Here are a few things to consider when creating your social media policy:
Identify how, when, and where your practice is mentioned on social media
As mentioned above, there is a good chance that your practice has an online presence even if you didn’t plan for it. Start by determining if and where your practice appears on the popular social media platforms.
Some practitioners use social media to market their practice, engage with the public, and share their knowledge and wisdom. This is a good thing and can go a long way to shaping your practice’s public image. If nothing turns up when you search for your practice’s existence on social media platforms, it might be a good idea to create those profiles to at least make sure your practice isn’t confused with someone else.
If and when you create these profiles, remember that they are for your practice, as opposed to you personally, so the overall theme on your social media account should mirror what is special about your practice.
Identify who has access and who controls the content of your social
media accounts Your policy should specify how social media will be used, who is permitted to use your clinic’s social media accounts, and what types of information may be shared. You will want to make sure that you exert proper control over who can access and post content to your social media profiles. The idiom “too many cooks will spoil the soup” is a good analogy, so keep the number small -perhaps yourself and one employee, or the third-party marketer you contract to post your online content. Either way, make sure that you are the only one who has the ability to change the password.
You’ll want to make sure that any person who can access your social media accounts understands that the account(s), content and any list of friends, contacts, or, followers belongs to the company. And make sure to develop and communicate the procedures for the employee to turn over control of the account(s) at your request or if she leaves the company. Designate a spokesperson to comment or respond online about anything that could impact the company and its brand. This is especially important when using a third-party marketer, since the development and posting of content is an entirely separate service from content monitoring.
Specify what types of posts are acceptable
In addition to identifying the message you want your professional social media accounts to reflect, the social media policy for your office should also include guidance for your employees on what is and is not appropriate for posts that might in some way or another, be connected to you. Admittedly, there are limitations as to what you can and cannot do with respect to your employees’ personal accounts; but you will certainly want to spell out some overall guidelines, including expressing personal opinions and what constitutes inappropriate content.
However, the most important content-related aspect of a social media policy is to make sure that confidential and sensitive information is not posted by your clinic or inadvertently shared by a colleague or patient. For example, let’s say one of your favorite patients, Sally Smith, posts a question on your social media page that she is having back pain after a car accident. You’ll want to avoid offering an opinion or advice to avoid running afoul of privacy, confidentiality, and ethical rules. You might also consider deleting any posts by members of the public that include identifying information.
Encourage employees to be respectful outside the workplace, even in their private conversations, as comments are often re-tweeted or shared.
Provide training, guidance, and regular audits of your social media accounts
Even the most expertly drafted policies will fall short if no one understands them. You will want to provide training and guidance to your staff with respect to your social media presence. For example, you might restrict personal social media use during work hours and/or on company devices.
You might remind them to make sure their personal accounts are free of any potentially compromising information. Warn employees you may periodically monitor any of their social media accounts that are public, but do not require employees give full access, including passwords or accepting friend requests, to their social media. Outline specific consequences for unprofessional behavior online, up to and including termination.
A word on privacy
It is a good idea to monitor posts from patients and advise them not to post sensitive information on your page. Financial, personal, and treatment- specific information is best discussed offline with your office directly. Controlling who sees information posted online can be difficult and readers who are familiar with your patients may see what they post. Also, keeping the patient anonymous does not necessarily protect their personal identity; and added to that fact, deleting a post entirely is not always possible. The effects of this data lingering online can result in very real consequences. You may consider consulting a privacy professional if you have questions or concerns in this area. Some social media marketers will have experts on staff that can help you implement effective protocols; but ultimately, you may need the advice of an attorney who specializes in data security and internet law.
Conclusion
Privacy laws, public relations issues, and social media best practices can be tricky, but they shouldn’t prevent you from leveraging social networking to your advantage. It can be a great way to advertise your practice, connect with patients, and most importantly, share information about chiropractic. With careful planning and education, a well written policy, and a few simple precautions, your social media presence can be a tremendous marketing tool that can bring your practice to the next level.
Plexus
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