Social Networking and Professional Boundaries

The online world is full of extremely effective marketing tools for your business. Online sites allow potential clients to access information regarding your massage practice conveniently and at any hour of the day. You can inform and engage clients through a massage blog. Business websites can answer numerous questions regarding therapeutic massage, as well as unique questions about your practice, including cost, hours, location, specialties, and what to expect within a session. Clients can even book an appointment using massage scheduling software.

The internet allows you to share your business with the world, but it can also make the world a smaller place. Social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are becoming more common resources for connecting with people, personally and professionally. Users of social networking sites is in the millions, and that number is increasing daily. You need to consider the personal privacy you may be giving up, and implications your profile could have on your business by using social networking. Could there be such a thing as being too connected with your clients?

Facebook is a social networking website. Some people have concerns about clients gaining access to specifics of their private life. Clients may also be uncomfortable with seeing the details of your personal life. Luckily, there are simple methods to take advantage of this awesome promotional tool while maintaining good social boundaries. Instead of friending clients, you can create a business page on Facebook. You can direct clients toward your business page to establish good boundaries. From your business page, you can write articles about therapeutic massage, and accept bookings through Clickbook or Full Slate. You can also place clients, friends, and families into lists. This will help to include or exclude particular list members from details or pictures you post.

Like Facebook, Twitter allows users to share and read content in real time. This content is shared by tweets. You can use Twitter to post links to articles about therapeutic massage, announce new services at your practice, or alert clients of a last minute opening.

Should you decide to utilize these services for professional purposes, use them to your benefit, not your detriment. If you have your own practice, your name and face is the mark of your business. Please be careful how you present yourself.

For more information about professional boundaries, as well as other massage therapy topics, please visit thismassage blog.