Season Ten: Building Your Digital Presence
A plastic surgery practice's online presence is often part of a patient's first impression, making digital communication an important professional responsibility. This season examines how surgeons can manage online reviews, adapt marketing strategies, and improve visibility across digital platforms. Guests discuss the opportunities and challenges of social media, including the ethical considerations that arise when professional credibility and patient engagement intersect. Episodes also address how to evaluate an existing digital presence and communicate consistently with prospective and established patients. Rather than treating marketing as a collection of isolated tactics, the season connects reputation, trust, and thoughtful communication to the broader patient experience. These discussions provide a useful starting point for practices refining how they present themselves online.
Online reviews have become an important part of how patients evaluate plastic surgeons and their practices. While positive feedback can strengthen a practice's reputation, negative reviews often feel personal and can be difficult to navigate. A thoughtful approach to patient communication, service recovery, and reputation management can help practices respond professionally while identifying opportunities to improve the patient experience. In addition, they’ll recap how six health system executives discuss how their health system handles negative reviews.
Host: Renee Burke, MDGuests: Dustin Reid, MD; Marie Olesen, CEO La Jolla Cosmetic, founder of Inform and Enhance Software, and founder of Real Patient Ratings Published: 06/03/2021
Social media offers plastic surgeons valuable opportunities to educate patients, build professional visibility, and share their work. However, the pressure to attract attention and grow an online audience can create ethical challenges involving patient privacy, informed consent, advertising transparency, and professional conduct. Understanding these responsibilities is essential to maintaining public trust while using digital platforms effectively. They'll discuss ASPS Code of Ethics, as well as regulations put forth by the FTC and FSMB on ethical social media practices and what to do if you witness a fellow plastic surgeon crossing the lines of ethical behavior on social media.
Host: Renee Burke, MDGuests: Anu Bajaj, MD; Christian Vercler, MD Published: 06/03/2021
Building a successful online presence requires more than launching a website, maintaining social media accounts, or purchasing digital advertisements. For plastic surgeons, effective digital marketing begins with understanding practice goals, identifying the right patient populations, and choosing strategies that make the best use of available resources. From search engine visibility to website performance and reputation management, each component plays a role in attracting prospective patients and supporting long-term practice growth.
Host: Renee Burke, MDGuest: Ryan Miller, Founder and CEO of Etna InteractivePublished: 06/03/2021