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Around 3.2 billion people now use social media, which equates to 42% of the entire world’s population.
Unsurprisingly, that percentage is much higher in the U.S.A., about 77% at last count.
What’s our point here?
Almost everyone is on social media and it is crucial you learn how to use this valuable marketing tool.
Even dental social media marketing is effective, so get online and start engaging with potential new leads ASAP.
Here’s how.
Start Engaging Conversations
Rather than simply spamming your followers with a bunch of new products or services, post content that could strike up a conversation. Doing so will demonstrate to your audience that you care about their well-being.
A few off the cuff examples include:
- “Be honest: how often do you brush your teeth?”
- “What’s the worst thing about braces?”
- “What worries you most about your teeth?”
But it’s not enough to just post a bunch of questions. You need to take the time to reply as well.
By actively engaging with your audience, you’re far more likely to win over new customers.
Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew
No, that wasn’t an attempt at a dental pun.
Rather, our point is to focus your dentist social media on one or two platforms instead of signing up for every service under the sun.
By working on a smaller number of platforms, you can provide better content in a more consistent manner.
Tools such as Hootsuite will allow you to easily schedule future posts as well as analyze engagement and monitor comments.
The Best Platforms for Dental Social Media Marketing
The big four platforms are:
- YouTube
While personal opinions vary, most agree the best social media for dental practices are Facebook and Instagram.
How come?
- Facebook is popular with parents, who are most likely to be paying for the service.
- Instagram focuses on visual elements, which is why most people go to the dentist in the first place.
Don’t Be Too Spammy
The golden ratio is 80% fun and engaging content and 20% promotional posts. The same applies to social media marketing for dentists.
Keep it fun and lighthearted the vast majority of the time.
Meme Your Way to the Top
Everyone loves a good meme, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be used in dentist social media too.
Obviously, you’ll want to stick to witty dentistry related gags such as these.
Keep an Eye on Your Metrics
These handy little stats will help determine what you’re doing right and what you’re doing wrong. In turn, you’ll be able to determine whether the time you’re spending on social media is making a meaningful contribution to your business goals.
Keep tabs on the following:
- Brand awareness: Are more people aware of your dental office through likes, shares, and followers?
- Click through rate: If no one is clicking on your posts, what could you do to improve? Likewise, what kind of posts get the most clicks?
- Conversation Rate: How many people actually do something after clicking through, such as making an appointment or purchase?
Ask for engagement
Satisfied customer comments are worth more than a hundred promotional posts.
It may feel a little awkward at first, but get used to asking loyal customers to leave a review on your page or use the check-in function when they arrive.
If they truly enjoy your awesome service, they’re likely to accept.
If you do receive a negative comment or review, objectively explain what you feel went wrong and how you’ll improve next time.
Get some professional help
Dental social media marketing is a challenging process, which not all practices have the time or resources to do.
To enlist the effective and affordable help of a team of professionals, get in touch with the folks at Social Motion today.