Social Media For Doctors – Free Report
Why Social Media for Doctors?
Is Social Media for doctors? In view of strict regulations that govern advertising and promotional practices in the medical industry, some doctors shy away from all social media platforms. They are not willing to risk going into this arena for fear of crossing that invisible boundary
Others jump onto the bandwagon – without first understanding the terms of use nor the guidelines set by the medical councils
It is because many medical centers and establishments are not aware of the boundaries of what they can or cannot do on these social media platforms that we are writing, speaking and raising awareness about social media for doctors.
In this post we will not have time to discuss how social media can be used by doctors and health care providers to educate, connect and empower e-patients. But I will show you how you can take your first step into the social media scene responsibly and effectively.
And with that you will not only have more new patients and loyal patients, but you would have prepared your practice for Health 2.0 with e-patients and participatory health care.
Step 1: The first step you need to consider is to be accessible and visible. If your practice is here to help patients then you need to show up when and where they are looking for you.
As a patient if you find yourself in an emergency situation and needing medical attention urgently, you want to locate a trusted doctor within a 3-mile radius. You may call your friends but if they don’t have the answer you will probably search for clinics online using search engines.
Your clinic should show up fast and top of the search, you would also want your page to show up in a mobile friendly way so your patients can easily read your services on their iPhones, iPad or Samsung Galaxies and tablets.
Step 2: List services you provide, your expertise area, your opening hours, your location and whether you have satisfied clients (social proof) need to show up at one glance. The patients who are frantically looking for medical help need relevant information quick; every second counts.
They need to decide which medical center to go to based on the information you provide on the search engine results page (SERP). Does your center show up well on mobile devices? Does it load fast? Is the site straightforward and easy to navigate?
Social media covers a lot of grounds, and today we have only touched on showing up on local searches (which is one third of all online searches). In another post we will talk about connecting with and reaching out to patients with the Health 2.0 initiative.
It’s time we look into Social Media for Doctors seriously. Doctors who blogs and connect with patients on YouTube and Facebook can reach more people and they can help more patients.
This 5-minute video tells why it is wise to be Social Media savvy.
If you like to have more information on how your medical practice can make use of Social Media effectively, just leave your name and email here to get the “Social Media For Doctors” free report and start enjoying twice as many patients this week!