Social Media Marketing For A Dental Practice?

Which Facebook pages do you pay more attention to? Ones full of informative, entertaining, and engaging content or those that haven’t posted anything since … last year? I’d bet it’s the first one.

Whether you’re aware of it or not, you understand how committed they are to their brand and the value they place on connecting with you, their audience.

The other guys? You don’t take them seriously – or even know they’re there – because of their lack of presence.

Think of your dental practice... If you aren’t posting relevant content 1-3 times weekly, then your dental practice is missing an opportunity to increase awareness of your brand, generate patient leads, stay top of mind, drive more traffic to your website … and the list goes on.

In this article, I’ll provide you with a few tips to increase fanbase engagement and bolster the results of your social media marketing.

1. Familiarize yourself with different social media platforms. If you aren’t super tech-savvy, then I can understand that you may not want to wade into the social media pond. But it’s really important to put yourself out there.
   
   The three best social media platforms for marketing a dental practice are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You and your team members can attend a local workshop or sign up for free online courses such as Google’s Fundamentals of Digital Marketing. (You’ll get a snazzy certificate you can upload to your LinkedIn page when you’re done!)

2. Develop an airtight strategy. Once you’ve determined which social media channels you want to use, you need to come up with an effective social media strategy. It will outline what you aspire to achieve and all the tasks you will complete to get there. Some of the things you need to consider are…
   
   • goals that go hand-in-hand with your practice objectives
     
   • information about your current patients and ideal prospects (demographics, spending habits, neighborhood, etc.)
     
   • competition on social media – what/who you are up against and what they are doing (the good, bad, and the ugly)
     
   • results – successes and failures – of any social media activity your practice has undertaken to date.
     
3. Put thought into your content. This is what it all comes down to … so get clear on it right away. Establish your tone of voice (the way your practice speaks to its audience through all forms of communication) and hold monthly content brainstorming sessions with your team. Here are some ideas…
   
   • Host contests. This is an excellent to engage with your audience on Facebook. A Halloween coloring contest for some movie tickets or a draw for free teeth whitening gel will generate organic engagement. You can promote contests on your website, too!
     
   • Go by the 80/20 rule. That means 80% of your posts connect with your audience and offer them value. This is shareable material – which can lead to more likes, followers, and even future patients! Only 20% should be sales-oriented (special patient offers, stats, etc.).
     
   • A photo really is worth a thousand words. Posts that merely contain text are unlikely to gain much traction. On Facebook alone, posts with photos get 53% more likes, 104% more comments, and 84% more link clinks than text-only posts, according to Wishpond.

4. Video works wonders.
   Don’t worry … you don’t need the skills of Steven Spielberg or all the fancy filming equipment he uses either. Nowadays, a smartphone and some free, user-friendly editing software will do the trick.

   You will see your social analytics spike when you post patient testimonials, provide quick tours of your practice, or introduce team members via video. And with livestreaming, you can capture those candid moments when you’re out with your team at an event or social gathering, and even offer Q&A sessions to your patients.

5. Interact with your audience. Have you ever replied to a business’s post only to be completely ignored? How’d that make you feel? If your followers provide feedback (positive or negative) or ask questions, make sure to respond. It will show them they matter, you’re listening, and they can count on you. This encourages future online interaction … and … a phone call to your practice.

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool for marketing a dental practice. In the next two years, Facebook is projected to grow to more than 3 billion users. Instagram has racked up more than 1 billion monthly users. And more than 320 million people use Twitter.

Feeling overwhelmed in this digital world? I get it. But that’s exactly why our team of marketing experts is around!

Patient NEWS has helped hundreds of dentists build and improve their digital presence with customized marketing solutions that include social marketing, WebLift™ websites, reputation management, email marketing, search engine optimization, and online listings management.

Plus, with Practice ZEBRA™, you’ll always know the results of all your marketing campaigns and how your practice is performing – with up-to-the-minute live data.

Maximize the impact social media can have on your dental practice! Call now for your very own free no-obligation web audit to see where you stand … and discover how your practice can Stand Out & Grow!