Social media is all the rage these days, but I’m sure the benefits of being active on social media aren’t always obvious. As dentists and orthodontists, you have plenty on your plate without trying to keep up with Facebook, Twitter, and all the rest. You might even be wondering why you should bother with social media.
On the other hand, you want to know that you’re doing everything you can to attract new patients and keep them coming back to your practice. In reality, social media is not just an additional marketing strategy – it’s a key way to engage with patients and fuel the growth of your practice.
Engaging with Current Patients
Thankfully, you no longer need to take out a costly ad in broadcast or print media to get in front of the people who matter most to your practice. It’s as simple as posting a public message on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
And what does engaging with patients look like? It’s noticing that there’s an opening in your schedule at 1:30 and posting on social media, asking if someone wants the slot. It’s putting on fun promotions and contests. It’s offering helpful teeth-related hints and tips that they can put into practice.
Ultimately, it’s about building a strong relationship with patients. They’ll think of you the next time they need a dentist or orthodontist.
Attracting Prospective Patients
According to A.C. Nielsen, four out of five adults are on social media, which means you need to be there too. It’s a great place to attract the attention of prospective patients.
Visibility
Did you know that your visibility on social media extends to more than just the people who ‘follow’ or ‘like’ you? Even if you have only a few hundred fans or followers, your reach could be several thousand, because you’ll be visible to their friends. You will also be visible to people who search for your practice or a related keyword. Visibility makes social media a powerful tool for attracting new patients.
Branding
Like it or not, people expect reputable companies and businesses to have a website and a presence on social media. You can take advantage of this by harnessing the power of social networks to put forth your best image.
There’s also a facet of reputation management in social media. If there’s a dissatisfied patient making complaints, you can use social media to respond and show the patient and everyone else that you care and will make it right. Since most people check online before choosing a service provider, you want to cultivate a great image for your brand.
SEO
As a top-notch dental or orthodontic practice, you absolutely deserve a high ranking on the search engine results page (SERP). With so much activity on social media today, your website will get a big boost in the SERP’s if you maintain an active presence on social media.
That means you’ll get organic growth from people searching for a local dentist or orthodontist. Plus, with positions on so many social media sites, your practice could take up several of the spots on page one!
While techniques like direct mail campaigns are still important, you’re missing a key part of the puzzle without social media. Combine these marketing and branding efforts with an outstanding service experience at your practice, and you’ll find your practice growing and bringing in more patients than ever!
Relax. More customers are on the way.
