Succeed With Social Media: Part Three

09 Jul Succeed With Social Media: Part Three

You have lots of options when it comes to social media.

We’ve already gone over some of the giants when it comes to social media marketing. You know the difference between microblogging on Twitter and posting on Facebook, and how to best use Pinterest and LinkedIn.

Now, in the final part of our series on succeeding with social media, we’re going to go over sites to use for video-sharing, image-sharing, and other ways to connect with your patients, colleagues, staff and community.

Video Sharing With Social Media

Video is great, because not only can people get the gist of what you’re trying to say in just a few minutes, but you can bring audio and visual material together in one appealing ensemble. Check out these sites:

• YouTube: Make videos of yourself talking about just about anything related to your specialty.
• Vine: How much can you show in a 6-second looping video? More than you might think! This is the premise behind Vine.
• Vimeo: Vimeo is another popular video-sharing site. An advantage to using Vimeo over YouTube is that there are fewer videos overall, so yours might be more likely to get noticed. The drawback, however, is that there are fewer viewers.
• Instagram: Do you like to take or edit short videos? Upload them to Instagram. Add a few hashtags, follow others and build up a following of your own!

Image and Document Sharing With Social Media

Sharing images and documents is another way to interact with your virtual (and “in real life,” or IRL) community.

• Flickr: Share photos, add some tags, and become part of this community. You can even release some of the rights to your images, allowing them to show up on commercial websites and blogs (with attribution to you).
• Slide Share: Share PDFs, documents and PowerPoint presentations with your staff, colleagues, patients and community.
• Instagram: Yes, this one is here again; in addition to uploading short videos, you can also use this app for image-sharing!

And Even More Options for Social Media

Here are even more options to consider, outside of your basic social media sites. Don’t feel overwhelmed and think that you have to do all of this; start off with one or two sites or ideas, then if you feel comfortable, add more.

• Google Hangout: Google has created this platform that includes video chat, VOIP, instant messaging and texting/SMS service. It can be used from any device, which makes it a convenient way to keep in touch with your contacts.
• Blogs: Do you have a blog? If not, it’s time to set one up. You can also comment on others’ blogs. You can start a blog at Tumblr or register for your own domain and set up your own site using WordPress or another simple blogging platform.
• Web Forums: There are web forums dedicated to practically every topic on earth, so you should be able to find several in your specialty. Answer questions thoughtfully and gain a following!
• Medical Review Sites: Make sure that your listings at various medical review sites (Vitals, HealthGrades, etc) are updated, and don’t forget to ask your patients to add their reviews!
• Press Releases: Do you have something newsworthy to announce? It can be anything from offering a special incentive for new patients to welcoming a new associate or performing new procedures. Put out a press release and let everyone know!
• Local Directory Listings: Can your potential patients find you by typing your name into Google or Bing? If your contact information is incorrect or missing, this can impact your business. Check your listings and keep them updated.
• Email Blasts: Use a service like Constant Contact or MailChimp to keep your patients and colleagues in the loop. (Users must opt in to the service.)
• Podcasts: These are seminars that you record and distribute on various sites, including Apple iTunes and Podcast.com.
• Webinars: Webinars are a bit like live conference calls. You can use free services like AnyMeeting or Zipcast to set up your webinar, or you can pay for a service such as Skype or GoToMeeting.
• Text Messaging: If you have small bits of information to send out, a text message might be just the right platform for you to use. Make sure that your patients have a way to opt out of this service (and remember that they need to opt in in the first place).

As you can see the options for interacting via social media is nearly limitless! At HealthCare Marketing Group, we can help busy doctors and other healthcare providers get their social media strategies up to par for 2015 and beyond. Please call us at 800-258-0702 for a free consultation.