Over time, I have talked to you all about how different social media platforms can be beneficial to you and your organization, but the main factor is figuring out how social media can be beneficial to your audience. After all, they are the ones who determine the success of your organization.

You will find that on your different social media platforms, you will have people who will constantly favorite and like things, sometimes without even reading what you post. They’ll just like things while “scrolling” through the site, and some may think this is a good thing, but is it really? Do you want that type of interaction on your site?

The image below gives a few reasons as to why people use social media. In the section after, you will learn why social media is becoming harmful to its users.

Is social media really that harmful?

I know you’re probably thinking to yourself that using social media can’t be that bad, think again. Let’s look at some facts. Medical News Today has suggested that using Facebook maybe cause users to have increase anxiety and they may feel inadequate.

Here are some other effects that the use of Facebook and social media in general may have on users:

• Addiction – recent studies have shown that 60% of users log onto Facebook daily, while 43% log on multiple times a day.

• Cyber-bullying/ Eating Disorders – USA Today wrote an article about a young lady by the name of Donna who refuses to get a Facebook or Instagram account to protect herself. She suffered from bulimia from 12-25.

• Psychological/Mental Health Issues – Medical News Today suggests that people tend to feel badly about themselves when they see others posting about their accomplishments.

It’s obvious that social media is changing the face of how people think about themselves and what they view as healthy.

Narcissism

Another major effect that social media has on individuals is narcissism. First what is it? Narcissism is defined as excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one’s physical appearance. I know the million dollar question you’re going to ask, how does this pertain to me?

In other words, getting likes and favorites is something we all enjoy, it makes us feel great, but it is really putting a strain on relationships. Yet, we tend to keep those “friends” on our pages just so that we can get the social media attention we want.

Why should your healthcare organization care about the audience?

Social media is rapidly becoming a platform that is becoming demeaning to people. Whether it deals with beauty, health, or race, people are starting to believe the hype that comes along with social media.

As a healthcare professional, you should reassure your audience that you care about them and their well being. Show them that no matter what social media says, they should not believe the hype. If you do nothing else, be a helping hand to them.

Glamour Magazine is known for telling its audience the real on social media and how it greatly affects people. In the photo below, actor, Wentworth Miller addressed the issue about his weight which led to him being depressed in his earlier life that was posted on a Facebook page.

Most people think that women are the only ones to deal with weight issues and depression, but men deal with it as well and to see Miller talk about how it affected him, but how he does not plan to let it keep him down is power within itself.

Remember…

If you do nothing else, just make sure to keep your healthcare organization aware of how they can be a helping hand to those who may be dealing with cyber-bullying, eating disorders, addiction to social media, and mental health issues. Now go, start spreading the word of how too much social media can be a bad thing.

 

 

 

Hey all! So in recent posts we’ve talked about strategies and how to move your organization forward in the right direction. We’ve even talked about evaluating and how to use certain sites to help you find out how your health care organization is growing, but now it’s time to focus on a really big issue. Ethics. What are ethics you ask? Don’t worry, your question shall be answered soon.

So you asked me earlier what ethics are. Ethics is described by Google as the branch of knowledge that deals with morals and principles. This is very important to know because people look to you for answers and you don’t want to say or do things that could offend them, especially not on your social media sites.

Considerations, Ethically That Is!

I talked to you all before about thinking of strategies and evaluations and how to make your healthcare organization more successful, but along with that, you must make sure that the things you post do not offend anyone.

So before posting to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any other social sites, read through your content and ask yourself, will someone be offended by this? Is it helpful? Is it singling out a certain group of people in a negative way? How can you benefit from it?

Most organizations have social media guidelines. I’m more than positive that at this point, your organization has some as well. A great example of answering the questions listed above is WOAR. They are an organization dedicated to helping people who are victims of sexual abuse and crisis.

They put emphasis on how sexual abuse is just not a women’s issue it’s a human issue because men and women suffer through it everyday.

Another thing you want to be careful of is making sure that you don’t take health issues lightly. Do not try to down play them and make them seem less of what it really is.  A prime example of that is when the Salvation Army used an ad to explain about domestic violence using a dress.

Most people did not think the ad really captured the message that they were trying to portray to the public about stop domestic violence. The Salvation Army had no intentions of making domestic violence seem less serious than it is, but the way they went about discussing the issue was all wrong. Be mindful of that.

Ethical Obligations

As a healthcare professional, you have certain obligations you need to fulfill. People look to you for answers to their questions and concerns. With that being said, as a healthcare professional you should not be talking about your patients to anyone except them, and you definitely shouldn’t be talking about them online. That is a major violation of the HIPAA laws.

As a professional, is it up to you to read through all content before posting it. According to The Verge a lot of people skim through articles if that, and then share it. They share the content without knowing what all it entails.  Remember, credibility is important, so think before sharing articles you haven’t read. The last thing you want is for people to not trust you anymore.

Negativity Will Come To You

So what are you going to do when someone posts something negative about you or your organization on social media? It would be really easy to retaliate, but since you’re a healthcare professional, I am going to help you learn how to deal with negativity appropriately. Here’s what Forbes says about dealing with negative reviews and comments on social media.

• Learn from the negative review/comment. Learning what you did wrong in the eyes of your patients and how you can make it better next time around will only benefit you in the future. More people will see that you are also receptive to both negative and positive feedback.
• Respond privately. Do not cause a scene on social media, instead just talk to the person one on one and see what problems they had with your posts. Talking to people individually and connecting with them will only build the relationship and they will know that they are valued.
• Develop a strategy. Have a plan on how to deal with negative comments and reviews. Some people are easier to deal with than others, but as a healthcare professional, you will know how to deal with each person individually.
• Keep posting. Don’t let negative comments and reviews hinder you from posting information that could be very helpful to others.

You never would have guessed that having a social media presence is just as important as your physical presence, huh? I know it can be hard and challenging at times, but please do not get overwhelmed. I have faith that you’ll continue to strive to make your organization a success! Well wishes, and remember, ethics is a major key in the social media world pertaining to health!

 

 

Hey guys, I’m back it again to help you take your organization to another level. Up until this point we’ve been working on how to use different social media platforms and how to connect to your audiences. Since you know that, it’s time now to learn what works for your organization and what doesn’t. How? Evaluation.

Learning what your audience likes and doesn’t like is the key to evaluation and it is pivotal for the future of your organization. For example, if you had a bad experience on a roller coaster, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t want to get on another one. The same goes for your healthcare organization, finding out what works is important.

Now if you’d like to learn how to successfully evaluate your healthcare organization’s social media platforms, let’s get to it.

Start with a plan.

It is important to have a plan. This way you can plan your content and figure out your organization’s goals. This will allow you to use various analytical tools to find out what is working and not working for your healthcare organization.

Use analytical tools.

You’re probably wondering what analytical tools are. The answer is quite simple. Analytical tools are used to measure content and activity of users. Here are a list of free analytical tools:

• Scoop.it
• Buffer
• Quintly
• Cyfe
• Google Analytics
• Addvocate

 

Social media metrics is a must.

Now you have a brief idea of how you should start evaluating. Next is using metrics. Just like measuring units in math, there a measuring units for social media platforms. The four main social media metrics used for measuring your social media platform are:

• Amplification Rate- allows you to see how many retweets, reposts, shares, likes, etc. you are receiving from your followers.
• Applause Rate- allows you to keep track of your social media’s likes, favorites, and how many +1 your posts may receive.
• Conversation Rate- Just like Twitter lets you know how many people are interacting with your tweet and viewing it, that is the purpose of conversation rate. It allows you to see who’s reading your content and who’s commenting/replying to it.
• Economic Value- This is the good stuff. It consists of the short and long term revenue as well as the cost savings.
• 

So, who’s doing it right?

The American Cancer Society knows how to engage with their audience and make them feel a part of the organization. They engaged with this follower and thanked them for sharing information about the organization.

The American Red Cross is definitely using social media to engage with their audience. This shows just how interactive the American Red Cross really is, sharing personal stories of victims and helping them out in the process.

I think you’re ready to go forth and start using analytical tools and figuring out what works for your healthcare organization and what doesn’t. Just remember that you are in control of your organization’s future and which direction it will go in. Continue to listen to your audience and make sure you provide messages that your audience will want to engage in.

Getting Started

Hey health junkies! I’m back once again to help make sure you get your organization moving in the right direction. I’ll be giving you information on what strategies you should use to ensure your organization is thriving in all aspects. So stay with me, you don’t want to miss this.

Strategy Starters

Here are some helpful tips that Mashable lends to ensure you have the perfect social media strategy plan.

Know your audience. For the past couple of blogs, I’ve put emphasis on knowing your audience. This is still very important and here’s why. It’s important to know your audience so that you can know what content to present to them. Depending on what social media platform you are using, your audience will vary, so it would be beneficial to know who you’re talking to.

Solve Problems. You’re probably wondering why this is important, well your followers look to you for answers to their problems. As a healthcare professional, they trust your expertise and they have hope that you will steer them in the right direction. So don’t let them down.

Quotes and knowing your voice. It may seem cheesy, but posting motivational or humorous quotes will keep your audience engaged as well. Which leads to knowing your voice. Whatever you post on your social media platforms should be a direct reflection of you and it should sound just like you. Believe it or not, your followers can easily pick up on your authenticity.

Be True. Like I stated in the “quotes and knowing your voice” section, your followers can easily identify your authenticity. As a trusted healthcare professional, you shouldn’t make promises to your audience that you can’t keep. They rely on your expertise and being truthful makes that bond stronger.

Strategic Content Planning

You want to make sure that people will want to stop and read what you post on your site. So keep them engaged. Here are a few tips that Forbes lends to ensure you put the right content out there for your audience.

Go behind the scenes. Allowing your audience to get a glimpse of what actually goes in within your healthcare organization will make them feel more involved. Keep them in the loop.

Share Resources. It is perfectly okay to share other professional advice with your audience and in return, it will help to get your brand up.

Reviews. Ask for reviews on your organization or your product if you are promoting one. This allows for your audience to engage in conversation not only with you, but with others who follow you as well.

Share tips. People look to you for advice, so lend tips every now and again on things that your audience will find helpful and useful.

Timed Content

The most important thing is knowing when to post things to your social media platforms. Like I stated earlier, depending on what social media platform you use, your audience will vary. It is important that you know what time of the day your users are active. You’ll also want to share content multiple times during the day. Here’s what YouTube suggests.

One thing to remember, if you are a member of multiple social media platforms, using a content calendar will be beneficial to you so that you can keep up with everything. Sprout Social lends great advice on why a social media content calendar is important. Here’s an example of how one looks.

Thank your audience.

A simple thank you can go a long way and your audience will feel even more involved and connected with you and your healthcare organization. Not to mention, the more comfortable and secure they feel with you, the more they will feel they can trust you.

Now go on, start creating strategies for all of your social media platforms, I know you can do it and I have faith you’ll be successful in doing so!