Social media has become a major influence in society’s daily lives. Whether it’s for personal use or for business, it appears to be at the forefront of regular activities we engage in. In particular, it has allowed plastic surgeons to change the way they interact with people associated with their practice. Whether it’s their fellow colleagues or their patients, it is now becoming a major influence within the industry.
Using social media as an outreach platform enables many possibilities including increased web traffic, interaction with more patients and the ability to showcase expertise to wider audiences. While social media can be a powerful tool for surgeons and practices, it should be used wisely to prevent scrutiny or negative perceptions towards the business. This article goes into further details about how social media can benefit surgeons and any pitfalls that they should be aware of.
Increase Engagement with Your Brand
Social media is a prime tool for marketers. In fact, it’s considered the most cost-effective and prominent form of digital marketing due to the number of audiences it can reach and how much of a difference it can make. An additional benefit that social media can bring to a practice is it can enable surgeons to have a personality and build their brand online through themselves.
It’s a platform that encourages creativity, which means users can engage with surgeons on a personal level and create a meaningful connection with the business, helping them to identify with the practice and increase the perception of the surgeon. The benefit of social media is that it enables us to generate online content to showcase their expertise and engage with their consumers, increasing their visibility and connecting with other ‘experts’ in the industry.
Showcase Expertise
A significant way that consumers differentiate what is considered the ‘best’ product or service is through reviews and knowledge within the industry. Surgeons who showcase a better understanding of their industry and service find it easier to gain a following. This is because consumers are more likely to trust them based on what they know and therefore, are more likely to convert into a surgical consultation for your practice.
While reviews and qualifications on a website can be beneficial, social media showcases up to date information and interaction which produces a larger online presence. This can increasingly engage users and make you a more attractive entity compared to other surgeons or practices.
Expand Your Network
One of the main purposes of social media was people to network and socialize. This is still relevant today as it can be used for surgeons to develop relationships and build their networks. Plastic surgery has many subspecialists where surgeons can specialize in certain areas such as burns surgery, breast surgery, microsurgery and more. Social media provides a platform to identify experts within these regions and echo or discuss their thoughts with one another.
This can expand education and interaction for the benefit of both surgeons and consumers, whether it’s talking about recent accolades or discussing fears in particular new developments, it can be beneficial for all parties as they grow within their community.
Get Patients Talking
With the current landscape of social media use and it’s growing popularity over the years, patients are now actively using the platform as a source of information but also as a way to interact with others as a form of reassurance about procedures and services that are similarly used. In a service based business, it’s common for customers to voice their opinion about products or services that they’ve used and this is no different with patients and their healthcare.
They’re able to provide context of their procedure and experience through review-based websites. Many procedures, such as Brazilian Butt Lifts, which didn’t used to be as popular, are all the rage thanks to people sharing and talking about their amazing results. Social media is also a space for patients to get feedback about whether they should go through with a cosmetic surgery procedure.
Social media is an incredible influence in today’s society, with more engagement that’s been seen than ever before. Considering the interaction levels and how often social media is used by patients, it makes it a great platform for surgeons to engage with their patients and educate them. It’s also ideal for surgeons to raise their status and profile within cosmetic surgery.
Jennifer Ranking is currently a student and freelance writer whose primary interests revolve around science and biology. When not writing, Jennifer likes to read in her spare time and shop.
