I wouldn’t call myself an expert in social media. I don’t have a YouTube channel, or a podcast on Spotify. I don’t even have an Instagram account.
But what I do have is a LinkedIn account with over 6,000 followers made up of healthcare professionals across the country.
These are doctors, nurses, technicians, administrators, PA’s and NP’s, pharmacists and many others. All learning to use the power of networking and social media to give a voice to the ideas and initiatives they believe will improve healthcare and positively impact the lives of others.
It’s not that I have any particular magic to share with all these passionate and talented people to help them. On the contrary, I am in awe and humbled by their compassion and expertise in their fields. It’s just that while they are experts in their particular field, I have been studying the best practices of social media, and LinkedIn in particular, for a couple years and can help them avoid lots of trial and error.
Social media for professionals is different. Especially in healthcare.
Much like marketing and advertising, there are Do’s and Don’ts, and formulas for writing headlines and content: Proven methods that get attention and draw interest to your cause. There are ways of telling a story or voicing your opinion that work, and others that don’t. You can say something one way that furthers your cause and gains supporters and followers, or say it the wrong way and you can alienate people.
I wouldn’t expect a busy medical director to be an expert in advertising, nor should they need to be an expert on social media. They can learn the basics from someone that can help make it much easier for them to be successful, while keeping it fun and personal.
My goal over the next year is to bring even more engaging and helpful content to my audience to keep them motivated and energized about their own messages. It is their voices that need to be heard, and their ideas that will ultimately change and improve healthcare from the inside. Every day I am excited to help these people grow their voices louder and louder and their ideas become reality.