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behavior. Having a positive "fun" so-
cial presence can make a real differ-
ent in a person becoming a patient,
referring others to the practice, and
sharing their good experiences with
others, she said. The stats don't lie: 5
out of 6 minutes spent online are on
social media. People are posting and
living their lives on social media,
and if practices want to reach those
potential patients and build rapport
with existing patients, they need to
be a part of that.
"Forty-one percent of people
said social media would affect their
choice of a specific doctor, hospital,
or medical facility," Ms. Vaughan
said.
Some social media platforms
lend themselves to practice pres-
ence better than others, and it is
important to leverage your practice's
presence on the best-targeted site,
she said. Fun content is vital. For
instance, Vance Thompson Vision
has a video on YouTube that empha-
sizes the non-medical aspects of the
personalities of those in the practice.
In the video, practice employees run
through the office, lip-synching to
"Best Day of My Life" by American
Authors. To see the video, type
"Vision The Best Day of Your Life"
into YouTube.
"It's fun, engaging," Ms.
Vaughan said. "People want to
watch it. That cool factor is some-
thing that younger generations are
seeking."
However, posting regularly on
Pinterest might not be as valuable
as posting compelling videos or
"throw-back Thursday" themed
photos of people in the practice on
YouTube and Facebook, she said. She
advised practices to choose social
media correctly for the reach they
want, whether it is engaging an old-
er audience (Facebook) or Millenni-
als (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter).
Her take-home messages were
to listen to patients/social media
followers to be "top of mind" for re-
ferrals and interaction; think outside
the box for the best, most compel-
ling content; and focus on quality,
not quantity, in social engagement.
"It doesn't have to all be med-
ical or awareness months—that's
valuable, but it's also important to
be fun and encourage your audience
to engage with you," she said. EW
Editors' note: Ms. Vaughan is account
manager for Eyemax.
Three tips for social media use
• Create a schedule. Posting on a schedule can
help increase posting and ensure that it happens,
Ms. Vaughan said.
• Post frequently. Answering a patient's post 3 or 4
days after they post it is a "buzz kill," Ms. Vaughan
said. She recommended checking and posting
more frequently.
• Create a strategy and protocol for social media
use. This is especially relevant when treating
celebrity patients to obtain consent for future
marketing/social media use, she said. It can also
be useful in assigning a specific person in the
practice to keep up with frequent posting and
responses.
