Using Facebook effectively is an easy, efficient marketing tool for dental practices. The Verge reports 1.32 billion people use Facebook monthly. This represents a significant pool of potential customers you could reach as well as a way to connect with your existing customers. To help your practice use Facebook to your advantage, here are some tips to help you.
Update Your Facebook Page Regularly
Setting up your practice’s Facebook page is relatively easy and it won’t take much time to do so. Odds are, you already have a page set up. However, it’s what you put on your page that can increase exposure to your dental practice or keep people away. Here are the basics to start with:
- First, designate one person in your office as your social media maven – perhaps your office manager or marketing assistant (if you have one).
- Next, verify you have the correct information about your practice. People who visit your page want to be able to access pertinent information such as the office hours, location and services offered quickly.
- Now make your page personal. You can do this by creating an introductory post or video telling your page’s visitors more about the clinic and the doctor. This doesn’t have to be professionally produced – grab your smart phone and take a quick video, just make sure it’s clear and concise. Personalized messages like these are a great way to capture more eyes because they convey a warm tone.
- Finally, it’s important to present the value of your business to others. Why should they come to you? Along with touting the many state-of-the-art tools your dental practice has, build your practice leadership by posting links to reputable articles on the benefits of regular dental care.
Let your patients know about your page!
Now that you’ve got content on your Facebook page, be sure to share it. The more visitors to your site, the more opportunities for interaction.
- Include a Facebook button on your website that lets your patients Like your Facebook page.
- Make it easy for your patients to find your Facebook page by displaying a sign with your Facebook url in your lobby.
- Add your social media sites to your appointment reminder communications.
- Link to your facebook in your practice newsletter.
- Include links in your email signature for every email from your practice.
Encourage Participation From Your Visitors: communication is a two way street!
Facebook is great for sharing your message and getting valuable feedback from your current and potential customers. However, to do this, you must open up communication by promoting participation. Here are some ways you can do this:
- Encourage visitors at your office to visit your Facebook page where they can receive important updates on dental care. This is a great way to urge compliance through education.
- Next, you can offer those that write reviews for you an incentive such as a free toothbrush or a discount on dental care. Since visitors want to know how other customers view your practice, some good reviews from current customers will go a long way to bringing you new business.
- Lastly, set up monthly contests on your practice’s Facebook page. You can do trivia questions local to your area or have customers guess how much dental floss is in a jar. The winner could receive a gift certificate to a local restaurant or a free teeth cleaning. Be sure to announce the winner on your page.The goal here is to have fun and encourage participation. You’ll receive more likes and viewers when you do this.
Use Facebook to Better Serve Your Patients
Facebook is a great way to engage and serve your patients regularly. To do this well, here are some points you should employ:
- Designate several members of your staff and give them access to the practice’s Facebook page. Allow them to post new messages and respond with others within your clinic’s guidelines. This ensures someone is always available to check the page.
- Respond to negative feedback from patients quickly and in a professional manner. This will show others that you place importance on delivering excellent service.
- Ask patients for feedback on ways to enhance their experience when visiting. This gives them the opportunity to participate and you the opportunity to receive invaluable advice to improve your practice.
Ultimately, Facebook is an excellent tool you can use to build connections with existing and new clients. By using these tips, you can implement practices to ensure your clinic’s Facebook page offers value to keep current patients engaged and attract new patients to your dental practice.
