Technology continues to grow and expand. In today's evolving society, individuals look to social media to be informed and connect with one another. If you are interested in enacting a social media strategy for your practice, it is important to know the pros and cons to these platforms. This article explains reasons to use social media, current popular platforms and tips for connecting with your audience.

Why Should You Try It?

The most popular platforms today are Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat and LinkedIn. For physicians, the primary reason to use social media is for marketing purposes and to keep people informed. For instance, a medical practice can use social media to:

  • Reach out to new patients and increase their target demographics;
  • Develop and increase brand awareness and product/service availability for new and existing patients;
  • Develop patient loyalty and a positive referral base;
  • Improve patient retention; and
  • Increase communication with patients.

It is also important to be aware of the platforms currently in use. For example, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are a few of today's primary outlets, whereas AOL chat rooms, Myspace and Google Plus have lost popularity. Using a platform that no one else is using will not help you market your practice. Identify which platforms your patients use, create a practice-related group and invite them to join. However, do not overextend your presence across all of the sites. Instead, choose a few platforms to connect with your patients.

Furthermore, it is also a good idea to advertise your practice's availability, build patient relationships in a HIPAA-compliant fashion and provide updates about services and promotions. Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram have paid advertising options on their platforms. It may be difficult to evaluate their effectiveness, but it is possible to target your audience and limit costs by placing a cap on the ad after a certain number of clicks.

Why Should You Not Try It?

There are plenty of good reasons not to use social media. For one, it can be difficult to evaluate your return on investment because determining whether or not a social media presence actually brings in new patients or helps retain existing ones is hard to ascertain. Furthermore, patient privacy is extremely significant and should not be violated. If you don't follow the best practices, potential violations of HIPAA could arise with social media usage. Additionally, you potentially run the risk of irritating or offending followers if you express personal opinions on social media. This could affect your practice's online presence and client relationships.

What are the Best Practices?

You should assign one person in your practice the role of monitoring your social media presence. Here are some tips on how to use social media professionally and effectively:

  • Set Guidelines and Stick to Them
    Let HIPAA be the core of those guidelines.
  • Have a Good Reason
    Use it for a specific reasons, such as engaging with patients or marketing your practice.
  • Be Professional
    Develop a social media presence and persona that represents your professional self.
  • Pay Attention to Security Settings
    This will limit who can view and interact with your posts.
  • Use it Regularly
    Sporadic use is not effective. You can take advantage of platforms that allow you to schedule posts for future dates and times.
  • Link to Relevant Content
    This can be original content or permissible content from another source.
  • Be Brief
    Social media posting should be similar to chatting at a cocktail party, not delivering a college lecture.
  • Do Not Provide Medical Advice
    You should never, under any circumstances, provide specific medical advice on social media. This could lead to legal liabilities. Instead, refer followers to visit your website or to make an appointment for a consultation.

Is it Worth Your Time?

Like most things related to marketing, it is important to pay attention to what does and does not work. If social media starts to become a chore that takes more time than it returns in benefits, seek other marketing strategies. Clearly, your first responsibility is to tend to your patients and medical practice. Social media is simply a tool to explore for enhancing patient relationships and growing your practice.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.