feature Social media 101 Why you should use it Dr. Anthony Lombardi is a private consultant to athletes in the NFL, CFL and NHL, and founder of Ham-ilton Back Clinic, a multidisciplinary clinic. He teaches his fundamental EXSTORE Assessment System and practice building workshops to vari-ous health professionals. For more information, visit www.hamilton-backclinic.com. S ocial media is the most effective form of promotion in business practice today. And guess what – it’s free. For those who are just starting up a practice, this article will show you the importance of starting an online community. To my colleagues who have been in practice for several years: it is time to embrace social media and jump on the bandwagon to ensure you don’t get left behind. WHat iS SoCial media? Wikipedia, the online free encyclopedia, defines social media as “includ-ing web-based and mobile technologies used to turn communication into in-teractive dialogue between organizations, communities, and individuals.” What does this really mean? Basically it allows us to communicate with our current and future patients over the Internet. It helps us create a presence online where people re-ceive information right at their fingertips. We are able to educate and shape perception right away. tHree toP SiteS you Can’t iGnore Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. These three small words are dominating how we view business today. These are the platforms where people are growing in educating them-selves about their health, their treatment and how they perceive you, their health-care provider. By showcasing your business on Facebook, Twitter and/or YouTube you are shaping people’s perception through the sharing of articles, videos and links. Think of it this way: traditionally, if two people are having a conversation in a room, www.canadianchiropractor.ca Anthony J. Lombardi, DC 16 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | JUNE 2012
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