Showing posts with label Small Business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Small Business. Show all posts

Thursday, April 30, 2026

Social Media Tools For Physicians?


Whether you are an avid tweeter, write a blog, or are a novice to professional social media, your online presence has the power to connect you with potential patients just down the street or colleagues working on similar research across the world..


Having a strong online voice is part of your brand. 

Any communication by or about you, such as your name being listed on your practice's website, is part of your brand.

Taking control of how you are perceived by others helps to build your professional reputation. Whether you want to expand your practice, find colleagues to collaborate with, or are looking for career opportunities, your reputation is key to achieving your goals.

In a recent article on branding, we brought you tips on how to define and establish your brand. Here, we delve deeper into how to capitalize on the most useful professional social media platforms for physicians.


LinkedIn: Bringing The World To You

LinkedIn is the world's largest professional network, with more than 500 million registered users worldwide.


Half of these users are college graduates, and 45 percent report household incomes of $75,000 or more per year.

Kevin Pho, M.D. - an internal medicine physician and co-author of the book Establishing, Managing and Protecting Your Online Reputation: A Social Media Guide for Physicians and Medical Practices - sees several benefits from having a LinkedIn profile. "LinkedIn is a low-threat, low-resource, high-yield action," he said.

Unlike physician rating sites, a social media profile offers more control over how you are presented, Dr. Pho explained. Also, LinkedIn profiles are ranked highest out of all social media platforms, reducing the impact of negative news or physician rating sites.

After registering at LinkedIn.com, create the most thorough profile possible, recommended Jeffrey Benabio, M.D., in an article published on Medjobnetwork.com.

The more complete your profile is, the higher it ranks. The basic information to share is your education, medical expertise, areas of interest, professional experience, the address and phone number of your practice, and links to your website (if you have one).



To make the most of your LinkedIn profile, follow these simple steps:
  • Upload a picture of yourself looking professional but approachable.
  • Personalize your headline.
  • Add keywords, including the name and location of your practice.
  • List at least five of your strongest skills as a physician.
  • Search for colleagues already on LinkedIn and invite them to connect.
  • Join LinkedIn groups that match your interests.
  • Be active by commenting on others' posts and sharing articles of interest, including your own.
  • Finally, customize your profile URL, and include it in your email signature.
LinkedIn allows you to build up a substantial network of connections, communicate directly with other members, post updates, share stories from other outlets, and importantly, track who has viewed your profile.

Doximity: Catering to HCP's

While LinkedIn is low in physician resources, Doximity is high.


Similar to LinkedIn but exclusive to healthcare professionals in the United States, Doximity connects more than 800,000 of them - 600,000 of which are physicians.

"Doximity has emerged as the core professional profile for doctors and one that's totally within the physician's control," said Bryan Vartabedian, M.D. - director of community medicine for the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition for Texas Children's Hospital in Houston - in his blog. "It's the first place I go to update my professional status as it changes."

Creating your profile is easy; you can automatically upload your CV. Conveniently, Doximity keeps your CV updated by scanning the web for information about your latest achievements.

It doesn't stop there. Doximity profile updates are also immediately reflected in U.S. News & World Report physician profiles.

Including your clinical interests allows you to receive the most relevant referrals and news from their DocNews newsfeed. The site also lets you know when your work is being discussed in online conversations.

In addition to connecting physicians with job offers, the site offers CME/CE credits, a residency navigator, and an annual salary survey.



For communicating with your patients, a free digital fax and messaging service provides HIPAA-secure communication from any mobile device. Another tool displays your office number when you call patients from your cell phone.

Between its far-reaching network and well-conceived resources, Doximity expands your influence while boosting your practice on the most practical levels.

Twitter: Big Impact in Small Bites

The microblogging site lets you make an impact in 140-character posts called "tweets." Quotes and attached media are excluded from the character count. While anyone can read tweets, only registered users can post them.

Tweets often include photos and links. Hashtags (such as #cancer) identify terms and help to organize information. The names, or "handles," of other users are preceded by the @ symbol (such as @mnt).

Physicians usually follow other physicians, allowing them to interact with colleagues interested in the same news, advances, or advocacy.



"On Twitter you can follow thought leaders in any area of medicine and healthcare," Dr. Pho explained. "I have a Twitter list that has 40 healthcare thought leaders that I follow dozens of times a day. To me it's one of the most powerful ways to stay up to date in my area of medicine and healthcare."

Twitter can also bring you the latest news from major medical journals, including pre-published articles as well as policy updates and educational events.

The platform is especially useful for getting insight into patients' perspectives, as many patients and advocacy groups tweet regularly.

Through Twitter, you can even attend medical conferences virtually, by following attendees' tweets. Sharing research findings is easy and can lead to new collaborations.

In 2015, the California Association of Family Physicians (AFP) took to Twitter for vaccine legislation.

Up for debate was a bill that would end personal belief exemptions for vaccines. Going up against thousands of Twitter comments opposing the bill, the California AFP formed a coalition with pediatricians and public health officials, tweeting to educate patients and the media.

The result saw California become the third state to ban personal belief exemptions for vaccines.



To add your voice to Twitter, sign up for a free account on Twitter.com. Then, create a profile that includes your name, credentials, and a picture. Search by using hashtags to find the topics most pertinent to you.

Begin by following the physicians and thought leaders who interest you, and "retweet" the most insightful ones. Once you start tweeting your own thoughts and links to original articles, be ready to field the responses.

A record of all your tweets is conveniently stored on your home page.

YouTube: Patients See You in Action

While Twitter plugs you into the latest research and gives you a forum to share yours, YouTube can be even more personal.

A short video introducing yourself allows potential patients to start getting to know you before even making an appointment.

YouTube videos can also be a way to educate patients about your services, without any overt marketing.

Orthopedic surgeon C. Noel Henley, M.D., uses YouTube videos to put patients at ease about their upcoming surgeries.



On his blog, he said, "This week, my patient requested a specific procedure. We agreed it should be done, and [...] I fired up my iPad in the office and showed him a 2-minute video of the procedure I created and uploaded to YouTube using free software [...] He was crystal clear on the procedure and prepared for what will happen in a few weeks."

In addition to educating and reassuring existing patients, a YouTube channel can also bring new clients to your door. Using video clips, you can explain illnesses, perform exercises, or demonstrate early detection techniques.

Dr. Henley wrote, "YouTube sends my practice website a large percentage of my best monthly traffic. Last month, the visitors from my YouTube channel stayed on my website longer than most people, and viewed more pages than average."

"This makes sense: a person who watches one of my videos is already interested in my information and wants to know more - before they arrive on my website. If you want to be found by patients, you need to be on YouTube before your local competition figures this out."

To get started, sign up for a free YouTube account. Search for channels relevant to your field, and see what the competition is doing.



Once you're ready to try your hand at it, invest in a high-quality camera. Ensure that you have enough lighting and excellent audio. Choose a setting appropriate to the topic. Videos can be edited with a free tool such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker.

To get the most out of your channel:
  • Add a professional profile picture to help legitimize your channel.
  • Link back to your practice website, to your other social media accounts, and to similar YouTube channels.
  • End the video by encouraging viewers to subscribe to your channel and directing them to your website.
  • Take advantage of YouTube's free tracking tool to see which videos are most popular. This shows you what additional videos and web pages your viewers might like.
Hootsuite: Tying it All Together

When using multiple social media platforms, one simple tool can make you much more efficient: Hootsuite.

While both free and paid versions are available, the free version allows you to manage three social media profiles and track follower growth.



It also shows you which content you post is most popular, lets you schedule content to post, and integrates two RSS feeds that find and share content from sources you choose.

Dr. Pho turns to the tool to monitor Twitter conversations, as well as any mentions of his handle and his name, and to manage pages and posts on various social media platforms.

"The free version is powerful enough for the majority of physicians," said Dr. Pho. "It's an essential social media tool and I highly recommend it to any physician using social media."

As you ease into social media, start small. Dr. Vartabedian noted, "It doesn't take much. Share your successes and tell some stories on a LinkedIn page and a Twitter account, and you're off to the races."

Guest Authored By Lisa Chontos. Lisa is a Freelance Medical Writer specializing in marketing and consumer health, and French & Spanish translation into English. Follow Lisa on Twitter.





"Having a strong online voice is part of your brand.

Any communication by or about you, such as your name being listed on your practice's website, is part of your brand.

Taking control of how you are perceived by others helps to build your professional reputation.

Whether you want to expand your practice, find colleagues to collaborate with, or are looking for career opportunities, your reputation is key to achieving your goals.."

    • Authored by:
      Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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    Tuesday, April 14, 2026

    What Other Peoples Advertising Can Teach YOU?


    What A Creative Can Teach You About Advertising Your Small Business..

    There’s an old adage that all publicity is good publicity and it rings true with any new business.



    An entrepreneur can pour heart and soul into their new product or service, but without market awareness of it, the business dies before its first breath.

    One of the most essential ways to build such awareness is through advertising. Both large corporations and the micro-entrepreneurs I have written about in Forbes know the importance of promoting their businesses and scaling their services.

    Most people are familiar with the big-name advertising campaigns: from soft drink brand names on scoreboards to insurance companies sponsoring prime time TV shows. What these campaigns aim to do is form a connection with consumers by making their products and services appear relatable to the activities and experiences in the consumer’s life. A successful campaign makes a brand memorable, so that the next time someone makes a purchasing decision, they remember that particular brand.



    But people tend to be much less familiar with how small businesses build brand recognition.

    Take a look at newspaper ads, social media posts, and small-time sponsorships, and you’ll find many less-known brands trying to make a name for themselves. So, how can small business owners, start-ups and budding entrepreneurs benefit from an advertising program? And how can they access what to many may seem a luxury?

    Vahbiz Engineer is a senior copywriter at a top New York marketing and communications agency. Originally from India, Vahbiz knows the value of translating across cultures, getting out of your comfort zone, and pushing boundaries. After ten plus years in the industry, she has seen her fair share of hits no matter the budget size. Vahbiz agreed to share her top five tips for entrepreneurs looking to incorporate advertising strategies into their work.



    Tip 1: Be Resourceful

    Creativity has nothing to do with size of your budget or team. As Vahbiz has seen with many of her nonprofit clients, being creative with where you spend what few resources you have is the key to success. Take the time to think about what you have and how to use it best to grab headlines.

    GoPro, the now famous camera and content company was finally able to find its footing in the market when their videos went viral—an almost free advertising campaign with the power to captivate a generation of consumers. The concept was simple: adventurers and athletes alike used GoPro cameras to film their sports from a perspective most viewers never dreamed of getting. They uploaded the movies on sites like YouTube, and suddenly GoPro videos went viral and sales shot through the roof. By giving away cameras and selectively sponsoring a few sporting events, GoPro was able to feed this cycle until it turned a profit.



    Tip 2: Be Credible

    A message is only as believable as the person who delivers it, so don’t waste time promoting your business if you don’t have the credibility to back it up. Join Facebook groups or Reddit threads on your area of expertise. Once you are there, don’t promote your product. Instead, listen to the issues and problems coming out of the market, help design solutions, and participate in the community.

    While Spotify certainly isn’t an underground brand, they do know how to successfully participate and win over the critical audience on Reddit. In 2014, they were named the Community Brand of the Year. How? By asking Redditors for the songs that have meant the most to big moments in their lives as well as those go-to songs for every circumstance. The community responded with 10,000+ comments and Spotify was able to start a new cultural conversation, and it had very little to do with what they were selling.



    Tip 3: Make Your message ‘Human’

    With fewer resources, the stickiness of your message becomes even more important. Vahbiz notes that “the more ‘human’ your message is, the greater power it has to speak to many markets and across demographics. It needs to appeal to instinct, it needs to move people, make them feel something, whether it be empathy, happiness or invoke laughter. If you reach that inner humanity of people and appeal to it, you can touch many.”

    She recalls working on a particularly challenging project with a global liquor company. Her client wanted a simple campaign that could be heard and felt around the world. After months of ideating, they finally landed on a message that could be scaled widely and later won some of the most prestigious recognition in advertising for it. How? By avoiding excess and complexity, and sticking instead to those emotions that cross cultures.



    Tip 4: Be Authentic

    Presumably, you started your business because you experienced a need that you knew others were experiencing as well. This is one of the most important ways you can relate to your target market, so channel this unique position when communicating with your future clients.

    When James Dyson launched his famous vacuum cleaner in 1987, people balked at its $2,000 price-tag, but as Dyson took the international stage over the next ten years to explain why his product was superior—and that he had created it in response to his own frustrations with vacuum bags—the product caught on and today accounts for more than £2.5 billion in revenue.

    By lending his own voice and message to his brand, Dyson was able to appeal to his market and showcase his own expertise.



    Tip 5: Bet On The Right Place-Time-Message Trifecta

    Vahbiz advises entrepreneurs to “take a look at what’s happening around them, in culture, in society, in the industry and to find a place in those conversations. Then, when the time is right to strike with their powerful message which becomes relevant.” For example, a smart entrepreneur targeting women may respond to the #MeToo movement in their message.

    A few years ago, before the Serial podcast became a huge hit on NPR, an up-and-coming email-marketing brand signed on to sponsor their season. That brand, MailChimp, took a chance on something they thought appealed to the same kind of people that use their product, and won by a landslide. As the podcast became a booming success—almost a cultural movement in and of itself—MailChimp’s success also rose.

    Guest Authored By Anuja Khemka. Anuja writes about entrepreneurs converting obstacles into opportunities. She is a philanthropy expert, working with nonprofits, corporations, high net-worth individuals to maximize their impact. she has spent over a decade in the corporate sector, primarily at Goldman Sachs and the JPMorgan Chase Foundation. Her philanthropic work has been featured in New York Times, Stanford Social Innovation Review and Huffington Post. Follow Anuja on Twitter.




    "The power of advertising for your business cannot be underestimated. But remember, you don’t need to break the bank to get there.

    Stick to these simple tips to be resourceful with your message and spread the word about your unique value.." -Anuja Khemka



      • Authored by:
        Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBr@nd.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Scottsdale, AZ where I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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      Friday, April 10, 2026

      YOUR Social Media Sales Targets?


      Sales is a lucrative career option everywhere including the UAE, but meeting targets takes continuous evolvement and growth. 

      That is where social selling comes across..



      The question is no longer, “Should I adopt social selling?” but “How can I be the best social seller I can be?”

      So what is 'social selling'? Social selling is changing the workflow of traditional sales by giving priority to long-term conversations in comparison to starting with a pitch.

      Being able to use social media for these conversations is key for this process and our social media insider, Stefanie Fernandez, Head of Sales Solutions at LinkedIn MENA, has some tips for achieving your sales target effectively and efficiently through social media.

      Numbers

      Before starting, here are some number from LinkedIn's social selling index - social selling leader are 51 per cent more likely to reach their sales quota and create 48 per cent more opportunities than peers who don't use social media effectively.



      Here Are Her Top Tips For 'Social Sellers'

      1. Strategy Before Action and Tactics

      Most people already have a sales strategy and try to incorporate social selling tactics in to the process or routine. According to Stephanie, while this is a good idea, you will be far more effective when you implement a strategy to back them up. Start by addressing the integration of social activities into your overall sales strategy.

      Who are you trying to reach? What is your core message for them? Which platforms do they use? What kind of content will you share and why? How will you manage the information you receive? What are the ultimate outcomes you seek to measure? Answer these questions and more, then build your social strategy plan (including your tactics) and make sure you execute consistently.

      2. It's Never Too Early

      You will often hear that buyers are already at least 60 per cent through the buying cycle by the time they reach out to a salesperson. This doesn’t mean you should wait around for them. Seek out your prospects sooner rather than later.



      These Are The Benefits an Early Bird Gets:

      1. First off, if you get in early, you can share ideas, insights and information that can help them achieve their objectives. This positions you as a valuable resource than just another self-serving salesperson.

      2. You’ll develop relationships with key people before they start looking, to build a trust advantage.

      3. Finally, by getting in early, you’ll be able to impact the decision criteria instead of just responding to them.

      3. Priority To Engagement Over Sales

      While it is always tempting to pitch the first time you talk or connect with someone on social media, that would be like taking an axe to your relationship then and there. Social media is not an ideal platform for effective sales pitches.

      The best advice is to keep sending them educational material and subtly dropping in something compelling about your company, increasing the likelihood that they will click on it. The rationale behind this is simply to build trust.



      4. Social Selling is a Habit

      Social selling is a process that requires patience and ongoing commitment. You can’t just share one article or favourite one buyer’s tweet and then be done with it. Salespeople must commit to infusing social networking into their daily routines for social activity to have an impact on revenue and sales.

      5. Build Your Brand

      Your online brand is the one asset you have that differentiates you from the competition. Keep it professional whilst making sure you’re maintaining the human element and being authentic. Your social presence across the networks you choose to publish on should be unique, consistent and compelling. People want to buy from people that educate them, not from robots.

      Social selling is an ongoing investment of time and dedication to create relationships, and all sales are soon going to be about just that - relationships and conversations. Start getting social today.

      Guest Authored By Dona Cherian. Dona is a writer/reporter for Gulf News Guides. She is an expert in practical UAE life tips and tricks, guides on lifestyle and travel, and rankings from across the globe. She loves digital analytics and is a closet artist. Follow Dona on Twitter.





      Social selling is an ongoing investment of time and dedication to create relationships, and all sales are soon going to be about just that - relationships and conversations.

      Start getting social today..
      • Authored by:
        Fred Hansen Pied Piper of Social Media Marketing at YourWorldBrand.com & CEO of Millennium 7 Publishing Co. in Loveland, Colorado. I work deep in the trenches of social media strategy, community management and trends.  My interests include; online business educator, social media marketing, new marketing technology, skiing, hunting, fishing and The Rolling Stones..-Not necessarily in that order ;)
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