When it comes to the world of online marketing, your reputation is everything. It’s important to protect your reputation, especially on social media channels. While it’s important to welcome both positive and negative feedback from patients, it’s also important to protect your professional reputation from any social media mishaps or blow-back.
The microblogging website Twitter is among the most commonly used websites in the world. Twitter boasts millions of daily users who log onto the website to share personal news, information, or write about things that interest them. Many doctors and medical practices also maintain a presence through Twitter. While many tweets are positive, tweets can also be extremely negative, especially since the website is used for people to express their personal opinions.
Today, Twitter is extremely influential for gathering information, and since Twitter users only have a certain amount of characters to say what they want, the website can be a powerful communication platform. While sending out a negative tweet may have no impact, sometimes a doctor’s personal or professional reputation can be damaged. While receiving negative feedback is often inevitable, it’s important to address any negative comments, and take control of your reputation.
So how can you go about managing your Twitter reputation?
- Listen, while being responsive and proactive. If you do receive a negative comment through Twitter, take control of the situation and don’t make any excuses. Instead, be responsive and proactive in rectifying the situation. Ask the poster questions, and open the door for them to make further comment. Even if the poster does not respond, others may view your efforts in a positive light, since you are making every effort to respond to your patients.
- Don’t talk over your patients. Allow your patients to post freely to your Twitter account, and be sure to read what they are saying. This enables you to maintain a line of open communication with patients, who will be able to tell you everything that they do (or don’t) like about what your practice. While no one likes to be told negative things about their practice, patients will appreciate your efforts to communicate with them, and that you are willing to continually improve the practice.
- Compose regular tweets. In order to maintain communication with your patients, be sure to create regular posts to go out over Twitter. Posting on a regular basis to your Twitter page will keep you in the front of your patient’s minds. Though you may not have the time to post each week, there are tools available that will allow you to schedule your tweets, so they can be sent out at another time.
MyAdvice Can Handle It For You!
Need help managing a regular presence on social media? Let MyAdvice Help! Our team of writers can author social media posts that positively represent your medical practice. For more information, contact an MyAdvice Representative to learn more.
