Social Media Strategy for Physiotherapists

The social media revolution is here and the physiotherapy profession isn’t immune!  It is one of the most powerful communication and marketing avenues available and it is free to use.  In my last post I touched on social media strategy for physiotherapy business but it is also very applicable to other fields of physiotherapy such as clinical work and research so will use this post to expand on the value of a social media.

What is social media?

There are many definitions for social media, take a look at them here….

This video by CommonCraft attempts to explain social media with an ice cream analogy!

Why should I care about social media?

These videos highlight many reasons why you should care.

What are other health professionals doing with social media?

These are two examples of organisations from the physiotherapy and physical therapy profession who are making the most of social media:

• Physiopedia – wiki, blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, SlideShare (I promise to be more active on YouTube and SlideShare soon, we have lots to add!!)
• APTA – website, Twitter (@APTAtweets, @APTAadvocacy, @MoveForwardPT, @PTJournal), LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, iTunes (PTJ, APTA)

Do you know any more??

How can I get started with social media?

1. Start a blog and update it regularly.
2. Tweet!
3. Set up a LinkedIn profile.
4. Have a rofessional Facebook page for your business or research.
5. Make videos about your work, business or research for your YouTube channel.
6. Share presentations and documents on Scribd and SlideShare.
7. Share research on Zotero and Mendely.
8. Link all of the above to update each other.
9. Monitor what is being said about you on-line and respond.

Bear in mind that having too many places for the people you connect with to reach you is confusing and having too many places for your followers ‘dilutes’ your traffic.  This is why I recommend that you focus on the most powerful social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn).  However as a researcher or academic you may wish to  also disseminate your work on document, presentation and research sites (Zotero, Mendely, Scribd, SlideShare).

Top tips for social media use.

1. who are you aiming at (clients or colleagues)
2. find your happy place
3. be professional (see my post on behaving professionally on-line)
4. be consistent
5. keep it simple

Social media not a panacea it’s simply another avenue, go beyond effectiveness to greatness, find your voice and encourage others to find theirs!!

Related posts:

1. Physiotherapy Websites, Search Engine Optimisation and Social Media Strategy
2. Social Networking for Physiotherapists
3. Web 2.0, Social Media and Physiotherapy.
4. Social Media for Physiotherapy Business
5. What about Social Media?