Table 3.

Ten tips for getting started in social media

1	Define your objective for utilizing social media (e.g., marketing, patient education, etc.)
2	Define your online persona and your message, then keep your messaging on point with continual, frequent posts
3	Use social media aggregators (e.g., Everypost.me) which permit simultaneous posts across social media platforms
4	Encourage online discussions through your posts and/or blog, and respond to user comments
5	Use social media in a way that is enjoyable to you; only if you enjoy it will you be successful using it
6	Set realistic goals for social media; do not expect an immediate influx of new patients after you start
7	Never acknowledge that a user is your patient but accept comments from your patients through Facebook, Twitter, or a blog; it is advisable not to follow or “friend” your patients
8	Publish a disclaimer, and note that your social media posts do not constitute a doctor-patient relationship
9	Monitor and analyze your online presence and reputation; Google Alerts (https://www.google.com/alerts) is free and will notify you when new online content mentioning your name or practice is published
10	Link to high-quality online content, like that found on the AAOS patient education web site (http://www.orthoinfo.org/)