Dr. Pho

AUTHORITATIVE & ACCESSIBLE "Today, most people go on the Internet to search out a person or product and get referrals from others before they make a decision," says Diane Korringa, director of marketing for Lisa Benest, M.D., a cosmetic dermatologist in Burbank, Calif., who maintains a presence on the popular online communities Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and MySpace. "The chief benefit is that we are accessible to more people than we had been with direct mail."

"It increases your authority," explains Kevin Pho, M.D., whose primary care practice is based in Nashua, N.H., but whose name, face, and comments are seen worldwide on a daily basis. It's all about visibility and credibility, he tells Cosmetic Surgery Times.

Dr. Benest

So what's the return on that time investment? "It expands influence; a lot of my blog topics come up on the first page of Google results when people do searches. I talk a lot about primary care and health reform. I give my take on various news articles. So when people search for those on the Internet, a lot of my articles will come up. It gives you more of a visibility on the Net."

Ms. Korringa puts a number to the return on that time investment. "The Internet is now our third highest referral source after other doctors and friends/family. Many of our new patients are people who have found us on the Internet."

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE Dr. Pho points out that there is much more to this visibility than "advertising" a practice. Much of it has to do with establishing credibility. "Patients are getting more and more Web savvy. They search for their doctors on the Internet, so having a strong Web presence is a must going forward."

But there's a bigger issue, and that is control: controlling what information about you and your practice appears on the Web. "Patients are eventually going to find you on the Internet," whether or not you have actively established your Web presence, Dr. Pho points out. "Go out there and Google yourself. If your name comes up associated with negative articles or comments that someone has written about you, that isn't going to bode well for you in terms of marketing yourself or your practice."

Ms. Korringa notes this as a potential issue as well. Someone who doesn't "like you for some reason can create major black PR about you and your office."

But by being proactive in your approach to the Web — with an informative Web site, blogging, Twitter, RSS feeds, and other social media platforms, physicians can take much better control over the information people will find about them online. "By using these various social media tools, you gain a semblance of control so when your name comes up, it's with the topics and information you want."

Dr. Pho says this is especially true for fields of medicine — such as cosmetic surgery, in which, "Taking a proactive stance on the Web is even more important."