendly.
  • How You Can Engage Others: Encourage viewers to subscribe and invite partners to create joint content.
  • Example Post: A sneak peek at a brand-new product, with eye-catching graphics that highlight key features.

6. REDDIT

  • What It Is: A community-driven platform where users can participate in discussions within various subreddits.
  • Who’s on It: Experts and enthusiasts in niche topics, with an average time on site of 20 minutes a day.
  • What Performs Best: Informative posts, out-of-the-ordinary news, and live AMA (Ask Me Anything) sessions.
  • What to Avoid: Salesy material that does not add value or promote authentic discussion in the subreddit.
  • How You Can Engage Others: Join relevant subreddits and contribute to ongoing conversations.
  • Example Post: An AMA with a leading researcher ready to discuss the latest developments in their field.

At LIGHTSTREAM, we know what works for life sciences companies, and we offer a full array of strategic and creative services to help your social media content break through the noise. Get in touch with us today.