Maybe Experts Shouldn't Be on Social Media After All?

Recently, Latvia's largest news portal asked me to comment on an interesting question: Should doctors be on social media?

The longer I thought about it, the more I realized this is not really a question about doctors. It is a question about all experts: lawyers, scientists, financial advisors, architects, consultants, and everyone whose professional work depends on competence and trust.

So, in this edition of my Newsletter, I'd like to share a few thoughts that I believe are relevant to every expert today.

Experts compete for trust

For doctors, trust is everything. And it starts long before the first appointment. Patients read interviews, search online, browse social media profiles, look at reviews, and pay attention to how doctors communicate in public.

The same is true for almost every expert. Most clients form their first impression of an expert long before the first meeting. Over time, the Matthew Effect begins to work: visibility creates more visibility. Experts who are already well known are invited to comment more often, quoted by the media more frequently, and recommended by others. That is why the most valuable position is to become top of mind in your field.

Fame is not the same as a personal brand

One of the biggest misconceptions is that being active on social media automatically means you want to become famous. In reality, fame and a personal brand are two very different things. Fame means being known by as many people as possible. A personal brand means being known, respected, and trusted by the people who actually need your expertise.

That is why doctors, lawyers, professors, and auditors should not aim for fame. A much better goal is professional impact - the ability to earn people's trust and to be someone they genuinely listen to.

Social media alone does not create trust

Trust is not built by beautiful photos or clever algorithms. When deciding whether to trust an expert, people unconsciously look for answers to five questions:

• Does this person deserve to be in this position?

• Do they have the necessary knowledge and experience?

• Do they genuinely care about my interests?

• Do they act with integrity?

• Are they willing to take responsibility for their decisions?

  
  

Communication can help make these qualities visible, but it cannot replace them.

Research also shows that trust is built not only on competence, but also on human qualities such as empathy, respect, clear language, and the ability to create dialogue. In fact, charisma is created by the combination of competence and warmth.

There is another interesting pattern: the deeper someone's expertise, the more simply they can explain complex ideas. The most influential experts are both authoritative and approachable.

Where does professional communication end and self-promotion begin?

For me, the answer comes down to one simple question: What is the purpose of your communication? If your goal is to help people understand complex issues, educate them, and support better decisions, that is professional influence. If your main goal becomes attracting attention to yourself, you have crossed into self-promotion.

People are remarkably good at sensing motives. The moment they feel that an expert's personal visibility has become more important than the audience's interests, trust begins to decline.

That is why public communication is not only about building a personal brand. It is also about educating society. When experts help people better understand complex topics, everyone benefits.

So, should experts be on social media?

Absolutely! Today we face an interesting paradox: people are looking for experts, while experts often remain silent. As a result, public conversations are increasingly dominated by louder voices rather than more knowledgeable ones.

This is becoming even more important as more people turn to the internet or AI tools for medical, financial, or legal advice instead of speaking to qualified professionals. People no longer need experts only for facts, they need help interpreting those facts. That is why professionals who can explain complex topics clearly are becoming increasingly valuable.

There is, however, one important condition. Professional impact must be built on competence, legitimacy, responsibility, and integrity, not on algorithms, or the number of views. That difference determines whether public communication becomes a reputational risk or one of an expert's most valuable professional assets.

In my opinion, communication will become one of the most important skills every expert needs to develop in the coming years. It is no longer enough to be outstanding in your profession. You must also be able to make your expertise understandable, visible, and trustworthy. Ultimately, impact means that when someone faces an important question, they choose to trust yourather than a random piece of advice online or an AI-generated answer.

Dr.Sc.Comm. Olga Kazaka, Partner at the communication agency Olsen+Partners, author of The First PR Book, lecturer.