New Year's Social Media Resolution for Your Practice

Of course, we did not forget about it. It's New Year and it's time for a new start. CNN's satirical resolution list reminds us to put together our own list to help improve your medical or dental practice social media strategy.

Think before you post. According to the article,"It takes only a few seconds to compose a dumb tweet. The damage can last much longer.” This is specially true with professional and business accounts.

Thinking before posting a tweet or Facebook message may seem an easy and obvious thing to do. But even the smartest people don't always have their wits about them and often find themselves the brunt of internet outrage for saying or posting something thoughtless and stupid.

Most practices are wary of the possibility of a negative backlash online but a social media expert can show you how these situations can be leveraged to create unique, profitable opportunities for your practice. Remember, every post is a reflection of your practice so make sure your messages consistently convey your level of professionalism. How people perceive you online can affect your reputation. So before hitting the publish button, think about these:

Is this inappropriate or offensive? Always play safe not post things that may be deemed rude, offensive or inappropriate.

How will this affect my brand or reputation? Always carefully craft your messages for accuracy and to reflect your level of professionalism. Don't be impulsive or you'll be sorry.

Check facts before you share. Misinformation caused a lot of guffaws and outrage in 2013. Verify facts or content for accuracy before you blindly follow, forward, retweet or share any message that appears to be an interesting, strange or funny information. Don't be too quick to repost or comment on trending issues so you don't fall prey to hoax or lawsuits. A little research can go a long way in social media.

Stay positive. It's often tempting to jump in and speak your mind on major issues or minor annoyances, but as dentists, doctors and medical professionals, you must think twice about posting negative comments and updates.

Do not engage in a word war or lash out at a customer for giving you a bad review. If the statement is untrue or malicious and you have supporting evidence to prove the statement to be inaccurate, you can request for the comment to be removed.  But in the absence of factual evidence to disprove any claims or statement and the site doesn't take down the negative statement or review, you should consider correcting the post in the comments section by presenting your side of the story in a professional manner.

Less, but more quality posts. Social media users have very short span of attention and skip over long-winded and rambling posts. Anything longer 140 character or 70 words is better posted on your practice or medical blog, where there's no word limit. Create short, but impactful posts on your Twitter and Facebook accounts.



Need help managing your social media?

We understand the hectic schedule of dentists, surgeons and other medical professionals.But you cannot skip social media engagement with your practices because of patients’ growing demands for digital communication in managing their healthcare. Let Solution21 social media experts help! We can plan an organized and effective social media strategy to get potential clients interested in your services and manage your reputation. Contact a Solution21 web specialist to learn more.