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How Patient Appreciation Parties and Social Media Marketing Work Together

By June 9, 2011 January 28th, 2021 No Comments

YOU MAY BE ASKING YOURSELF, “What does a patient appreciation party have to do with social media marketing? The idea of throwing a party was around long before the internet and social media tools.”

Good Question. Here’s The Short Answer:

In days past, if you threw a party to say thanks to your patients, it was one moment in time. If you were really organized, you may have had the one-hour photo provider at your local drugstore make a few extra prints to snail mail to some of the attendees. Social media tools have changed the way you can leverage events like this!


Using social media, the time leading up to the event, and the time after the event, are as important as the event itself.

Leading Up To The Event

Use your social media tools to get the word out. An upcoming event is a great conversation starter! Here’s one idea… Many of our clients now have an iPad in their practice and they’re very successfully using it to engage with their patients. Patients love them. One of your team members might say, as she is handing the iPad to a patient, “Fred, I hope you are planning on coming to our Patient Appreciation Party! It’s going to be great! Take just a second to Like us on Facebook so that you can get all the details about the party!”

A second idea is to create a Facebook event through your business page. Event pages are very useful because they allow people to RSVP. The dentist and all team members can then select guests to invite from their Facebook friends! People can comment on the event page’s wall or add links, photos, and videos. As an administrator, you can also send event updates to your page’s fans!

Read this quick step-by-step on how to create and invite people to your business’s Facebook event.

During The Event

Here are other details about Dynamic Smile Design’s Patient Appreciation Party:

  • This was actually the first time they had done it. But it was such a success that they’re planning to make it annual event!
  • They gave out awards like “Sexiest Patient”, “Most Dazzling Patient”, “Patient With The Most Original Cookie Recipe”, “Family With The Most Beautiful Smiles”, etc.
  • As guests arrived they filled out name tags with their name and “A Passion” written on the tag—a great conversation starter!
  • There was mingling, wine, food, and hand wax treatments.
Take lots of photos! It’s so easy! Assign the task to one team member and rotate responsibility during the entire event. Take both digital photos and video clips.

After The Event

Create buzz by distributing the photos and video everywhere you can. Also, “tagging” the photos with people’s names help them spread a lot further. (Facebook Technical Note: In order to tag someone in a photo on Facebook, somebody needs to be their personal friend. This cannot be done through your practice page.)

Congratulations to Dr. Puig and her entire team for pulling off such a successful, fun event! Now, can you take something from this great idea and use it in YOUR practice?

Click >HERE to see all their photos on Facebook!

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