What You Can (And Can’t) Share On Social Media

Do you find yourself wondering what you can share on your social media channels?

Social media rules, regulations and guidelines can vary between modalities, associations and even countries. So it’s no surprise that many pracs give up on social media altogether!

Let’s take a closer look at what you can share via social media, and what you need to think twice about.

What not to share on social media

There are a few things that you really shouldn’t be doing on social media. Some are a straight-out no, no matter what your profession. For others, the rules are not as strict on unregistered pracs (at least in the case of Australia).

Don’t share private and sensitive information – I get it. You feel amazing because you helped someone to improve their acne or get their sex drive back. But that doesn’t mean you can share that on social media – especially without permission!

Check below for more details about reviews and testimonials.

Don’t claim to cure conditions – it might seem obvious, but it’s one that I’ve seen enough to include it in this article! Even if you believe that your advice has the ability to reverse disease, saying it online is asking for a lawsuit.

It’s much better to use terms such as ‘may help with’ or ‘can support’. If you do make specific claims, you’ll need research to back it up.

Avoid terms such as ‘safe’ and ‘effective’ without evidence – these two words are considered misleading unless there is significant evidence to show the intervention is, in fact, safe/effective. Those who are under AHPRA cannot use those terms without evidence to back it up.

For those who are unregistered, it’s still best to mention that a particular treatment shows promise for a condition, or is generally safe but that there may be adverse effects in some individuals.

Don’t share anything that is a violation of your association/regulatory body/country’s laws – there is so much variation between countries, modalities and associations. It’s impossible for me to cover all of the potential no-nos for everyone!

But basically, if you break the rules or laws, you can be punished for it. This might be a warning to start with, but it could end in legal action if you’re not careful.

What you can share on social media

Now that we’ve cleared up some no-nos, let’s look at what you CAN share. This list is not exhaustive, but it will give you an idea of what is ok to put up on social media.

You can share:

• General education around the body systems, nutrients, herbs and the like. For example, you can share that if someone hates oranges, strawberries and broccoli are also great sources of vitamin C!

• Behind the scenes of your business/clinic (assuming it isn’t breaching any client privacy)

• Interesting research in your area of interest

• Offers to work with you

• Retail products that don’t fall under TGA (for example, your favourite Pukka tea flavour or a great water filter)

• Your own product such as an e-book or meal plans

• Blog posts, podcasts, videos and other content you’ve created

So as you can see, there is still plenty that you can share with the world!

The social media grey areas

There are a few topics around social media that aren’t as simple as yes or no. These are the ones that practitioners often get confused about, and for good reason! So I’ve pulled together some information to help you decide the best course of action.

Practitioner-only products and social media

If you share a picture of a Swisse or Blackmores bottle, no one will bat an eyelid. But where it gets murky is with practitioner-only products. So can you share images or information about these products?

The short answer is – it depends on the brand. Different brands have different rules about marketing and advertising. If you are registered as a practitioner with one or more of these brands, you agreed to their terms and conditions – even if you didn’t read them!

For example, when it comes to a Bioceuticals product:

Bioceuticals product information/education featured on social media must not link to or contain claims which are outside the scope of the product.

…

All product information/educational posts are to feature the below wording: “Bioceuticals is a practitioner-only brand. Please speak to your Healthcare Practitioner for more information’.

So from this, you can see that sharing information about Bioceuticals products is allowed, as long as you don’t make any unsupported claims. You also need to make it clear that people will need to seek advice before taking the product.

On the other hand, brands such as Bioconcepts have stricter policies around advertising:

All Bio Concepts products (Orthoplex Green, Orthoplex White and Orthoplex Blue) are not to be represented on any online platforms (including websites and social media) to the general public, other than on websites, social media and other online platforms controlled or authorised by Bio Concepts.

…

In all circumstances there is be no visibility of products, no product information, no pricing information, no selling to the general public.

What this means is that you can’t advertise their products online (or anywhere directly to the public). Instead, you can share any content that they have posted publicly. So if you see a post on their blog or Facebook page, that’s ok for you to share on yours.

So what’s the verdict? Check the terms and conditions of a brand before you share it!

Testimonials and reviews on social media

The other very murky topic of practitioner marketing is testimonials and reviews. There are some pracs who are subject to regulations, and others who fall in a grey area.

If you are a registered practitioner with AHPRA, you are not allowed to use testimonials in your advertising and social media. You are considered to be responsible for any testimonial that is published within your control.

For example, you are not allowed to accept reviews on your Facebook page because you have the option to disable the feature. However, you are not considered responsible for Google reviews, as they cannot be disabled.

However, you are allowed to have reviews that are “feedback about healthcare experiences that does not refer to clinical aspects of care”. You can check out the AHPRA page for more details about what is and is not allowed.

For non-registered practitioners, it’s not quite as straightforward. The best way forward is to take a look at your association’s advice or rules around using testimonials.

For example, ANTA’s stance is:

ANTA recommends that other members who are not registered also do not use testimonials in any of their advertising or promotional media for the following reasons:

Under Consumer Law all advertising (including testimonials) must be truthful, accurate and not misleading

All claims made in advertising must be able to be substantiated and verified

Whilst patients provide testimonials/reviews with the best intentions they generally do not understand the above and could inadvertently make comments that are not correct, accurate or may be misleading

Patients also may make comments or claims in testimonials/reviews that may not be able to be varified or substantiated

Under the National Code of Conduct for Unregistered Practitioners, a practitioner cannot advertise/promote any claims to treat or alleviate symptoms or illnesses unless those claims can be substantiated or verified

If a practitioner uses testimonials that do not comply with the above and a complaint is made then the practitioner could be pursued by the ACCC, State Health Ombudsman/Complaints Commissioner and penalties applied

So while they strongly recommend that you don’t use testimonials, they don’t prohibit the use.

On the other hand, we have the NHAA:

Advertising must not include testimonials about a service or business: Testimonials are prohibited because they are personal opinions from former patients or clients recommending a health service or business. Testimonials often have no scientific or objective basis which can mislead consumers about clinical services or treatment options. They also may not be a balanced source of information.

Advertisers are responsible for all testimonials (solicited or unsolicited) that are published within their control, such as those on their website.

Some associations allow testimonial use. Committee members of CNA in New Zealand have reported that they are able to use testimonials.

So once again, the rule of thumb is to check with your association/regulatory body first.

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