Down at the social

With a few months under my belt now, there are a few things I’ve noticed about the medical plastics sector, one of which is that for many of you, social media isn’t high on your list of priorities.

Of course, time has a huge part of pay in this and it is currently in emerging sectors – such as renewable energy – that the need for regular Twitter and LinkedIn updates are seen as crucial. For established companies in established sectors, finding the person who has both the time and the inclination to master social media, can be extremely difficult. It is interesting to note though that Twitter’s fastest rising demographic is the 55-64 age group bracket – so it isn’t just for the younger generations.

For many people, social media is part and parcel of their everyday lives, especially for personal use. Carrying it across into a professional setting can be problematic for some people, keen to ensure it doesn’t undermine their professional standing. Of course, social media etiquette is vital but it should not detract from the valuable role the platform has to play in the working environment. And with 58 million tweets being sent each day, there is a definite value to being part of what’s going on.

With this in mind, it was interesting to read an article in the BMJ which highlighted the way social media, Twitter in particular, has become a key networking tool for healthcare professionals.  For some time now both Facebook and LinkedIn have been used by groups of doctors as a way to network online. Last year, the Royal College of General Practitioners issued the Social Media Highway Code – guidance on how doctors can balance professional responsibilities with the use of social media.

The article highlights cases such as Stephanie deGiorgio, programme director for the general practitioner vocational training scheme for East Kent who says that in the short time she has been using Twitter, she has created a network of doctors to follow whose opinions she is interested in hearing.

The article also cites a clinical lecturer who uses it when attending conferences and lectures to find out more about who’s attending as well as another professional who says she finds it helps her form better connections at events with the people she has been following on Twitter.

It’s all very interesting but where does the medical plastics device sector fit into this? With the doctors and the healthcare sector in general, being such big fans of Twitter, it’s only a matter of time before this enthusiasm filters back down the supply chain. Opportunities exist for many device firms to become leading voices in their fields by exhibiting authority and expertise on a regular basis. It also allows the creation of

relationships with potential business partners and the boosting of existing ones through the use of social media such as Twitter. The sharing of knowledge and opinion is crucial to the ongoing development of an industry and Twitter offers a  quick and easy way keep on top of this, wherever you are in the world and whatever time zone you happening to be operating in.