Using social media to sail out ahead

Will this be the year you get ‘out there’? Grant Brookes presents an independent practitioner’s guide to the dos and don’ts of social media.

We cannot ignore the way social media has become ingrained in society.

People look to their social channels for answers for almost every kind of problem, as well as to engage and build relationships with others.

Social media is also a cost-effective marketing method for private practitioners. It plays a huge part in many people’s lives and can be tapped into as a source for growing your practice and gaining interest from potential patients as well as business connections and networking with colleagues and influencers.

Of course, there are contentious issues to keep in mind as a professional practitioner when communicating through social media. You can quickly and easily get started on social media, but you need to keep professional boundaries in place and abide by official guidelines provided by industry bodies.

The GMC sets out its own guidelines for social media use by doctors and practitioners which should be kept in mind at all times.

Before looking at some of the key social media channels private practitioners can benefit from, here are some key reminders to keep in mind whatever social platform you are using: