social media starter kit how to use social media to help you … · social media has transformed...

Social media starter kit

How to use social media to help you become a key opinion leader

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PURPOSE 3

WHY GO SOCIAL? 3

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU? 4

TIPS FOR BEING SUCCESSFUL ON SOCIAL MEDIA 4

SEARCHING FOR INSPIRATION 4

SOCIAL MEDIA RECOMMENDATIONS 5

WHY ENGAGEMENT MATTERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA 6

ENGAGING CONTENT IS… 7

ONLINE ETIQUETTE 7

MISTAKES HAPPEN 8

WHICH CHANNELS FOR WHICH PURPOSE? 9

WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE AO ON SOCIAL MEDIA 10

For additional support please contact your Community Development Manager

UPDATED 2018

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PURPOSE

Social media has transformed the way people stay connected. Whether you use social media to share, to learn, to do business or simply to stay in touch, it is an important channel to understand. This guide has been developed for the AO Community, to help you understand the benefits of engaging in social media and how to use it to achieve your goals.

WHY GO SOCIAL?

Social media continues to grow at a rapid pace and has become integral to maintaining and strengthening professional relationships as traditional hierarchical barriers are broken down.

While social networks were originally the preserve of students and celebrities, they are increasingly being used by professional people looking to raise their profile and network with colleagues, clients, and industry stakeholders.

Social media presents a huge opportunity for you to share your expertise with the world in the same way you would through traditional media channels, meetings, and events.

Many of your colleagues are already creating professional presences for themselves in social networks. As social networks expand and become more integrated into personal and professional lives, it is important to be aware of the opportunities they present.

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WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?

• Stay up-to-date: access real-time commentary on topics directly relevant to you and your job, allowing you to effortlessly keep up with the latest news and views as they happen directly from your mobile phone.

• Build a profile: clever commentary can increase your status as a key opinion leader among your community.

• Competitive advantage: the chances are your patients and other surgeons are actively using social media, keep up with who they’re networking with and what they’re discussing.

• Expand your reach and influence: engage and create a wide network of contacts.

TIPS FOR BEING SUCCESSFUL ON SOCIAL MEDIA

• Act accountably• Speak for yourself!• Stay friendly and respectful• Criticize constructively and provide specific feedback • Always adhere to data protection and copy rights

SEARCHING FOR INSPIRATION

When faced with a blank space that must be filled we can all be inclined to panic. However, there is a wealth of subject matter to comment on and always somewhere to turn for inspiration, some examples are:

• AO Foundation content – visit the website or our social media platforms for ideas• Industry news/deals/appointments• Images – people, places, projects, charts• Ask a question – you don’t have to have the answer!• Events – what was said, who was there• Research you’ve read• Comments from people from your specialism you follow/admire• Discuss with others by responding to their posts • Public successes of key influencers• Places you’ve visited• Killer facts – your own or credit others• Personal info and updates – this is about personality and if it’s appropriate

you can share it• Public successes by your team or organization

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SOCIAL MEDIA RECOMMENDATIONS

It’s about conversation.

If you use social media as a one-way communication tool you will soon find yourself talking to a brick wall. You can only be taken seriously if you actively seek dialogue, participate in discussions and respond to questions.

Pay attention to quality.

It is easy to get a lot of attention quickly on the internet. However, sustained, intensive dialogue is only worthwhile if initiated or enriched by high-quality content.

Be honest. Information can be verified immediately on the web. False statements or even omissions are quickly discovered and can damage your credibility.

Remain polite. A dialogue is only worthwhile when all participants treat each other with respect. Avoid provoking and insulting people and break off chats if it becomes offensive.

Observe the law. Do not publish clinical cases and patient pictures without permission. Do not publish slanderous, libelous or otherwise illegal content. Do not publish content on the internet without copyright information and always comply with other copyrights. Respect the right to own images. Maintain confidentiality with sensitive information.

Correct your mistakes.

Social media users can be quick to anger but are also quick to forgive. Admit and correct your own mistakes. It is advisable to make these changes visibly to avoid misunderstandings and irritation.

Be professional. Even if you use social media “only” for private use you could encounter professional contacts or be confronted with issues relating to your work. If this happens, not having to be embarrassed by private information is to your benefit.

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Disclose your sources.

This shows respect for original authors and adds to your credibility. For example, you do not disseminate confidential information you learn as part of your job.

Separate opinions from facts.

To avoid misunderstandings, you should clarify which statements are opinions and which are hard facts. You should also indicate whether you are presenting your own opinion or that of a third party.

Be yourself. Trust and credibility are the pillars of social networks. Do not put on an act; always show who you are and what you are. Open communication in social media also requires that you disclose your background. If you are active on the internet on behalf of the AO Foundation or are representing its interests, own up to it! You can also ensure transparency by adding a disclaimer to your contribution.

Check content. Seek guidance from colleagues or stakeholder before mentioning your personal opinion in public.

Feedback If it is related to query or support, check after a few days if the advice worked, and the user is “happy” with the support, if possible.

Hold Back While receiving negative feedback, hold back, do not lash out. See the situation from all sides, reply with all the facts and at the same time show empathy with the user. If the matter seems to be in contradiction or likely to cause a “war of words”, just mention someone will be in touch, and make contact directly with the other person to solve the situation.

WHY ENGAGEMENT MATTERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Engaging content is the difference between having one hundred followers and having one hundred thousand followers.

The most successful influencers invest time in their online profile – engaging with their audience, involving them in discussions, taking their compliments as well as their criticisms.

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ENGAGING CONTENT IS…

Remarkable. Don’t get lost in the crowd, social media platforms require a change in style. Use quotes from reports or interviews, find facts which ‚pack a punch’ and always plan ahead with longer posts.

Useful. Think about your audience – what do they want, or need to know? Simplifying tricky concepts or offering insight into an issue facing the industry is always well received. Your copy doesn’t have to be purely functional, but before you write a piece of social content it’s always helpful to ask yourself what you’re expecting people to get out of it.

Knowledgeable. In a new age, the old adage “stick to what you know” has never been truer. The purpose of engaging in social media is to heighten your professional profile so use it cleverly to showcase your expertise. Writing about something you have no clue about is a very public way to erode your credibility.

Regular. Building an online audience requires work, and if your readers know when to expect new content, then they’ll keep coming back. Social media is in ‘real time’ and you need to be active on it. You can post once a day or even just once a week, but you should decide on a posting schedule and to stick to it.

ONLINE ETIQUETTE

Engaging in social media is about raising and sustaining your industry profile, as well as that of the AO Foundation. As with any other form of professional communications, there are simple rules to be adhered to.

Do:• Think about your style – is my post ‘remarkable’?• Research the platform – see what works for peers and competitors and adopt

their tactics.• Find, follow, and interact with influencers.• Post links to websites, news stories, pictures, videos, and reports.• Think before you post: social media is about enhancing your profile. These are

public channels. Think about your content carefully as it reflects directly on you.• Maintain professional standards – this includes confidentiality.

Don’t:• Be too repetitive.• Set up an account and forget about it.• Be negative about fellows, colleagues, or patients.

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MISTAKES HAPPEN

Sometimes things go wrong. A comment you make can be misinterpreted, or something you post could be taken out of context. The first thing to remember is not to panic – these situations can be resolved, all they require is the correct attitude and approach.

Do not ignore a mistake. It is impossible to get away with a mistake on social media, as by the time you correct an erroneous comment it could have been spread by hundreds of people. Ignoring the problem means you cannot help steer how it is discussed by the wider online community.

Admit when you got it wrong. Being open, honest, and quick to respond can be the key to preventing any further fall-out. Openly admitting a mistake means you can manage the situation on your own terms.

It‘s easy for comments to be misinterpreted on social media, so if you offend, upset, or anger someone online, often all that is needed is a simply apology. If something you say doesn’t have the intended response, say you’re sorry and try to make amends. People appreciate the humility it takes to apologize.

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WHICH CHANNELS FOR WHICH PURPOSE?

Each channel serves a different need. Social media is mainly used for networking purposes. Here we outline the main channels used by the AO, although recognize that social media possibilities go far beyond Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Twitter is a fast-paced, concise, and easy way to connect with individuals online. The focus of Twitter is online news and social networking where users post and interact with messages, known as „tweets.“ These messages are restricted to 280 characters in length and registered users can post tweets, but those who are unregistered can only read them. Users access Twitter through its website or mobile app.1

LinkedIn is a social network for professionals. LinkedIn is for anybody and everybody who’s interested in taking their professional lives seriously by finding new opportunities to grow their careers and to connect with other professionals.

It’s sort of like a traditional networking event where you go and meet other professionals in person, talk a little bit about what you do and exchange business cards. On LinkedIn, you add „connections“ and list your professional experience and achievements within your profile for other users to view.2

Facebook is a social networking website and service where users can post comments, share photographs and links to news or other interesting content, play games, chat live, and stream live video. Shared content can be made publicly accessible, or it can be shared only among a select group of friends or family, or with a single person.3

Instagram is a free photo and video sharing app where people can upload photos or videos and share them with their followers or a select group of friends. They can also view, comment and like posts shared by their friends on Instagram.4

To learn how to create your own social media accounts on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram please see our individual ‘How-to Guides.’

1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter 2 https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-linkedin-34863823 https://www.lifewire.com/what-is-facebook-34863914 https://help.instagram.com/424737657584573

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE AO ON SOCIAL MEDIA

The AO is represented on various social media: Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Issue, Vimeo and Google+. Here you will find a list of AO accounts on various social media channels, which we recommend you follow.

AO Foundation LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/ao-foundation

AO Facebook Accounts:

AO Foundation www.facebook.com/AO.Foundation

AO Alliance Foundation www.facebook.com/AOAlliance/

AOTrauma www.facebook.com/AOTrauma/

AOSpine www.facebook.com/AOSpine/

AOSpine North America www.facebook.com/AOSpine-North-America-186617778056091

AOCMF www.facebook.com/aocmf/

AOVET www.facebook.com/aovetglobal

AO Twitter Accounts:

AO Foundation @AOFoundation #AOFoundation #AOFaculty #AOCourses #AODavosCourses

AO North America @AONorth

AOTrauma @AOTrauma #AOTrauma

AOTrauma Colombia @AOTraumaCol

AOTrauma Saudi Arabia @AOTraumaSA

AO Trauma Ecuador @AOTraumaEcuador

AOTrauma España @AO_spain

AOTrauma AsiaPacific @AOTAsiaPacific

AOSpine @AOSpine #Spine

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AOSpine LatinAmerica @AOSpine_Latam

AOSpine Europe, Middle East and Africa

@AOSpineEMEA

AOSpine North America @AOSpineNA

Global Spine Journal @GlobalSpineJ

AOCMF @AOCMF_official

AO Instagram Accounts:

AOCMF @aocmf #aocmf

AOSpine Europe, Middle East and Africa

@aospineemea #aospineemea #aospine

AOSpine North America @aospine_na

AOTrauma @aotrauma #aotrauma

AO Vimeo Account:

https://vimeo.com/aofoundation

AO YouTube Accounts:

AO Foundation https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAOFoundation

AOSpine https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrSY3wWNpVTyF8C3ztY7Jlg/featured

AOVET https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuPnUGdzAq6ZbNHfAsDniyw

AO Issue Account:

https://issuu.com/aofoundation

AO Google+ Account:

plus.google.com/+AOFoundationOfficial

AO Foundation Clavadelerstrasse 8, 7270 Davos, Switzerland Phone +41 81 414 21 11, Fax +41 81 414 22 80, [email protected]

social media starter kit how to use social media to help you … · social media has transformed...

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