It is the age of technology and life should be easier than ever before. With all the social media platforms, and flurry of activity, are you really helping yourself or making more work for yourself by having to manage your reputation online? Social media is not just about personal reputation though, it is about personal and professional recognition, reach and establishing relationships. Let us look at how you can make social media work for you and/or your business.
Why Should You Care About Social Media?
Maybe the easier question to answer is why shouldn’t you? Social media is yet another mode to create communication, establish rapport and a professional or personal brand. Employers use social media to keep tabs on current employees and review the quality of applicants. What you say online matters! People can tell a lot about you from what you share, retweet, or post. Make sure you are aware of your audience to ensure you are representing yourself the way you would want potential future employers, academic programs or clients/patients to view you. Social media is another way for patients and prospective patients to reach you, find out more about your credentials, read reviews, and gain a greater understanding of your practice mission and goals.
Increasingly, employers and some academic programs may even review your online profile, and there have been cases of students and employees removed over posts that may impede their ability to be productive members of the professional community.
Being your Own Personal Manager
Keeping tabs on your personal and professional account profile is extremely important. Not only do you need to consider what you post, you also need to consider what other people may do with the information you share. It is a good practice to put what you post through a mental filter – and ask yourself, is that how you want to be represented? Think about how others may interpret your posts. Would you have trouble defending statements if taken out of context? Have you Googled yourself or your business lately? If not, take a moment or so to do that now. Do you like what you see? If you do not, think about how you can improve your online reputation.
Make Social Media Work for You!
It is key to remember that social media is social! The number one rule of media is to know your audience. Who visits your sites? Engage in conversation with your audience and answer the questions they have in the way that will be best received and understood by them. A good practice is to respond as soon as possible to messages to show that their feedback is important and encourage that relationship. Use your marketing tools and visuals – show off your logo, share images of your office and happy patients (with consent only), or maybe an introductory video of the services you offer and the value associated with them. The advertising of your brand creates recognition that they learn to associate with trust and then value following a successful patient-client relationship. Link your posts and blogs back to your website so readers may obtain more information.
For more information on social media tips watch this webinar recording.
