trma gcep585-g thornton2013-1

Grace Thornton

GCEP/TRMA 585: Developing A Professional Online Identity Spring 2013

online identities, personal branding, social media

LinkedIn

• LinkedIn has been my favorite social media network• It seems the most relevant to my business• Has my contact info, resume, specializations

Online Privacy

• NO Such Thing!• Anything we post can be accessed

• We must be prepared to account for our online presence, to our clients, potential clients and

colleagues• It’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to posting on personal accounts

Twitter #GCEP585

• Twitter is a great place to disseminate mini-thought bites to large audiences• You can post links to relevant information • “Hashtags” collect your thoughts topically such as:

#GCEP585• You can follow other professionals to see howthey are utilizing socialmedia too!• Eg: https://twitter.com/Julie_Hanks

Professional Facebook Pages

• Facebook is a slippery minx• It’s my favorite non-professional tool, but the

privacy settings are shaky at best.• I have not decided to open a professional one as of

now, but am not closed to the idea• I have certainly begun to monitor my personal

postings much more closely.

Google Plus (G+)

• Google+ is everything all on one place• Facebook + LinkedIn + Twitter• The evolutionary apex of all social media• And totally outside my comfort zone• I’m still just figuring out the circles (which are really

cool!)

Blogs: Blogger, WordPress, Tumblr

• Blogs are everywhere!• There is a blog for everything and everyone!• If there is something you want to learn about,

chances are there is a blog about just that thing.

Learning from Mental health Professionals & organizations

• Professionals benefit most from having a niche • Using social media to promote this niche can turn

you into an “expert in the field”• Build the practice you want by making your voice

unavoidable on your niche issue!

Managing your online identity

• Managing an online identity can be sticky!• Hootsuite and other sites like this can help you

streamline your postings.• These won’t help you make ethical choices though• Consult with other professionals who can help you

see potential snags in your posts and online presence.

Portfolios & profiles

https://plus.google.com/108194273442197399621/about

Curation Tools: scoop.it/pinterestsocial media ethics for therapists

• Online Collections!• Collect photos, articles, quotes, poems• Keep them in categories and share them at will• Input! Input! Input!• Allow public access and you can refer clients to your page so they can shop around for information consistent with their treatment plan!

Websites & domain names

• Not as difficult as you might think! • GoDaddy.com and other similar sites sell domains

for yearly rates• Use Hostgator.com to set up an e-mail with your

domain• Use Wordpress to configure your site and then GO!• Having a customized site is one of the best ways for

clients to find you and explore the practice you built to build comfort before calling you!

Making A Difference Goals & Strategies

• It’s important to use your online presence intentionally.• It’s easy for our online self to get away from us or to

be neglected• With all the amazing tools available currently, there

is no reason not to use your voice for the things you are passionate about.• Who knows where it can lead you: public speaking,

book writing, legislation!

slideshare

• Slide share is another great way to disseminate large amounts of tailored information• For you can allow your clients to access the

information you covered for long after your discussion• For public speaking engagements, you can invite

the audience to follow along or invite comments

Final thoughts

With the amount of attention people give to the internet these days, a clinician can no longer afford to neglect the WORLD WIDE WEB and expect to be successful. And, now that personal domains, blogs, twitter and other networking sites are so accessible, there is no more excuse to go old fashioned. It’s true that privacy is more difficult than ever, but with healthy boundaries and common sense, any therapist can benefit from understanding their online presence.