Tag

social media for dentists

Blog

How to Create a Social Media Plan for Your Practice – And Stick With It!

by Naomi Cooper March 5, 2018

Nearly every dentist is online these days, but there are far fewer dentists who approach online marketing with a serious strategy, especially when it comes to social media. It’s one thing to set up a Facebook page for your practice; it’s quite another thing to update it with fresh and relevant content on a regular basis.

So what’s the secret to social media success?

Create a social media calendar – and then stick with it! No matter how often you decide to post – daily, weekly or even monthly – the key is to keep it consistent. And here are 3 expert tips to help you make it a habit within your practice:

  • Brainstorm ideas ahead of time

Get in the habit of collecting links to relevant articles and headlines that you come across all month long. Copy and paste those links, saving them in a “library” of content that you can then turn into social media posts. Also, get your team involved. Encourage them to share anything they come across that would be good additions to your Facebook page, and ensure there is a wide variety of content for your feed.

  • Start using an online scheduling tool

There are several free social media management platforms (Hootsuite and Buffer are two of the most widely used) available that dentists can use to help keep their Facebook pages updated automatically. Once you have the content you want to use, you can upload it all to tools like these and choose the day and time you would like them to post. In just an hour or two, you can have your Facebook feed (and multiple other social media sites) filled and scheduled every month.

  • Keep the content timely

Creating content that is relevant to the time of year is a great way to ensure your posts remain fresh and relatable. Ideas like sharing summertime sports injury prevention tips, Halloween candy tips in the fall or benefit expiration reminders near the end of the year will not only keep your social media content engaging and practical.

For more expert tips into how to outsmart your competition online, check out my recent article featured in Dental Products Report.

Blog

How to Take Your Online Marketing to the Next Level

by Naomi Cooper June 7, 2017

Dental Website? Check. Facebook Page? Check. All marketing duties complete? Not so fast.online marketing for dentists

For dentists looking to grow their practices, there is simply no escaping online marketing. When looking for a new dentist, patients will most likely visit your website, look you up on social media and read reviews on sites like Yelp and Healthgrades.

The question is – what impression are you giving them?

A website that isn’t properly maintained won’t appeal to modern patients. Social media isn’t effective if it isn’t used consistently. Make sure the key components of your online profile are up to date and in working order:

  • If it’s been a while since you’ve taken stock of your website, get in contact with your web designer to see what updates may be necessary.
  • If you have a Facebook page that hasn’t gotten regular attention, now’s the time to re-engage and even create a social media calendar to help keep it fresh and relevant – and of interest to patients.

For more insights into what you can do today to boost your online marketing – and discover the one component you may be overlooking! – check out my recent article in Dental Products Report.

Blog

Meeting the Needs of the Millennials in Your Dental Practice

by Naomi Cooper May 3, 2017

It’s as though the marketing world has become obsessed with the Millennial generation, often writing and speaking dental marketing to millennialsabout the group as though it is comprised of a bunch of aliens or foreign entities.

It’s puzzling, really, because while they’ve grown up in a digital era that none of the older generations can even fathom, when it comes down to it, Millennials are really no different than any other consumers – or dental patients.

This younger generation is still looking for the same inherent qualities in a dentist that older patients look for – a doctor who can provide world-class care. It is true, however, that they are more comfortable with technology, so if you are looking to reach Millennial patients, here are a few ways to do so:

  • Incorporate real time text messaging capabilities at your front desk to make communicating with the office as simple as possible
  • Add online appointing features to your website so patients can schedule a visit while on the go
  • Build a robust social media presence beyond Facebook as younger patients are more likely to use Instagram or Snapchat
  • Make sure you have plenty of positive testimonials on third party review sites like Yelp and Healthgrades as Millennial patients like to research the practice online before ever making that first appointment
  • Consider expanding your clinical offerings to include state-of-the-art services like CAD-CAM, laser dentistry and sleep apnea treatment in order to perform a wider variety of procedures in-house and to give a more modern and full-service impression
  • Offer free Wi-Fi throughout the office – especially in the waiting room

Just remember, all the software in the world cannot replace stellar customer service, and that is something that always appeals to patients of all ages.

Blog

5 Online Marketing Hacks for Dentists

by Naomi Cooper September 7, 2016

You went to dental school, not business school. You specialize in exams and extractions, not marketing and social media. So how do you even begin to build a savvy online presence for your dental practice?

Online marketing hacks for dentistsHere are 5 tips to demystify online marketing for every dentist:

  1. Perform an online audit – Google your name and then your practice name. What comes up? Take note of where in the search results your website appears, as well as bookmark any sites with incomplete or inaccurate information to go back and fix sooner rather than later.
  2. Claim online profiles – Business listings may already exist for the practice on sites like Google and Yelp without your knowledge. Be sure every online profile has up-to-date practice and contact information.
  3. Update the practice website – If you haven’t touched your practice website within the past 18 months or more, schedule an appointment with your web designer to talk about updating the site for modern convenience (responsive design, SEO functionality, user-friendliness).
  4. Actively ask for patient testimonials – It NEVER hurts to ask! In fact, asking patients to post online reviews actually helps spark word of mouth for the office.
  5. Don’t forget about social media – Build your presence on sites and apps like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram…and encourage patients to check in and tag the office.

To dive deeper into these strategies, and discover 5 more simple yet effective methods of improving your online marketing, check out my recent article in Dental Products Report to ensure you stay in the driver’s seat of your online reputation.

Blog

Dental Practice Marketing: 9 Content Ideas for Social Media

by Naomi Cooper September 24, 2014

Dental Practice Marketing: 9 Content Ideas for Social MediaAre you thinking about getting started on a social media plan for your practice? Or maybe you’ve been posting for a while now but feel like your updates are getting a bit stale? Whether you are a beginner or you’ve been participating for years, it can be difficult to keep coming up with ideas of what to post.

Here are 9 types of content that work well on social media:

  1. Links to Articles: Posts about the practice, the doctor, the team, the community, or oral health in general always work well.
  2. Photos: Pictures of the practice, of the doctor and/or team, patient “before and after” shots, team events, or continuing education opportunities. Note: photos require a signed release, so be sure you have written permission from everyone in the picture before posting.
  3. Videos: Shoot videos on a smartphone of an office tour, a welcome greeting from the doctor and staff, patient testimonials, or even the doctor answering patient FAQs. Similar to photos, videos also require a signed release, so again, be sure to have written permission before posting.
  4. Facts & Figures: Consider relevant quotes, statistics, news headlines that you think would be of interest to your community.
  5. Seasonal: The various holidays and seasons are perfect opportunities to share holiday wishes, fun factoids about the holiday/season, or give a piece of dental advice to fit a specific time of year.
  6. Contests and Polls: Great for increasing engagement with your social media audience, you can set up polls just for fun, or offer a prize.
  7. Giving Back: If you happen to be a part of a local group, you can post messages about the cause or link to the cause’s website. Or, if you know of a patient who is very involved, you could ask them about posting their story.
  8. Lifestyle: Social media posts don’t only have to be about dentistry. Varying your posts with healthy recipes, useful technology tips, dental jokes, or info about local community events can keep everyone interested.
  9. Promotional: Social media is a terrific way of spreading news updates about the practice, special offers, info on new procedures, and referral rewards promotions.

No matter what you post, the most important thing to consider is your patients’ perspective! Avoid using overly technical language or posting articles only of interest to fellow dentists. Find out what gets your patients excited about dentistry – personal updates about team members, photos and videos are always a hit. At the end of the day, a clear focus on engagement with your audience – your patients and prospective patients – is the way to go with social media.

Blog

Facebook for Dentists: Boosting Engagement through Contests

by Naomi Cooper June 4, 2014

Facebook for Dentists: Boosting Engagement through ContestsIf you are looking to spice up your Facebook dental practice page, think about running a contest. Facebook promotions are a fun way to increase your engagement with your followers and keep your dental practice in the minds of your patients.

Running a Facebook promotion isn’t difficult, but it does require planning ahead. A recent article from the experts at MarketingProfs, 6 Newbie Tips for Running a Successful Facebook Timeline Promotion, outlines exactly what you need to do to set up contest for your dental practice Facebook page.

If you aren’t sure this DIY approach to Facebook promotions is the right option for you, Sesame Communications could be the solution. They offer a Sweepstakes package for dentists which is a full-service management of Facebook promotions including design and execution of a campaign, marketing the campaign both online and providing marketing emails, newsletters for patient outreach as well as ensuring the contest/promotion is compliant within all Facebook, state and local regulations.

Whether you do it yourself, or you take advantage of Sesame Sweepstakes, a Facebook promotion will increase your online engagement, yielding positive results for your dental practice, including increased patient loyalty, patient referrals and even treatment acceptance.

Have you run a Facebook promotion for your dental practice? What advice would you have for a beginner? Share your experiences below!

Older Posts