With Elon Musk acquiring Twitter, the social media platform has again come into the spotlight in a very significant way. But is it a good investment of time and effort for doctors?
Twitter can be a useful tool for doctors, but not nearly as much as Meta (Facebook/Instagram) in terms of reaching patients. However, it can help you build relationships with other physicians, learn about new medical research and developments, and stay up-to-date on the latest news in the medical community.
In this blog post, I will discuss why doctors should consider being on Twitter, how to set up a Twitter account for doctors, what to tweet about, tips for getting started, and how to use Twitter for networking and building relationships with other doctors.
Why should doctors be on Twitter?
Again, at the time of this post, Twitter is not the most effective social media platform for reaching patients. Yet, there are many reasons why doctors should be on Twitter. Here are just a few:
- Twitter can be a great way to stay up-to-date on the latest medical news and research.
- You can use Twitter to network with other physicians and build relationships.
- Twitter can be a useful tool for marketing your medical practice.
How to set up a Twitter account for doctors
If you are a doctor who is not already on Twitter, setting up an account is easy. Just go to Twitter.com and create an account using your name and email address.
When creating your account, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Choose a username that is easy to remember and easy to spell. Ideally, this should match your other social handles and the name/title of your personal website.
- Include a profile photo. Again, this should match the one on your website. Your profile photo should be a headshot that is clear and professional.
- Include a brief bio. Your bio should include your name, your title (e.g., “family physician”), and your location.
- Include a link to your website or blog.
What to tweet about
Once you have set up your account, you may be wondering what to tweet about. Here are some ideas:
- Share links to interesting articles or blog posts that you have read.
- Retweet (RT) tweets from other users that you find interesting or informative.
- Ask questions and start discussions on topics that are relevant to your followers.
- Share photos and videos that are related to your field of medicine.
Tips for getting started
If you are new to Twitter, here are a few tips to help you get started:
Follow other users who are relevant to your interests. For example, if you are interested in family medicine, follow some family physicians, medical organizations, and news outlets.
Search for hashtags (topics) that are relevant to your interests and follow the conversations. For example, some popular hashtags for doctors include #medTwitter, #fmed, and #mhealth.
Engage with other users by liking, commenting on, and sharing their content.
How to use Twitter for networking and building relationships with other doctors
Twitter can be a great way to connect with other physicians and build relationships. Here are a few tips:
Reach out to other doctors who you find interesting or informative. Send them a tweet, DM (direct message), or email to start a conversation.
Participate in online chats and Twitterstorms (discussions) on topics that are relevant to your interests.
Attend medical conferences and tweet about the sessions you are attending. You can use the conference hashtag to follow the conversations and connect with other attendees.
If you are a doctor who is not already on Twitter, I hope this blog post will convince you to give it a try. And if you are already on Twitter, I hope you found some useful tips and ideas for using Twitter more effectively.