The Art of Short-Form CME: Tweetorials and Social-Media-Based Content

If you are an education provider, are you curious about how to use social media platforms like X/formerly Twitter to deliver engaging and accredited CME content? If you're a writer, do you want to know more about how to create social-media-based short-form content?As a medical educator or content creator, you may be looking for innovative ways to reach healthcare professionals where they already spend time - on social media. Episode 111 jumps into the world of "tweetorials" and explores how you can adapt your educational content for platforms like X/Twitter while maintaining the quality and accreditation standards of traditional CME.Julie Merten PharmD is my guest, a clinical pharmacist at the forefront of medical writing and CME content development at Chimeric Medical Communications. In today's episode, she shares her strategy for distilling complex medical topics into bite-sized educational content. We'll explore how to take a full clinical data paper, sharpen the key messages, and deliver them in a way that not only educates but engages and fosters interaction. What is the role of imagery, ethical considerations, and the importance of tapping into the right medical niches?Join us to learn more about crafting compelling short-form CME and take your content to the next level on social media!Takeaways1. When creating short-form content for social-media-based CME, keep the scope narrow and focused. If a topic is too complex, consider breaking it up into multiple threads or supplementing with other formats like expert videos.2. Invest time in creating high-quality, engaging visuals that are optimized for mobile viewing. Infographic-style images and square aspect ratios work well for tweetorials.3. Emojis, design elements, and questioning techniques are practical tools to hook an audience and convey information quickly. If you adopt these stylistic elements, be aware of cultural interpretations and maintain factual accuracy and appropriateness for mobile consumption.Connect with JulieEmail: [email protected] Medical Communications, LLCLinkedInTimestamps00:00 Introduction02:29 Introducing Julie04:02 What a Tweetorial is and how it works05:27 How long threads have been around06:53 Crafting a Tweetorial tutorial08:11 Assessing learner engagement on Tweetorials - how people respond and sign up for them10:56 Creating private communities on X11:57 Looking at the interaction of learners in a Tweetorial13:01 Some of the challenges when creating this short-form content14:33 Teaching and learning considerations with short-form content15:45 All about emojis18:01 Moving from long-form to short-form content19:55 Figuring out what the key messages are21:10 The scope for patient cases and tutorials21:40 Ethical concerns23:16 Considerations on how Tweetorials are assessed24:01 Evaluating outcome metrics for Tweetorials25:42 Finding CME on X as a learner27:08 Key skills to develop for creating effective accredited education content for social media31:40 Final thoughts on trying short-form content32:37 Where to connect with Julie33:21 Tips for creating short-form content for social media-based CMESubscribe to the Write Medicine podcast!Don’t forget to subscribe to the Write Medicine podcast for more valuable insights on continuing medical education content for health professionals. Click the Follow button and subscribe on your favorite platform. Mentioned in this episode:Why Retreats Work: Disconnection, Body Wisdom, and the Science of Letting GoRewrite Your Power Retreat 2026This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp