A-B-C. Easy as, one, two, Tweet. As simple as, DM me. Snapchatting. Tumblr feed—a social media whirl. The Jackson 5 said it best—right? That’s how easy participating in social media can be; the trick is finding the right platform for you and your practice.
Social media might seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. With new apps popping up all over the place, you can pick and choose what social media platforms you prefer to use. Aside from the undisputed giants—Facebook and Twitter—here are a few you may not have considered:
Pinterest is great for collecting favorite recipes, creating mood boards, or planning your next big remodel. But did you know Pinterest also is a great tool for sharing valuable information related to your business? To see a good example of PTs using Pinterest, check out the Doctors of Physical Therapy account. The therapists behind this account have shared inspirational quotes, exercises, articles, and attention-grabbing wellness infographics. ATI Physical Therapy—another example of a Pinterest-savvy PT organization—has 700 followers on Pinterest. With that kind of following, ATI has the ability to make an impact well beyond its own community. PT professionals specializing in anything from pediatrics to wellness services can harness the power of Pinterest to promote their clinics—and their shared mission to help others—to more than 70 million users worldwide.
Google+
Google+ is not as wildly popular as Facebook. However, it does have 540 million monthly active users and offers more control over sharing than some of the other social media sites. You can use Google+ to post your clinic’s hours of operation, holiday closures, and staff bios—as well as fun information highlighting what is going on inside your clinic. It also gives you a great way to connect with your patients online. You can even set up circles to control which audience sees the content you post. (Circles are particular groups of people with whom you choose to share your posts, and it’s up to you to assign your Google+ followers to the appropriate circles).
Safety is a big priority with Google+, and it has plenty of built-in reminders to show who is going to see the posts you’re sharing. Once you set up your business’s profile, you can jump right in and start sharing exercises, articles, and statistics relevant to your clinic. Kinesis Physical Therapy does an great job of doing just that. To see some other clinics that have joined the Google+ ranks, simply do a quick search. Outside of business and personal use, some schools are even implementing Google+ as a tool for classroom work and collaboration. This means more and more students will be logging in to research, learn, and connect.
Tumblr
E after L, except before R? Like blogging, omitting letters from your name seems to be “in.” All jokes aside, Tumblr is an easy-to-use site organized in a blog format. This platform can give your clinic’s online presence a more personal vibe; plus, it’s a fun way for you to connect with your followers—many of whom may include current or past patients—in a space outside of a therapy treatment setting. Your audience can reblog, like, and even follow your account to stay up-to-date. Post about your clinic, talk about your life as a therapist, or simply share articles and images you find inspiring or relevant. It’s definitely a flexible outlet. For inspiration, check out the Tumblr page that second-year PT students from Eastern Washington University are using to document their journey through school.
Are you active on these social media sites? What’s your favorite way to connect with your patients on social media? Share your thoughts—or links to your practice’s social media pages—in the comments below.
