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BUSINESS OF
MEDICINE

Marketing a
Medical Practice
Online Today
Requires

SOCIAL MEDIA
ENGAGEMENT

By Joey Berlin, Reporter, Texas Medical Association

The brief but evolving history of social media has already given
physicians some valuable lessons on how they should and shouldn’t
use it to generate more exposure for their practice and image.

One good rule of thumb involves generating and circulating sociation Council on Practice Management Services. “So they’re
content that has real meaning to patients, referring physicians, or going to lose out on that market share if they’re not promoting their
whatever audience you’re trying to reach. Steer clear of posting x- business in that venue. It’s going to [look like] you’re not up to date.”
rays of gunshot victims online and joking about it. A Kansas physi-
cian actually did just that prior to losing a U.S. Senate primary Social Science
election in 2014. The Woodlands pediatric gastroenterologist Bryan Vartabedian,

Beyond those do’s and don’ts, doctors have a lot more to think MD, says physicians shouldn’t resist having a public presence
about when building a modern online presence for their practice. through digital channels like social media. Dr. Vartabedian is the
The explosion of social media and the expectations of frequently re- author of the e-book The Public Physician: Practical Wisdom for Life
freshed content have changed the rules for physicians and practices in a Connected, Always-On World.
looking to market themselves and bolster their online reputation.
Just as static websites have become a relatively archaic part of the Dr. Vartabedian says the perception was that physicians who
online equation, the marketing expectations for physician and prac- wanted to avoid Facebook or Twitter could “hide beneath their exam
tice websites have changed substantially. room table, and things would just pass them by.”

“The doctors who want to avoid social media should know it’s “If people search for you and they can’t find anything meaningful
here, and the majority of physicians will be using it,” said emergency or anything good, it’s potentially a liability,” he said. “I think the
physician Carrie de Moor, MD, a member of the Texas Medical As- market forces are such that for doctors to be competitive, they have
to have some presence in public.”

18 San Antonio Medicine • December 2016