CARLSBAD, CALIF. – In the opinion of Swati Kannan, MD, deciding whether or not to establish a presence on social media starts with a gut-check about your intentions.
“Why use it?” Dr. Kannan, a dermatologist and Mohs surgeon at the University of California, San Diego, asked attendees at the annual symposium of the California Society of Dermatology & Dermatologic Surgery. “Isn’t being an MD or DO enough? Not anymore. and differentiates us from other nondermatology providers.”
Dr. Swati Kannan
Dr. Swati Kannan
Her favorite part about using Instagram and other social media platforms, she said, is connecting with other dermatologists and other specialists. “I’ve learned a lot from communicating with other dermatologists on different platforms, not just for social media but for changing how I practice as well.”
Dr. Kannan offered the following tips and considerations for building and maintaining a presence on social media:
Know the demographics of your practice and your target audience. In general, individuals in their 20s have a presence on many platforms, mainly TikTok for entertainment. Those in their 30s and 40s mainly use Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and those in their 40s-60s primarily use Facebook and YouTube. “Men tend to use YouTube, Twitter (X), Reddit, and LinkedIn, while women prefer more photo or video content platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook,” she said. In addition, knowing your target audience will help select which social media platforms to be active on.
Think about your goal. Is it a side hustle? Is it to raise awareness of various dermatologic conditions? Is it to grow your business? “Knowing this goal will help you determine how much time you’re going to commit to it.”
Do you have the time? To be effective, being active on social media can take 10-15 hours a week, especially for beginners, “so it’s like another job,” she said.
Devise a social media strategy. “Ideally, pick one to three social media platforms that you are going to be active on,” Dr. Kannan advised. “I’m active on Instagram and YouTube, and I cross-post on TikTok and Facebook. That means when I’m making content, it’s geared toward the audience on Instagram. If it hits a few people on TikTok, that’s fine, too, but the TikTok audience is not my target.”
Stick to a posting schedule. Ideally, post three to five times per week.
Create a content strategy. This includes a variety of photos, diagrams, videos, “and you want to use relevant hashtags,” she said.
Find your niche and style. This comes with time. If you specialize in a specific dermatologic condition such as psoriasis, hair loss, or vitiligo, emphasize that in your content.
Find your voice. This also comes with time. But be a professional version of yourself.
Have a plan for how to handle complaints or bad comments. “Avoid posting content that would make you a target,” she advised. “When I get a rude comment, I delete it. If the comment is racist or sexist, I will report it.”
Learn how to review the stats on your accounts. This will provide information on which posts or videos are being well received, which can serve as the basis of creating content that’s similar going forward.
Follow certain social media strategists. This can help grow followers and learn how to find trending audio or music to accompany your content. On Instagram, for example, Dr. Kannan follows @creators and @instagramforbusiness. On YouTube, she follows the Think Media channel.
Avoid posting content that would make you a target. Limit photos about partying/alcohol consumption or anything considered unprofessional. “If you can’t say it or do it in front of a patient, then you shouldn’t post it on your professional social media page,” she said.
Protect yourself. Don’t provide individual medical advice. “All of my home pages contain the statement, ‘this page is not for medical advice,’” Dr. Kannan said. “Get photo and video consent from all patients, even if you’re posting a zoomed-in version of their face. Deidentify patients as much as possible, and watermark your before and after photos and videos so that they’re not easily used by others.”
Be consistent and patient as you engage on social media platforms. Being a good digital citizen includes networking with other creators by liking and commenting on their posts, and responding to and liking comments that people make to your posts. “Remember: it’s not just about the number of followers, but also about engagement,” she said.
Dr. Kannan reported having no relevant disclosures.