by Gregg A. Masters, MPH
Introduction
On December 5, 2024, a group of healthcare innovators and social media experts gathered to explore the transformative power of social media in healthcare. Hosted by MedStartr‘s Alex Fair (@AlexBFair), the discussion featured Gregg Masters, (@GreggMastersMPH), and other prominent voices including Michael Mann, David E. Sarabia, (@inRecoveryHQ), Sabrina Runbeck, (@SabrinaRunbeck), Joe Desiderio, (@JoeDesiderio), Edward Bukstel, (@ebukstel), and Roland da Silva, (@realrdasilva).
The full episode recording viewable below:
Key Points from the Discussion
1. The Evolution of Social Media in Healthcare
Gregg Masters reflected on his journey in social media, from early adoption of Twitter in 2007 to exploring platforms like BlueSky and Threads. Despite Twitter’s challenges post-Elon Musk’s acquisition, the platform remains vital for healthcare professionals.
Key Takeaways:
- Twitter’s Role: A hub for healthcare conversations, B2C hashtags like #LupusChat and B2B hashtags #RSNA24, #JPM25, #PhyChat #CMIOchat #DigitalHealth foster engagement and collaboration.
- Alternatives Emerging: BlueSky, Threads, and LinkedIn are gaining traction as professionals seek new spaces for authentic dialogue not ‘algo suppressed‘.
2. Building a Personal Brand
Sabrina Runbeck emphasized the importance of personal branding for professionals. A clear mission and consistent messaging are foundational to standing out.
Pro Tips for Personal Branding:
- Define your “superhero story” and align content with your mission.
- Use platforms like LinkedIn for long-form content, newsletters, and professional networking.
- Engage audiences with storytelling and visuals to humanize your brand.
3. Leveraging Tools and Platforms
The panel discussed platform-specific strategies:
- LinkedIn: Ideal for B2B networking and long-form content. Utilize features like newsletters and ‘serial posts’.
- YouTube: Effective for podcasts and visual storytelling.
- Twitter Spaces: Enables real-time discussions on trending topics like health policy and innovation.
Actionable Tip: Repurpose long-format content into bite-sized videos, social posts, and blog articles for maximum reach.
Challenges and Insights – Authenticity vs. Analytics
David shared a compelling story about balancing authenticity with audience expectations, emphasizing that genuine connections often hold more value than inflated metrics. Entrepreneurs should pay attention to the key indicators of a strong alignment between founders and potential investors. If you can’t be authentic, it’s likely not the right partnership. It’s better to recognize this early on!
Platform Fatigue
The group addressed the overwhelming number of platforms, advocating for focused efforts on those best aligned with individual goals, ie, who’s your audience, where are they, how can you reach and what’s their preferred method of ‘consumption‘ (audio, video, blogging, comments, hashtags, etc.?
Conclusion: A Call to Action
The healthcare social media landscape is evolving rapidly. Professionals must adapt by embracing new platforms, refining their personal brands, and engaging with authentic, mission-driven content. While Twitter, now known as ‘X’, was becoming the preferred B2B community for physicians and clinicians to engage in disease-specific, conference-related, or topic-specific Tweetchats, or to simply engage in real-time discussions (now enhanced by ‘Spaces’), some users remain committed to the platform despite the new premium pricing of $8/month introduced by Elon Musk. Meanwhile, many are exploring alternative platforms for their ‘digital homes’.
Bottomline, know your objectives, know your audience and meet them where they gather,
For more information visit Medstartr, follow the guests in the roundtable on twitter or LinkedIn.
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