Snapchat Your Root Canal

June 09, 2016

Dr. Michael Salzhauer is a plastic surgeon in Miami. He’s also an avid Snapchatter, and snapchats his surgeries and professional life on social media under the name Dr. Miami. It’s kind of like a cross between Mr. 305 and DJ Khaled, but perhaps a little less Dale! and a little more nip/tuck.

Dr. Miami isn’t the only plastic surgeon Snapchatter. He claims that at least 15 imitators have popped up, snapping away at photos of their work. Even some dentists have caught onto the trend: Dr. Daniel Rubinshtein of New York has taken to Snapchat, Vine, and other forms of social media to reach his audience.

Which raises a number of important questions: What do we want to see shared? Is there any type of content that shouldn’t be shown? Maybe plastic surgery is more interesting than, say, legal contract editing or debating congressional bills. After all, we’ve had C-SPAN for almost 40 years, and the channel is only marginally more popular than colonoscopies.

If sharing the details of our work lives is the best way to get customers, maybe I should start snapping my own work, and tweeting a play-by-play of my mornings.

Not that anyone necessarily cares to see my illegible handwriting, or lack of witty caption. After all, would more people really buy their dental supplies through Supply Clinic if I posted a Vine of my morning commute?

Maybe this strategy only makes sense for people selling goods or services to the general public, particularly younger individuals. A snapchat campaign by a dentist may reach his/her target audience, but someone selling industrial heating units might want to reach their target audience differently.

As for dental supplies? Time will tell, I suppose.