In the motion picture, Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner’s character heard a voice saying, “If you build it, they will come.” Unfortunately this same phrase does not apply to your social media pages. Don’t think that you can build a Facebook page, then step back to watch the likes roll in. It just doesn’t work that way. However, if you follow a few simple rules you can boost your dental practice’s presence on Facebook with increased likes, shares and followers.
Rule 1 – Engage and enlist your current patients. Every brand needs a core group of brand ambassadors. There is no one who can do a better job of promoting your dental practice than a very happy and loyal patient. Don’t be afraid to ask for “likes” on social media by putting signs up in your waiting rooms, slipping a call-to-action on the back of your bill or sending an email to select patients. Ask anyone that has had good experiences with you to occasionally comment on your posts. You might even consider incentivizing the program with discounted teeth whitening or something along those lines.
Rule 2 – Don’t post more than three times a day. Some people think that the more you post the better. While it may work for some businesses, it doesn’t work for everyone. Facebook is a “social” media that users still see as a place where they engage with their friends. It is not a site for hard core selling. Buddy Media found that pages that posted twice a day received 40% higher user engagement than pages with more than three posts per day, proving quality is more important than quantity.
Rule 3 – Ask questions in your posts on social media. It may seem like a no-brainer, but one of the best ways to start a conversation on social media is to ask a question. Don’t limit yourself to questions that pertain to your practice’s special offers, procedures or new equipment. Get personal and have fun. Ask something like, “What is the most memorable smile you have ever seen?” Then engage with the answers. Ask them to tell their stories or post a picture if they have one.
Rule 4 – Post shareable content. Everyone likes to share memes, interesting articles, videos, and photos, so take advantage of the movement! Post a few funny dental memes or buzzworthy articles and videos. Then try posting photos of smiles and cartoons that need captions. Ask your followers to get involved by writing the caption and sharing the newly created meme. A qualified Internet marketing company can help you post images that get the most engagement so that you can develop a strong social media plan moving forward.
Rule 5 – Timing is everything. If you update your wall while no one is there to see it, it’s like it never happened. People are most likely to check for updates in the morning before work or just upon arrival at work, lunch, and in the evenings after work. A qualified Internet marketing company can help you test timing and responses to hone in on the best update schedule. And speaking of timing, keep your posts relevant to now. Tie them into hot news stories and current events. The only way to stay top of mind is to be aware of and relevant to what is on people’s minds. Be careful to not post opinions that can cause an Internet fight though, such as political or religious battles.
Bonus – Contests work. Contests reward loyal fans and create excitement that draws new visitors into your page. With a contest your audience will check into your page often to see if they have won. So make your page memorable, and keep visitors coming back by regularly posting new content.
Many practices get into a routine of posting only announcements and news pertaining to their practice. If this is where you are, stop. Take a step back and remember that social media is supposed to be social. It’s a conversation – a series of engagements. You have to build relationships and be a source of entertainment at the same time.
It can be difficult to make any of these rules work without a sound strategy. A qualified Internet marketing company can help you develop a plan to reach your goals. As experts in Internet marketing for the dental profession, ProSites can give you a personal consultation and help you on your way to social media success. To learn more, call (888) 932-3644.
