Online Professional Branding for NPs: Part 2
This is part 2 in my series “Online Professional Branding for NPs.” The first part covered the use of Gmail. This second post discusses the use of Twitter. Twitter is a super duper easy way to demonstrate your passion and involvement with healthcare. Check out my Twitter page for example. I use my @melissadecapua account strictly for professional purposes.
Why NPs Should Twitter:
- To follow influential people in your specialty including recruiters, hospitals, professional organizations, and colleagues
- To enhance your online professional brand
- To demonstrate your knowledge, passion, and involvement in healthcare
- To make yourself visible to influential people & recruiters
So, to get started, I would head over to Twitter (it’s free) and make yourself an account dedicated to your professional brand. Use something like “firstnamelastname” or “firstinitiallastname.” Just be professional and make it recognizable. You’ll have the option of uploading a profile picture and headline image. Make them both professional, unique, and reflective of your brand (who you are).
Once you have made your account, you need to find people, groups, and organizations to follow. Follow me if you want to! Here is a list of other groups for Nurse Practitioners to follow:
- Sigma Theta Tau International
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing
- World Health Organization
- Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- Institute of Medicine
- American Association of Nurse Practitioners
- Mayo Clinic
- WebMD
- FDA Drug Information
- American Red Cross
- American Nurse Practitioner Foundation
- NPR Health
- National Institute of Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
You may also want to follow health recruiting companies or individual recruiters such as:
Most frequently I tweet my new blog posts or share other interesting things I come across on the internet related to being a nurse practitioner. For example, I might watch a cool TED talk that I want to share. Most websites include “sharing icons” or a “tweet this” button. The TED website ( shown below) includes sharing icons under each video so that you can easily spread the video using your social media. When you click on the Twitter icon, a tweet will be posted to your Twitter page that includes the title of the video and a link to it. Super easy! Likewise, when your followers “tweet” you will receive a notification and have the option of “retweeting” this to your network. It’s great, for instance, to follow the CDC and receive instant updates on the Ebola epidemic.
In conclusion, making and maintaining a Twitter account is simple, and it is an easy way to demonstrate your passion and involvement in healthcare. You can also “follow” recruiters and be the first to see job postings. Potential employers almost always Google search you, and wouldn’t it be great for your professional Twitter to pop-right-up and show them your level of passion?! Without a doubt, Twitter is an important piece to your online brand.
If you decide to get a Twitter account, leave a comment below and I will be sure to follow you! Until next time!
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