
Being Helpful. Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mance
Companies emerging as successful are often those that are the most human.–Peter Merholz
A key step a doctor can take to humanize their organization –and develop a personal brand that has meaning–is to become relatable to prospective patients. To relate to others on social websites doesn’t mean friending complete strangers, clicking follow buttons or becoming overly accessible in chat rooms. Rather, relational bonds form when you bring your medical expertise to the web with the sole agenda of being helpful.
Imagine your best friend asked what cosmetic procedure was right for them. Just as you would in this setting, your sharing to social sites should be informative, less formal, and rarely promotional.
To buttress these efforts with undeniable credibility, it’s important to get patients sharing online about their own experiences while under your care.
At RealSelf, thousands of people are telling their story (far more than just a star-rating) including videos and photos; the doctors who get referenced in these stories end up benefiting from a degree of word of mouth that money cannot buy.
Check out these amazing mom makeover stories to see it in action.