Grow Your Practice With Effective Social Media Strategies
(This post was originally published in July 2017. The topic is so critical that we’re bringing it back!)
In our regular checkups with our clients, we often ask them what they’ve found to be the hardest part of social media marketing. Without a doubt, the most common answer is along the lines of “getting team members to bring up our social media efforts with patients,” or “inviting patients to participate.” We understand! Snapping a pic with a patient or inviting a patient to leave a review can be awkward at first, especially for team members that aren’t especially outgoing.
These things get easier the more you do them, but kicking things off at the beginning takes some thought and planning. Basically, getting patients participating in your practice’s social media all comes down to this:
- It has to be easy.
- It has to be fun.
- Your whole team has to be on board with it.
Let’s take a little closer look at what you can do today to progress towards these goals.
Make It Easy
In a dental practice, you know that sticking to the schedule is critical, and that patients are also looking to return to their busy lives as soon as possible. So, make sure that any in-practice social media activity you plan for team members or patients takes two minutes or less.
For patients that don’t use social media often or aren’t familiar with how to use apps, sharing something on Facebook or writing a Google review can seem like a daunting task. Train all of your team members on how to explain to patients the easiest, simplest way to perform whatever social media task you choose. You could even have displays or cards on the front desk and in treatment rooms that explain visually how to Like your page on Facebook.
Make It Fun
Another way to phrase this might be to ask “what is the patient getting out of this for participating?” Little incentives go a long way. Whether they’re snapping a photo to support a good cause, Liking your page to get the doctor to perform a fun challenge, or writing a review for a chance to win a prize, make sure there’s something in it for the patient.
Get Your Whole Team On Board
Getting patients to participate in social media is much more difficult when the first time they hear about it is from one person at the end of their appointment. The moment a patient walks in your door, it needs to be obvious that social media fun and sharing are big parts of your team culture.
Have posters, cards, and displays around the office promoting your social media pages and your latest campaign or giveaway. Make sure your team knows about the latest posts on your pages, and encourage them to bring them up with patients and visitors. Create and share posts that feature your team frequently, so when patients or prospective patients arrive, they already know that you’re a social practice.
Stay Compliant With A Dental Office HIPAA Form
Making it fun and easy for patients to share about your practice on social media is one of the best ways to create advocates your practice. When their friends and family members see what a great experience they had with you, it’s a powerful word-of-mouth recommendation that’s more effective than any ad you could create alone.
It’s also crucial to train your team on your practice’s social media and HIPAA policies so they can confidently and comfortably invite patients to participate while protecting their privacy.
We’ve spent years honing our tools to make sharing about your practice as easy and intuitive as possible for both patients and team members. Find out more about our practice dental marketing campaigns, photo sharing app, website service and dental reputation management service by requesting a demo!
About the Author: Adrian Lefler is a dental marketing expert and one of the founding members of My Social Practice. My Social Practice is a digital dental marketing company located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Adrian is passionate about helping dental practices grow. If you’d like to book Adrian or one of the other members of My Social Practice’s speaking team, you can do that HERE. Interested in learning more about the benefits of SEO for dentists, our dental websites service? Learn More Here.
