Doctors, physicians or other healthcare providers interested in leveraging Social media networks for marketing specialized services must begin from ground zero: a marketing plan. A marketing plan, similar to a business plan, is your blueprint and guide to create effective channels that will provide direct communication opportunities new prospective clients, inform prospects about your services, establish you as a go-to source of information, and continually provide proof of your expertise in your given field. Before you can launch your social media marketing efforts you must answer one important question: What Social Networks are best for my business marketing?

When Choosing Social Networks, 5 Mistakes Doctors Make

Choosing which Social Media Networks to begin utilizing requires careful consideration. Before you can make your selections, consider avoiding these common pitfalls that often delay your efforts to get started:

1. You fail to perform at least minimal due diligence to understand a particular social network’s advantages and etiquette
2. You constantly run to join the latest and greatest social networks
3. You join too many social networks for the manpower and time you have available
4. You join the social networks that competitors are utilizing figuring you “have to be there” if they are there
5. Very few or none of your prospective audience is on the social network you choose

Choose Your Social Networks Carefully

Here is a list of some of the most influential social media marketing networks available to doctors to market their services. Included is a brief list of each network’s advantages:

• Twitter: B2C and B2B opportunities, link distribution, one on one real-time consumer communication, ecommerce, advertising, networking, news, excellent-targeted search internal search engine
• Facebook: B2C opportunities, advertising to a huge targeted audience, link distribution, ecommerce, consumer interaction
• Google+: B2B and B2C environment, link distribution, possible search engine optimization boost, industry networking, “Hang-Outs” provide real-time meeting opportunities to present information to opted in audience, excellent search capabilities
• Linkedin: B2B opportunities, human capital management, thought leadership platform, groups for networking, prospecting and sales opportunities, recruiting new talent
• Pinterest: B2C opportunities, platform for creative visual content sharing, social networking, popular with design, food, fashion, art, travel and do-it-yourself content creators
• Instagram: Possible B2C environment, fast growing visual content platform, networking, discussions, link distribution, and place for micro length videos
• Youtube: B2C opportunities, brands with video content, important platform for tutorials and sharing expertise. Second largest search engine behind Google
• Yelp: B2C opportunities, powerful peer reviews establish business perception, high ranking search engine results page (SERP) indexing within Google
• Quora: platform that highlights thought leadership, Q&A of thought leaders, networking, communicate one on one, diverse in-depth discussions
• Snapchat: a unique, fast growing social network based on instant messaging that is completely mobile based. Networking and sharing in short bursts where user attaches image or video that is sent to another user who immediately deletes the content after consumption. Primary users are kids, preteens, teens

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