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10 Ways to Make Your Dental Practice Shine on Social Media Posted by Tyson Downs on 10/1/14 4:31 AM
Congratulations, you've got a fantastic dental website. You even added a blog. And thanks to stellar content and an online strategy that includes targeted SEO for dentists, you're starting to see an uptick in traffic and conversions.
This is all great news. And you might think that things are going well enough that you don't really need to delve much further into the online and mobile arenas. But if you have yet to get in on the social networking craze that is quickly becoming a part of the average consumer's daily life, you're missing out on a major opportunity to increase your online presence and gain the benefits that are part and parcel of participating in social media. Unfortunately, it will take a bit more time and effort than simply setting up your profile and posting sporadically if you want to see results. But there are plenty of ways you can make your social media accounts stand out from the pack. Let's face it. Social media for dentists isn't easy. But by following these 10 tactics, you'll be able to stand head and shoulders above the pack.
1. Pick the Right Platforms Before you get all gung-ho with likes and faves, you need to make sure that you're operating on the social media platforms that are going to bring you the greatest potential advantages. Facebook and Twitter are nearly must-haves these days, thanks to the fact that Facebook has well over a billion active monthly users and Twitter boasts more than 270 million. But you might also want to consider Google+, Instagram, and Pinterest. While not quite as popular as the awesome twosome that is Facebook and Twitter, these outlets have a respectably large following and they can offer extra features and opportunities for creativity that aren't readily available on other social media platforms.
2. Post Regularly One aspect of social media that you're sure to appreciate is that most users get instant updates when you post something new. This means that the vast majority of followers are unlikely to check in with your profiles in search of new content, only to find themselves disappointed and left with a negative impression. Still, it's in your best interest to post regularly if you want to maintain the interest of followers. And whether you're linking to new blog posts, sharing industry news, touting an updated dental website design, or letting followers get to know your staff via candid office photos, keeping up with the conversation is an important part of managing your social media accounts.
3. Don't over-post If you participate in social media from a personal perspective, then you probably know how annoying it is to get pinged incessantly because someone is blowing up your pages with overly frequent posts. Unless you want to risk raising the ire of your followers and getting unfriended as a result, it's a good idea to limit the number of items you post daily.
4. Employ a cohesive brand strategy, but target the medium Dentist websites are formal, professional, virtual extensions of the real-world businesses they represent. And while social media profiles are linked to those pages, they are certainly more casual in tone. Of course, you want to maintain a professional demeanor at all times in order to preserve your authority and credibility in your field. And of course, you want to make sure that your social media activities support and enhance your overall brand image. But you should also adopt a more conversational tone when using social media. It is definitely a more relaxed forum, and a stiff, sterile, or technical tone won't get the engagement or traction that an informal, personal tone will get.
5. Reach out Dental SEO ensures that all of the platforms you use on behalf of your practice are more visible to both search bots and consumers. But when it comes to social media, retention demands that you try to communicate directly with followers. A good way to do this as a dentist is to follow up with patients after they visit. You can ask them to rate visits, participate in surveys, or share their experiences so that you can post it for other followers to see.
6. Get personal
Your social media accounts are more than just a forum to inform followers about new blog posts or new services your practice is offering. They also offer the opportunity for you to show a more personal side of your practice. After all, you're more than just a name with DDS after it. Your office is made up of people who care for patients, who have their own personalities, and their own sense of humor. Representing your office on social media offers the potential to connect to consumers on a much deeper level. Adding a personal face to your professional accounts makes you far more relatable, trustworthy, and frankly, more interesting.
7. Prep for posting When you run a thriving dental practice, you might not have a lot of extra time to spend on updating your social media accounts daily. But there are tools that can help to keep you on track. For example, you could use automated tools that do your posting for you, provided you pre-load them with content. This should save you some time each day on having to post. Of course, you'll still need to check in with your profiles regularly in order to manage the flow of communication, but prep work can make your daily operations a little smoother.
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8. Focus on shareability SEO and online marketing for dentists will only get you so far, especially if your budget for online campaigns is limited. Luckily, social media gives you the chance to encourage others to do some of the heavy lifting for you. When you post items of interest and make them easy to share via single-click action, you're likely to extend your reach by a significant margin and gain access to an ever-widening circle of potential followers (and prospective patients). So focus on creating easy-to-share blurbs, links, graphics, infographics, and even viral videos that could take off like wildfire on social media.
9. Communicate! It is a two-way street, you know This means that it's not enough for you to post to your profiles and for followers to comment. If you're able to get a foot in the door and inspire action (i.e. commentary), you absolutely cannot afford to not follow up. Building and maintaining relationships is an important part of your online operations. Your dentist website can certainly offer interested parties the information they seek, but social media is much better for making a connection and forging an emotional investment in your brand. This occurs largely as a result of ongoing, personal interactions with an otherwise anonymous, online community.
10. Monitor, track, and analyze Just like websites for dentists, social media profiles need to be properly maintained and managed, and this requires constant monitoring of your accounts, as well as the tracking and analyzing of associated metrics. When you take the time to see how users are interacting with and passing along materials posted to your social media profiles, you can spot trends in usage, adjust your strategy accordingly, increase effectiveness, and improve the overall experience for followers. Setting yourself apart from competitors in the social networking sphere doesn't have to be a Herculean task. There are simple steps you can take to make the social media associated with your dental practice really shine. In most cases, common sense will inform your decisions on how to proceed. With a commitment to quality, a willingness to personalize the experience, and a few ideas about how to engage with followers and encourage sharing, you'll be able to make the most of your social media profiles. How are you using social media to your advantage?