Twitter is my professional social media outlet, and I thought I would share my top 10 tips on “Twitter etiquette” for those of you with a career in medicine and/or just starting out! Now some of these may seem obvious, but it never hurts to be reminded.
- Use “@_____” to publicly thank someone. I think saying “thank you” just goes a long way in terms of respect especially when it’s for all to see. For example, I received a grant from the ASA. I tagged them and some of the committee members in a post thanking them as a recipient.
- Don’t just follow people—ENGAGE THEM. You can do this by tagging them in a post that you feel may be relevant to what they’re interested in, just be authentic about it. For example, there were many posts shared regarding mental health, and I tagged influential psychiatrists I knew who may be interested in reading said article.
- HIPAA, HIPAA, HIPAA. Need I say more? Seriously folks, don’t get yourself in trouble by breaking the law.
- Promote others. But do so in a way that doesn’t make you seem like a salesperson. Retweet a post if it’s something you genuinely enjoyed reading or elicited some type of emotion or thought process you want others to experience.
- Be social and actually have a conversation. Ask questions, reply with meaningful responses, and treat it like you’re networking in person with the same level of respect and professionalism.
- REFRAIN and I repeat REFRAIN from roasting someone AND using profanity. Use your words to encourage, not tear down. This is public. This is out on the internet. The last thing you want is to paint yourself in a bad light.
- Do not Tweet and/or Retweet excessively. No one wants their feed to be filled up with only you, so please, Tweet responsibly.
- Do not overshare. No one needs to know what is going on in your personal life in terms of who you had an argument with or what you had for breakfast. If you share what you had for breakfast, please make a clinical point about it or just don’t Tweet about it at all.
- Add a professional profile picture. I hate to say it, but people stereotype and first impressions matter. Don’t allow yourself to have a questionable profile photo.
- Use hashtags. It allows you to gain exposure when contributing to a conversation or topic of interest. Just don’t go overboard with those either.
Happy Tweeting and follow me on Twitter @apatel327.
