So with the mommy bloggers taking heat for their pay-for-post activity, I got to thinking: What’s going to happen when there are 20,000 physicians in the social media space? Anticipating that certain physician influentials will command big networks, we can expect to see pay-for-post activity evolve as a fertile marketing vehicle.
Pharmaceuticals will, of course, fall under strict FDA guidelines for social media promotion. Medical devices, neutraceuticals, health facilities, and home monitoring devices, however, may be open market and all will be looking for new eyeballs.
Recently Ford Motor Company offered the new Ford Fusion to several influential mommy bloggers. Since doctors fit the Lexus demographic, I was wondering if they’ll be lending out shiny new Lexi to physician kingpins? I can imagine Berci’s obligatory post: “And the rear passenger compartment is so spacious. There’s room for my doctor’s bag, personal genomics kit AND my laptop”
So how will we handle it? Will the standards be different for doctors than for mommy bloggers? I suspect they will. Moms get away with talking about consumer products. Physicians are held to a higher standard. But who will maintain the standard? I suspect the hive will determine what’s appropriate and who’s over the line.
And with the Federal Trade Commission gearing up to drop the hammer on promotional blogging, the lines of engagement should be well-defined by the time MDs reach critical social media mass.
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
There's one major difference between medical bloggers and mommy bloggers: the work. Not to diminish the job of being a parent, but stay-at-home-Moms can find breaks in the day to write blog posts, especially if they are trying to earn some income from the blog. For most physicians, writing a blog is a hobby and doesn't quite fit with the work schedule. (In computer jobs, you're always at the computer and can always find a few minutes to type a quick blog post).
Thanks, Greg. And just one more reason doctors have a hard time settling into social media in general.
It's about time the FTC looked into this. Perhaps it will help us docs in the blog world create some standards as more of us get approached to comment on products and perhaps post information about them on our blogs. In tight economic times, I can see that being a more common blog post than not in the blogosphere in general.
However, Greg, you have the doc blog world pegged wrong. Many docs are blogging as often as the mom bloggers and many full time. As many docs are practicing and blogging, many have left active clinical life and are doing other nonclinical things where blogging is part of their new life. I fall into that latter group with a great many other docs I know.