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Connect with EMS vendors with social media

I saw some great products at the EMS World Expo 2009 exhibit hall in Atlanta last week. Like many of you, I am returning home with a stack of business cards, a pile of brochures and a clutch of click pens. If you saw something you liked, use these social media tips to learn more about the company and their products.

1. Email the vendor and ask for hyperlink(s) to customer print, audio, and video testimonials about the products that are not on the vendor’s Web site.

2. Search social media sites for comments about the vendor and their products. Start with search.twitter.com. Set-up an RSS of the Twitter search in your RSS reader.

3. Set-up a daily Google Alert e-mail for the product to find posts about the vendor and product.

4. Search the more than six billion YouTube videos for videos showing the product in use at actual incidents or during training scenarios.

5. Ask the 5,000+ EMSConnect members for their opinions and experiences by starting a discussion.

Finally, browse the archives of MedicCast and EMS Garage podcasts. These shows routinely review and discuss products. If the product you are interested in has not been reviewed or discussed, contact the show hosts and ask them to check it out.

Which products and services caught your eye? What new innovation would you like to bring to your service first?

Greg Friese, MS, NRP, is the Lexipol Editorial Director, leading the efforts of the editorial team on Police1, FireRescue1, Corrections1 and EMS1. Greg served as the EMS1 editor-in-chief for five years. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree from the University of Idaho. He is an educator, author, national registry paramedic since 2005, and a long-distance runner. Greg was a 2010 recipient of the EMS 10 Award for innovation. He is also a three-time Jesse H. Neal award winner, the most prestigious award in specialized journalism, and the 2018 and 2020 Eddie Award winner for best Column/Blog. Connect with Greg on LinkedIn.