With the right strategy in place, doctors have the
most to gain by properly using social media to
market their practice, share their years of
experience and chime in on discussions with
colleagues in the industry.
Many doctors are afraid of the unknown and
choose to remain silent across social media due to
liability and privacy concerns. It is possible to
strike a good balance of transparent
communication, while conforming to the necessary
limitations of the industry.
Today, 24% of doctors use social media at least
once a day to post or seek medical information
according to Allied Health World.
The use of social media by doctors is still in its
infancy, which presents a huge opportunity to take
advantage of these digital platforms and build
scalable credibility for your career as a doctor. The
medical industry is far less saturated online as
other industries, due to the many legal restrictions
and fears most health care professionals and
organizations have since they wish to avoid liability
issues associated with social media and other
digital platforms.
As a doctor it is entirely possible to create an
effective, scalable and profitable social media
strategy to market your career and practice. It will
take time, effort and a lot of hustle, but the results
could have far reaching effects for your long-term
success online.
If you’re a doctor, here are ten ways to stand out
amongst the chatter and effectively reach the
right people in your extended network on social
media:


1. Setup a Personal Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook Account
This seems like a no brainer, but it is an important
first step for building a presence online. Fill out
each section of your profile on these three
networks to optimize them to the fullest.
Start with these three platforms in the beginning
and then expand to use others in the future.
Focusing your efforts at first is an important way to
ensure you’re gaining momentum from the time
spent using social media.
Begin with Facebook , Twitter and LinkedIn today to
start filling out your profiles and sharing content
with your network.


2. Use Visuals When Sharing Content
Visuals resonate more with people than just text,
therefore incorporate more images with your social
updates on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. This is
the most important to implement on Facebook,
followed by Twitter and then LinkedIn.
When sharing content, use original content, free
stock footage or non-copyrighted photography to
boost how engaging your posts are. Another
option is to use the photos used in the blog post,
article or video you’re posting about on these
networks.


3. Teach Others, Share the Knowledge
No matter what platform you’re sharing content on,
be sure that what you’re saying to connections,
friends and followers is educational and actionable.
Pull from your unique expertise and share timely
and relevant information about what you know
best.
In addition to joining existing Twitter chats,
LinkedIn groups and other relevant discussions
online about your expertise and industry, start your
own knowledge-sharing hub on social media to
bring a new perspective and depth of knowledge to
your professional interests.
Whether this “knowledge hub” is a Facebook
Group, LinkedIn group, Twitter chat or some other
form of niche community, it is an important
method of sharing what you know and building
your credibility as you educate others.
As a doctor it is important to follow this rule of
thumb to ensure that you’re providing the most
value to others and making use of your time spent
using social networks. A doctor’s job is to share
their expertise and help execute their advice. Social
media merely helps to scale the spread of
knowledge between physicians, their patients and
the larger medical community.


4. Post Frequently on LinkedIn
As the largest network of professionals online,
LinkedIn’s profiles allow a doctor to highlight each
aspect of their career path with text and visuals.
LinkedIn has the most benefits to offer doctors due
to its professional nature and vast network of like-
minded experts interested in connecting with
others. Begin by making the most of your profile
by sharing content from your account that reflects
your expertise and interests as a healthcare
professional.
Content shared on LinkedIn should be of a
professional nature and a little more reserved than
content typically shared on Twitter or Facebook.
Share links to articles and other relevant
information that could be of value to your
connections, while making sure to add your own
perspective to each piece of content by adding a
comment to the post.


5. Follow Other Doctors on Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook
Start by reaching out to your existing network of
contacts that you already know by searching for
colleagues, friends and peers in the medical field
on all three networks. Follow, connect and friend
these individuals to foster a following that you can
continue to build from.
Now start searching using each network’s search
feature for individuals in a similar role, industry or
expertise. By building a large network on each
platform you’ll have other like-minded people to
interact with, rely on for support and an active feed
on engaging information to read, share and
discuss.

6. Participate in Existing Conversations on Twitter
Twitter is the best social platform for public one-
to-one conversations at scale. Start discussions
with other doctors and medical professionals to
address current trends, recent industry news or
interesting findings or studies.
Find these conversations from other’s you’ve
followed in your field or by searching Twitter
hashtags or keywords related to your interests or
focus as a physician. Twitter users often
communicate in a more conversational tone when
speaking with others, which allows a doctor to
better incorporate their personality and build the
trust of others in their extended network.

7. Join Relevant Twitter Chats
Twitter chats are weekly, monthly or quarterly
conversations centered on a particular topic and
hashtag. Discover what Twitter chats are available
for doctors and medical professionals, then join in
on theses conversations with other chat
participants, to learn something new and share
your expertise.
Some health care related Twitter chats are
#FOAMed , #abcDrBchat , #hcsm , #MDChat and
#SocPharm . For a full list of every active Twitter
chat there is, check here .
When participating in a Twitter chat, answer some
of the questions posed by the moderator by
adding your opinion and insights to the larger
discussions. Follow the moderator and other
participants in the chat, while making sure to
consistently include the appropriate hashtag in all
of your tweets about the chat.

8. Join LinkedIn Groups
That Match Your Expertise
Search for groups using LinkedIn’s search feature
or browse what groups your connections are a
part of to find communities that match your
expertise and interests as a professional.
Groups on LinkedIn offer a unique opportunity for
similar professionals to discuss, post and share
content about a particular subject. Some of the
most popular LinkedIn groups for physicians on
LinkedIn are: American Medical Association ,
Medical Doctor (MD) Network, Medical Group
Management Association (MGMA) , Physicians
Practice and the America’s Leading Practice
Management Resource .
Once you have become a member of a few
relevant groups on LinkedIn, search through the
existing discussions, learn what other group
members are talking about, post engaging content
for the group to discuss and connect with other
group members. LinkedIn groups are only as
valuable as the time and effort you put in to them.

9. Strive For Accuracy
There is a high amount of misinformation online
when it comes to the medical field, confusing
consumers and diluting the effectiveness of
accurate medical insights found online.
As a doctor, it is important to act as a voice of
reason when sharing information about health care
online. Strive for accurate coverage and discussion
when it comes to the information you decide to
share on social media. Avoid interacting with
illegitimate accounts and connections on social
media that could affect your credibility for the long-
term.
Limit the time spent on social media to a certain
part of the day or a few times a week to help focus
your efforts to be more accurate. Again, it should
always be quality over quantity when it comes to
the content being shared and the discussions you
are having online.

10. Ask Questions
One of the most beneficial aspects of social media
is the ability to have actual conversations online
with peers, friends, family and other connections in
your network. As a doctor it is also important to
ask questions of your audience to get their
feedback on a decision or perspective on industry
news.
By asking questions you’re able to learn from the
collective insights of your network and help share
your human side. No one person knows
everything, but everyone has something to share
with others. Poll your network on social media to
gain new insights and further establish your
credibility as a well-respected doctor.


Are you a medical professional using social
media to build a network and gain credibility in
your field? What tips or tricks have worked to
jumpstart your social media marketing efforts?
Please share your insights in the comments below.


https://getreferralmd.com/2013/09/doctors-social-media-uses/

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