Facebook. Twitter. Podcasts. Blogs.
Are you with me, or does it sound like I am speaking another language?
Most people under the age of 40 use social media and are comfortable with these terms. What is interesting is that the average age of an RN or Certified Diabetes Educator is over 40 (46 years and 51 years respectively). This means that many “experienced” educators may not be reaping the rewards that social media has to offer.
You may think that you do a good job of keeping up with the latest and greatest in healthcare, so why should you bother with social media?
Currently, 35% of U.S. adults utilize social media for healthcare and medical purposes, an increase from 27% in 2008 (Manhattan Research Survey).
This means 35% of your patients and potential patients! Social networking tools can help you to market and grow your business, collaborate, network, or find a job. They can also enable you to provide support and information to your patients. Best of all, they are free!
Notice how many healthcare systems have links to social media sites on their websites. Several associations, like the American Diabetes Association and the International Diabetes Federation, have Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. There are already many healthcare professionals who are on Facebook, Twitter, etc., so you can look there for examples.
Why not follow Healthy Interactions on Facebook and become a fan or leave a comment to one of my blog posts?
There is no doubt that change can be a little scary. After my training on the Conversation Map® education tools, I was nervous about getting started because it was new territory. Since I fall into the “experienced” age group, I felt the same way about social media. But change is good. It opens up new challenges, and with it, new opportunities for learning and growth.
Do you use social media? What are some of your favorite social media sites? What social media sites do your patients use?
Cathy
P.S. For all of you social media novices, I will be presenting a new webinar called, Social Networking for Healthcare Professionals- A Guide to Getting Started on May 12th, in which I will cover getting started with social media and how to use this tool to your benefit as a healthcare professional. To register, click here and log into your account.