5 social media tips for a successful radiology practice

In a reality consumed by filters and hashtags, radiologists are faced with a familiar stressor in addition to their daily duties: social media. While clinicians’ schedules are typically packed, one radiologist at Cincinnati Children’s Memorial Hospital thinks an extra couple hours could be well worth the payoff.

“Radiologists often struggle with communicating, especially with patients and the general medical community,” said Alex Towbin, MD, who’s also the medical imaging associate chief at Cincinnati Children’s, in a release from the Radiological Society of North America. “Thanks to its massive user base, social media makes communicating easier.”

In just over three years, Towbin’s team has gathered 8,855 Instagram followers, 26,400 Twitter followers and 99,328 Facebook page likes. Below are five tweaks he’s used to pave the path to social success.

1. Recognize the importance of social media.

Most established radiologists aren’t millennials, Towbin said, but just because they’re not glued to their phones doesn’t mean they need to lack an online presence. In most cases, he said, radiologists are already subconsciously marketing, whether it’s online or off.

“Doctors are always publishing academic papers and presenting at conferences, both of which are a type of marketing,” he said. “Social media should be viewed as an extension of these traditional marketing methods.”

Introducing social media into a practice’s marketing strategy can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul of your advertising department. And, where 70 percent of Americans are on some kind of social platform, radiologists can’t afford to skip out on the trend.

2. Use social to promote your practice’s public image.

More than 80 percent of healthcare consumers think a hospital with an active online presence is “more cutting-edge,” Towbin said. Patients might not use their internet access solely for medical research, but they are likely to turn to a search engine when looking for a provider.

If a radiologist has a social media presence, the patient Googling them will likely see their social pages—a LinkedIn profile or Facebook page, for example—and related publications first, according to Towbin. Without a social presence, search engines will prioritize things like service ratings, which, with even a handful of negative reviews, could leave an unfavorable impact on a potential client.

“Social media lets you control your image,” Saan Ranginwala, MD, said in the article. “If you don’t control it, rest assured somebody else will.”

3. Talk to the legal team.

When it comes to professional social media, Towbin said radiologists can’t be too careful—especially if it’s a medium they’re not comfortable with.

“Before you even consider posting, you first need to have a conversation with your hospital’s legal and marketing teams,” he said. “Every social media strategy must adhere to hospital policies and keep in mind such things as branding guidelines, patient consent and copyright law."

Approval and advice from your business’s legal and marketing teams could be crucial if something goes wrong, he added.

4. Focus on Instagram.

Every social media platform will attract a different audience. At Cincinnati Children’s, Towbin zones in on Facebook for communicating with patients and Twitter for keeping up with the radiologic community, but Instagram is the hospital’s most successful social media channel.

“We are a sector based on images, and Instagram is all about sharing images,” Towbin said. “It’s a great tool for teaching and, as a result, is by far our most popular channel.”

Radiology departments can keep Instagram fun with themed hashtags, he suggested. Instagram “Cases of the Day” are a hit at Cincinnati Children’s, where Towbin’s team posts a new case each day under themes like #MSKMonday and #NeuroWednesday.

5. Devote the time necessary for success.

“All successful social media campaigns begin with planning—and lots of it,” Towbin said. “This includes deciding who your audiences are, what type of content you want to share, how often you will be posting and who is in charge of creating the content.”

The Cincinnati team’s Instagram account alone takes two hours of scheduling and content creation per week, he said, but the time involved in planning out a useable, successful social strategy has paid off.

“Our department has seen a major impact from using social media,” he said. “With over 30 million impressions since 2014, we have developed a reputation as a respected source for medical education—a reputation that has led to numerous new opportunities.”