Every time Erik Qualman traveled to Vegas - something he did often as an author and speaker - he noticed the slogan "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."
But he knew better.
Before social media, Qualman notes, integrity was what happened behind closed doors, and your reputation was how you were perceived by the public. "I didn’t realize that integrity and reputation were the same thing," Qualman says.
In today’s world, your closed-door and public personas are merged. Qualman’s book, "What Happens in Vegas Stays on YouTube," empowers readers to both produce and protect their reputations online.
The new reputation
"Your online reputation is fast becoming your reputation," Qualman says - and word of mouth is now word of mouth.
Physician recruiters know this all too well: If someone wants to find out about you, they’ll Google your name. What they discover is what Qualman calls your "digital stamp."
"Digital footprints are the information you post online about yourself, your brand or your company," Qualman says. "Digital shadows are what others upload about us. Collectively, your digital footprint plus your digital shadow equals your digital stamp. Your digital stamp matters five seconds from now, five years from now, 50 years from now and 500 years from now. Consider the digital stamp you want to leave on this world. Ninety-two percent of children under the age of 2 already have a digital stamp. So the key is for all individuals and brands who produce a digital stamp to protect it - and that’s what the book is all about."
How does this relate to health care?
Protecting that brand is especially important for health care organizations, as patients look online first to find the best provider to visit or the best place to be treated.
"It pays to market your establishment or practice so people will find you and build your presence online," Qualman says. "Patients that have a good experience can be your best marketers; they will often ’post it forward’ by leaving a positive comment on a website, blog, Twitter, text, Facebook or email. Research shows that generating a positive comment about a person, business or experience increases happiness for everyone."
Physician recruiters should remember that candidates are going to review the digital stamps of potential employers and colleagues. What will they find?
Use the three-second rule to improve your digital stamp
"When it comes to digital leadership, it’s thinking about what you’ve done historically - but now on a much larger scale," Qualman says.
"In today’s world, your digital reputation is your reputation. When posting something on social media, you should consider the three-second rule. If you have to question yourself for more than three seconds about whether something is appropriate or worth posting, it’s not. Is it something of value? Is this something others need to know? If it’s not of value, then don’t post it."
Erik Qualman is a bestselling author, keynote speaker and an expert on digital leadership. His accomplishments include being a former columnist for CNN Japan; being a published fiction author; and owning Equalman Studios - an animation/film studio that has done work for Disney, Cartier, IBM and more. Qualman was recently voted the second "Most Likeable Author in the World" behind Harry Potter’s JK Rowling. Qualman has published various bestselling business books including "Socialnomics," "How to Sell on LinkedIn" and "Digital Leader: 5 Simple Keys to Success and Influence." His books are used in more than 200 universities, and he has received an honorary doctorate for his groundbreaking work. He considers his greatest accomplishment that of being a dad.
MARCIA TRAVELSTEAD
