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A Dentist's Guide to Social Media Timing Posted by Tyson Downs on 1/16/15 7:30 AM
Have the Social Time of Your Life Whether you're running your own social media accounts or not, it's important that you keep track of the most efficient practices if you want the best results for your dental practice. For those of you who are trying to do it yourself, knowing when your patients and prospects are online (in addition to where they are online) is a crucial component for getting the most out of your time and posts. For those dentists who are paying for social media posts, checking in to make sure your posts are going up at the optimal times for each social media platform will ensure that you get the most bang for your buck.
Knowing Who is Where and When
Either way, it's important that you check in with your social media platform's metrics (if available) to see when your fans, followers, etc. are online the most. A simple way to do this—if you have zero knowledge in social metrics—is to look at the time frames your most shared, commented, liked and reTweeted posts were originally posted. Chances are, these are the ideal times for your client base. Of course, each social media platform has a peak time and worst time, mostly dependent on the demographic that uses this platform as well as a number of other factors. If you are looking for a more general idea of when's the best time to post on social media to gain more views, here's a breakdown by the four largest social media platforms.
Posting Times—Facebook for Dentists
Facebook is probably the most versatile social media platform out there, allowing you to easily update your status, monitor comments, share videos and content and stay in touch with your patients and prospects. If you only have one social media platform as a dentist, it's should probably be Facebook (unless your specific target demographic falls into another social tool). What's great about Facebook is that you can schedule all of your posts, even months in advance, so sitting down for a few hours tonight could take care of a lot of work down the road. Here are some things to keep in mind when posting on Facebook for your dental practice:
Best time to post: Facebook posts that are posted between 1pm and 4pm have the highest click through rate. Worst time to post: You aren't going to get much traction before 8am or after 8pm and the weekends are far less viewed than the weekdays. That doesn't mean you shouldn't post at these times, especially if your practice offers extended hours and/or is open on the weekend (at which point you certainly want to post!). Ideal peak-performance time: The absolute best time to post on Facebook is Wednesday at 3pm. If you can only post once per week, this would be the time to do it (though you should post at least once every day!). Don't forget: Photographs you share on Facebook garner 104% more comments and 53% more likes than posts without! Bonus Tip: If you want to get started with Facebook Advertising be sure to read this post : Learn Exactly How to Dominate Facebook Ads
Posting Times—Twitter for Dentists
Twitter is a great platform for instant contact, plus it is highly popular with teens (good to know if you're an orthodontist offering invisalign for teens!). Twitter can be an effective way for patients to make appointments with you, cancel them or just keep informed of any information, specials or news. Keep in mind that if you open Twitter up as a communicative device, you must monitor it without fail.
Best time to post: Post between 1pm and 3pm, Mondays through Thursdays for the most reach. Worst time to post: Twitter loses reach after 8pm daily, except for Friday where it loses reach after 3pm. Ideal peak-performance time: Twitter is unique in that the peak time for traffic is between 9am and 3pm, Mondays through Thursdays, meaning it's a great way to let your staff keep active during the workday. Don't forget: Just like Facebook, Tweets with images are more effective, bringing in a 55% increase in leads and a 33% increase in conversion rates. In addition, you can garner 31% gains in visits to your site, 36% increase in clicks and even a 41% increase in reTweets (thus expanding your overall reach) Bonus Tip: If you want to get started with Twitter be sure to read this post : A Healthcare Professionals Introduction to Twitter
Posting Times—LinkedIn for Dentists
While LinkedIn is certainly a businessand professional-orientated social media platform, that doesn't mean you should ignore it. Business professionals who are only accustomed to searching on LinkedIn might look for dentists there and it's also a great place to network and build up your practice as an authority. It is also a great place to build up your authority by posting your expertise on Linkedin Blogs.
Best time to post: Tuesdays through Thursdays. Worst time to post: Mondays and Fridays as well as every day from 10am to 6am. Ideal peak-performance time: At noon as well as between 5pm and 6pm. Don't forget: If you're targeting LinkedIn, remember that 41% of all visits come from a mobile device, so get that website optimized for mobile search and viewing! Bonus Tip: If you want to get started with LinkedIn be sure to read this post : A Quick Start Guide to Getting Started on LinkedIn
Posting Times—Google+ for Dentists
Finally, Google + rounds out the bottom of the biggest social platforms for dentists, but that comes with a huge addendum: even if you aren't using Google + as an active social media platform, you must update your Google + page (Google My Business) because it severely affects your website and practice's ranking. Why? Because it's made by Google, the search engine that rules the world. Just trust me on this one: get your Google + page up to date with accurate information, pictures, etc. You can also post there—here's what to remember:
Best time to post: Every day, 9am to 10am. Worst time to post: Early in the morning and in the evenings. Ideal peak-performance time: Wednesdays at 9am. Don't forget: Don't forget about Google + period! While under many social analyst's radar, Google + is growing fastest in the 45-54 year old demographic (a key demographic for many dentists and oral surgeons). Bonus Tip: If you want to get started with Twitter be sure to read this post : Why You Need to Be on Google + and How to Get Started
It's About the Right Place, Not Just the Right Time Of course, if your patients and prospects aren't on these social media platforms, they you have to be where they are. Do you need help with your social media for dentists campaign? Click the image below to get started.
Topics: Social Media