When I say social media, what comes to mind? 

Facebook? Instagram? LinkedIn? 

Those platforms absolutely have a place in a medical practice’s marketing plan. In fact, I believe practices should maintain a professional, active presence on the social platforms where their patients, referral sources, and community spend time. 

But here’s where I think many practices get social media wrong: 

They spend too much time worrying about likes, followers, and engagement—and overlook the platform that is much closer to the actual patient decision: Google Business Profile. 

Think about the difference. 

Someone scrolling through Instagram may notice your post. Someone on Facebook may see photos from your community event. A referring physician may see one of your posts on LinkedIn. 

That visibility matters. It helps people get to know you and your practice. 

But someone searching Google for “podiatrist near me,” “orthopedic surgeon near me,” or “cardiologist near me” is doing something very different. 

They are looking for a doctor. 

And that makes Google Business Profile one of the most valuable, and frequently underused, parts of a medical practice’s social and local visibility strategy. 

Social Media Has a Job. Know What It Is. 

I am not suggesting that you stop posting on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. 

Quite the opposite. 

These platforms give prospective patients and referral sources an opportunity to see things they may not learn from a physician bio. 

They can see your physicians’ personalities. They can learn about conditions and treatments. They can see your involvement in the community. They can meet new team members, learn about new services, and get a sense of your practice culture. 

In other words: 

Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn help people get to know you. 

And familiarity matters in healthcare because patients aren’t choosing a restaurant or buying a pair of shoes. They’re deciding whom they’re going to trust with their health. 

But we also have to be realistic about what social media is, and isn’t, doing. 

A post getting 50 likes doesn’t necessarily mean anyone made an appointment. 

That’s why I encourage practices to pay attention to metrics closer to patient action: 

Calls. Appointment requests. Website visits. Google Map activity. Direction requests. Form submissions. Reviews. 

Those numbers tell us much more about whether our marketing is helping move someone toward becoming a patient. 

Google Business Profile Is Different 

Your Google Business Profile sits at a very important intersection: 

Search + Social Proof + Local Visibility + Patient Action 

Like traditional social media, you can add photos, publish posts, share updates, and continually provide fresh information about your practice. 

But there’s one enormous difference. 

Google reaches people while they’re searching. 

In one place, a prospective patient can see your physicians, services, location, photos, reviews, website, phone number, and directions—all while deciding: 

“Is this the doctor I should call?” 

That is a completely different mindset from someone casually scrolling through a social feed. 

And yet, I continue to see practices with beautiful Instagram accounts while their Google Business Profile has outdated information, old photos, few recent reviews, no current posts, or isn’t fully optimized. 

That’s backwards. 

Your Reviews Are Part of the Conversation 

There is another reason Google Business Profile is so powerful: your patients are participating in the conversation through reviews. 

Your star rating matters. 

The number of reviews matters. 

How recently patients have reviewed you matters. 

What patients say matters. 

And how professionally your practice responds matters. 

Before choosing a physician, a prospective patient can quickly see what other patients have experienced. That social proof is sitting right beside the information they need to call, visit your website, or get directions. 

That is why reviews and Google Business Profile should not be managed as two unrelated marketing activities. 

They work together to build trust at the exact moment someone is considering your practice. 

Of course, healthcare reviews require additional care. Review requests and responses should always be handled professionally and with HIPAA compliance in mind. Never confirm someone is a patient or disclose protected health information in a public response. 

CASE STUDY: What Happens When Google Visibility Turns Into Patient Action 

When we helped launch Greschner Foot & Ankle Specialists, Google Business Profile was an important part of the practice’s digital foundation. 

We didn’t simply create a listing and walk away. 

The strategy included establishing and optimizing both the clinic and physician Google Business Profiles, aligning the profiles with the practice’s services and local search strategy, and supporting them with a broader SEO and content program. 

The results included: 

+55% Google Business Profile views 

+39% total Google actions 

+52% phone calls 

+79% website visits from Google 

The practice also achieved Top 3 visibility for several high-intent local searches including AI overviews. 

Those are the kinds of social media numbers I want a physician to get excited about. 

Not just: 

“Did someone like us?” 

But: 

“Did someone find us…and take action?” 

In 2026, Social Media Has Another Job: Helping AI Understand Your Practice 

There’s another reason I don’t want you to give up on social media just because it isn’t generating a flood of appointments. 

AI is watching, too. 

When a patient asks an AI tool, “Who treats ankle arthritis in my area?” or “Who is the best orthopedic surgeon near me?” the answer doesn’t come from one Facebook post or one page on your website. 

AI is trying to understand the larger digital picture surrounding your practice. 

Who are you? What do you specialize in? Where are you located? What questions do you answer? Are you active? Do other sources reinforce what you say about yourself? 

Your website helps answer those questions. Your Google Business Profile helps. Your reviews help. And the educational content you publish across social media contributes to that broader digital footprint, too. 

This changes how I want physicians to think about social media. 

Don’t post simply because someone told you, “You need to be on Facebook.” 

Post on Social Media with purpose. 

Answer the questions patients ask in your office every day. Explain conditions and treatment options. Introduce your physicians. Share their expertise. Show your involvement in the community. Keep your information accurate and consistent. 

You’re not just creating another social post. 

You’re creating another piece of evidence about who you are, what you know, and what your practice should be known for. 

And then make that content work harder. 

A good patient question can become a website article, a Google Business Profile post, a Facebook post, an Instagram post, a LinkedIn insight, a short video, and part of your newsletter. 

That is how digital authority compounds. 

Social media helps people get to know you. Google helps them find and choose you. And increasingly, your complete digital footprint helps AI understand whether you belong in the answer. 

Marketing Takeaway Tip 

Give Every Platform a Job 

Don’t ask: 

“Are we doing social media?” 

Ask: 

“What job is each platform doing for our practice?” 

Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn should build familiarity, demonstrate expertise, and keep your practice visible to patients, referral sources, and your community. 

Google Business Profile should capture high-intent searches and make it easy for prospective patients to evaluate your practice and take action. 

And across all of them, publish useful, consistent content that reinforces what you want patients, and increasingly AI, to understand about your physicians and practice. 

Then measure each platform based on the job it is supposed to do. 

Don’t spend hours worrying about Instagram likes while ignoring a Google Business Profile that hasn’t been updated in six months. 

Your Marketing Assignment 

Pull out your phone and Google your practice the way a patient would. 

Don’t search only for your exact practice name. 

Try the actual searches a prospective patient might use: 

“[your specialty] near me” 

“[your specialty] in [your city]” 

“best [your specialty] near me” 

Then look at what a patient sees. 

Does your practice appear? 

Does the profile look current and professional? 

Are the photos recent? 

Is the information accurate? 

Are your services clear? 

Are your reviews recent? 

Does your practice respond professionally to reviews? 

And most importantly: 

If you were the patient, would you choose your practice? 

If the answer isn’t an immediate yes, you’ve just identified an opportunity to make some changes. 

Want Us to Take a Look? 

At GrassRoots Medical Marketing, we ensure private practice physicians have the foundational marketing that make them easier to find, trust, and choose. 

That includes Google Business Profile optimization, local search visibility, reviews and reputation management, websites, social media, physician visibility, and the other pieces that work together to build a strong local presence. 

If you’re wondering whether your practice is showing up where patients are actually making decisions, let’s find out. 

Schedule a Marketing Strategy Call with GrassRoots Medical Marketing. 

Because great physicians deserve to be seen, trusted, and chosen.

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