Friday's Digest - The Newsletter for Doctors & Scientists

Friday's Digest #82

How to Gain Attention on Social Media as a Doctor or a Scientist

Social media is a fantastic networking tool, but gaining attention can be challenging.

Today, I'll share the lessons I've learned the hard way, so you don’t have to.

March 22nd, 2024

Friday's Digest - The Newsletter for Doctors & Scientists

For two decades, I've been developing tools that have improved my practice in medicine, dentistry, and scientific research.

Join me every Friday to discover a new tool you can integrate into your workflow as a doctor, a scientist, or both.

I believe in sharing knowledge, embracing automation, boosting productivity, and finding joy in the process.

Friday's Digest Podcast

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Preface
Main Article
Viewers’ Favorite

Preface

Last week, I tried to film the first video for the "Online Presence Course for Doctors and Scientists".

(You can watch it here once it’s published)

Filming a YouTube video requires a lot of preparation.

I need to set up my environment, position the camera and microphone, and make sure that my three energetic boys don’t run around the filming area.

And there’s the lighting.

Oh, the lighting.

If you have ever taken professional pictures, you know lighting is critical.

But since I don’t have a dedicated video light, the sun is my light source. I have to film when it’s daytime.

That leaves me with weekend mornings.

So it's a Saturday morning, and I'm all set to film my YouTube video.

Twenty minutes in, the battery indicator on my camera starts to blink red.

It's about to die, and I only filmed 40% of the video.

No problem, right? I should have a spare battery, correct?

Well, I do.

In my locker.

At the hospital.

So, here I am, stuck with a dead battery and unable to continue filming.

The battery takes two hours to charge, and by the time it's ready, I no longer have time to film.

No video.

So frustrating.

This YouTube thing is much more complicated than it looks…

Today, we’ll focus on social media.

Social media has many advantages but is also responsible for many of our world’s problems. It tends to fuel conflicts and debates.

This is probably why many doctors and scientists stay out of it.

But if you focus on its positive aspects, you can gain so much from social media.

It’s an excellent tool for networking. And we all know how important networking is.

Today, we will learn how to use social media.

I'll share the lessons I've learned the hard way, so you don’t have to.

Bring on #82!

Main Article

There are many social media platforms, but LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook are the most useful for doctors and scientists.

And they all pose one significant difficulty: While some posts attract a lot of attention, others are ignored.

That’s frustrating. Especially when you've shared news about a manuscript you published or a professional achievement you want to celebrate.

Suddenly, you're a 7-year-old kid with a new toy, but no other kids want to play with you.

You hit the "post" button, anticipating likes and comments, only to receive none. It can feel disheartening.

Today, we will explore principles to help your posts get noticed, and receive the engagement you desire.

First, we will examine the differences between LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook to help you determine the best platform for your needs.

Then, we'll delve into key principles that can help you reach a wider audience.

🔵 Not All Platforms Are Created Equal

Each of these platforms caters to a unique audience. And these audiences expect different things from you.

LinkedIn is the most "professional" platform. Content about published manuscripts, accepted abstracts, courses you graduated from, or achievements will get more attention here. Think of LinkedIn as the social media platform you browse while at work.

Twitter is the most diverse platform. It features casual everyday posts, political opinions, personal thoughts, as well as scientific and professional content. It's harder to publish for doctors and scientists due to the character limit (280 characters). If LinkedIn is the social platform for celebrating work achievements, Twitter requires something unique to gain attention.

Facebook is the most "social" platform, focusing more on personal experiences than LinkedIn and Twitter. It's the most casual platform. People will skip your professional content and prefer reading personal updates like birthday wishes or gym photos.

Let's illustrate the differences with an example:

Suppose you've had an abstract accepted for a conference and want to post about it.

👉 If you post on LinkedIn: Include a picture of the abstract or acceptance letter. Write about your excitement over the acceptance and describe your work, mentioning your collaborators.

👉 If you post on Twitter: Use a picture of the conference logo and your abstract's title. Write a brief post (280 characters) expressing how happy you are to present at the conference. Use the abstract keywords as hashtags and add the conference name and city as hashtags.

👉 If you post on Facebook: Share a picture of yourself, your group, and your mentor. Discuss how presenting at the conference made you feel and all the hard work you put in to get to this point. Tag as many people as possible.

That was a lot of information! However, understanding the differences between the platforms is essential to ensure your posts get attention.

Now, let's discuss strategies you can use across all platforms to get more attention for your posts. I'll keep it focused. In my YouTube guide, I'll dive deeper.

🔵 Aim for the Skimmers

This is the most important rule. No one reads every post in detail. People SKIM through them. They glance at the post for a moment and then move on. Therefore, your writing must be concise and appealing to catch the skimmer's attention. It should include a hook and a take-home message.

🔵 Attach a Picture

Including a picture in your post can significantly increase its visibility. People scroll through hundreds of posts, but an engaging picture will grab their attention. They will stop and click on your post.

Ideally, use a personal picture.

Alternatively, put a picture of a certificate you received or something that signifies a personal accomplishment.

🔵 Choose the Right Time

The social media algorithm evaluates your post based on its initial engagement. If the first 10 people ignore your post, the social media platform is less likely to present it to others. The goal of social media is to keep people engaged.

Therefore, if your post isn't compelling, its reach will be limited. Consider when your audience is most likely to engage with your posts.

For doctors and scientists, the optimal posting time is late morning to early afternoon, closer to the weekend (Wednesday-Thursday, 10:00-14:00).

🔵 Keep It Short

This section doesn't need much explanation. The shorter, the better. Enough said.

🔵 Don't Use AI

Please, for the love of god, DON’T use AI to write your posts or to "improve" them. The overly-perfect English, lengthy paragraphs, and lack of personal touch are horrendous.

AI will ruin your posts.

🔵 Make It Emotional and Relatable

Social media is saturated, and it seems like everyone is out there.

Your posts need to stand out.

Most individuals don't express their true emotions or share how their personal experiences affect them.

So, if you write authentically about your experiences and emotions, your posts will stand out.

🔵 Use Links Wisely

Including links can reduce the visibility of your posts. If it's not necessary to use them, avoid it.

If you must use links, limit them to one or two per post.

Some recommend placing the link in the first comment. I disagree.

People don't check the comment section and will miss your link.

Personally, I'd rather have 1000 people view my post with 200 clicking the link within it, as opposed to 3000 viewers with only 50 clicking the link. However, your objectives may differ from mine. Choose wisely.

Viewers’ Favorite

How did I study for the USMLE and fail?

What have I learned along the way?

In this video, you'll get it all.

Epilogue

If you received this newsletter from a friend and would like to join Friday's Digest, visit: https://newsletter.shaysharon.com

That’s it for this issue.

Hope for better times.

Shay

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