When I started my career, I was pretty good at getting my name out there using traditional media. Scoring a weekly column in the local newspaper and semi-regular gigs on the local news did wonders for my business and practice. It wasn't easy, but with a strategy and offering something of value, I found that initially I didn't need to pay for expensive advertising and my profile increased in my local area relatively quickly.
When you have done traditional marketing and PR relatively well, it takes a big kick in the side to change. The kick for me was reading David Meerman Scott's books The New Rules of Marketing & PR and World Wide Rave. Before I opened the cover, I was extremely skeptical of web marketing, social media and online PR. I knew social media and the internet were here to stay but I was completely naïve to it's power in PR and reputation building.
David not only has some great ideas, but they require little money compared with expensive advertising and he provides practical tips so those who read The New Rules of Marketing & PR. No longer are we restricted by finances - but by imagination, innovation and our ability to share useful content on the web.
David Meerman Scott gives so many tips on how we can be effective online. Some of my favourites include:
1. Content is King! Provide as much information as you can - for free. Be a giver and build a community that is interested in your content.
2. Engage with others. Comment on blogs, link to other great ideas and participate in forums.
3. Create customer personas and create material that they will be interested in.
4. Make it easy for people to find and contact you.
Relevance to Health Professionals.
Social media and the internet are not going away. There are so many fads, scams and unprofessional health solutions being offered online. As heath professionals, we can't stop this. In 2002, 25% of people got their health information off the internet - Today, I am sure this figure is massive in comparison. So - the solution is to be on the net, share evidence- based medicine and health information so our community has access to the right information.
No longer are scientific journals and industry publications the only place we can get our information from. We need to be aware of what our clients are using.
Getting involved may be through blogs, twitter, facebook, ebooks, online videos, online audio and online articles. Providing information in your area of expertise is a way to increase your profile and your reputation to potential clients. David assures us that it is normal to feel a bit uncomfortable when starting in the online world.
As a health professional, when using the internet to provide content, it is important to continue to follow ethical and legislative principles associated with confidentiality, giving advice and following best-practice and evidence-based practice.
Diving in is a great way to experience the online environment. However, reading David Meerman Scott's The New Rules of Marketing & PR will give you a jump-start. It is an easy read and makes understanding the net easy for all, regardless of how tech savvy we are.Get more detail about The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly.
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