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The good, the bad and the ugly – social media for vets
Ehlers JP.
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“Social media are computer-mediated tools that allow people to create, share or exchange information, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.”
Social media are used in different ways for private or professional purposes like e.g. YouTube (video sharing), Twitter3 (microblogging), or Instagram (picture sharing). There are also several social media sites that combine these functions and help to build private or professional networks like Facebook, Xing, or LinkedIn. Some social networks are specialized in professions e.g. Researchgate (scientists) or NOVICE (veterinarians).
Social media contain seven functional building blocks: identity, conversations, sharing, presence, relationship, reputations, and groups. These are not only interesting for private life but can also be important for veterinary practice.
In the first quarter of 2015 worldwide 1,441 million people used Facebook. In Germany, 74% of the internet users are registered to a social network and 67% use these actively. Facebook is used most with 56% activity.
Almost two-thirds of all German enterprises use social media as a marketing tool especially to get into contact with private customers Facebook is favorited.
In medicine and veterinary medicine social media is used more and more for professional purposes. But it is important to differentiate this from private use. Media literacy is an important skill that is now not always acquired at school or university. Still, it is one of the 21st-century skills. Media literacy is defined as the use of digital media, the self-determined and responsible orientation in the digital media world, to understand and assess the quality of digital content and to create media themselves.
The New Zealand Medical Association published a guideline „Social Media and the Medical profession“. Case examples with solutions help to act professionally in social networks. These topics are addressed:
• Confidentiality
• Defamation
• Doctor-patient and other boundaries
• Colleagues’ online conduct
• Data protection and security
• Privacy
• Other legal aspects
As it is so important to differentiate between your private and your professional profile you should be proficient with the privacy settings of a social network.
You can find a lot of guides for the successful use of social media in professional marketing:
• Start with a plan
• Create quality content
• Think visually
• Be active and responsive
• Measure metrics
• (N)etiquette
• Be reflective with criticism
• Don´t buy friends
For veterinarians in social media reflected and informed approach and behavior is important. It is useful to separate professional and private profiles. For the contact between colleagues, it is advisable to use special professional networks (e.g. NOVICE). For your own practice or clinic and to all employees, it is also useful to coordinate a common social media strategy and approach. [...]
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