We’ve been hearing this question more and more from clients. As with most things in life, the answer is not a simple yes or no. The real question is, should your medical practice use Twitter?
One of the first steps you should make when considering Twitter is to create a personal account, and spend some time learning how people use this service. After signing up, find a variety of people or businesses to follow. Make sure to find some health care accounts to follow, but also check out other accounts, based on your interest. Most reporters and others in the media use Twitter, as do public figures such as politicians, athletes and actors, many different types of local businesses, along with millions of individuals. Find people who you know and/or who you are already interested in, and learn by choosing to Follow them on Twitter.
Here are some resources to help you learn more:
- The medical practice administrator’s guide to Twitter – from the Medical Group Management Association
- 7 Twitter Tips for Health Professionals – short article summarizing key things to remember when tweeting
- 140 Health Care Uses for Twitter – use this huge list of potential things to tweet about to generate ideas for your practice
- Social Media & The Medical Practice: An Introduction – this article is a bit more technical, providing a nice introduction to using Social Media (including but not limited to Twitter) for your practice
- 50 Doctors to Follow on Twitter – not all of these are related to medical practices, but they are all doctors
- Some doctors join Facebook, Twitter; others wary – U.S.A. Today article discussing pros and cons of Facebook and Twitter for doctors
Finally, check out a few examples of Twitter accounts used by health care providers:
