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Adding Social Media to Your Must-Do List

by Naomi Cooper September 12, 2012

Adding Social Media to Your Must-Do ListFriending – Tweeting – YouTubing…do you know what these terms mean? Do you think 5 years ago these terms had any relevancy to you? They are, of course, referencing the social media sites Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Social media is a hot topic in dental marketing these days, and it seems like everyone wants to “be on social media”.

However, it is not enough to simply have a presence. Engagement is the name of the game if you want social media to work for your dental practice. No longer is it good enough to just have a website. In fact, it is bad practice to have a Facebook page for your business if you never update it or engage. Times have changed, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get on board.

Here are a few key ideas to keep in mind:

Social media is not an event – it’s not something you should do once in awhile. To really utilize social media effectively, it should be integrated into your marketing plan. Just as you have your front desk ask every new patient how they heard about your practice, you should also have a dedicated team member updating and interacting online via Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other social media sites.

As with anything, developing a strong following on social media takes time and effort. We like to tell our clients social media is not a sprint – it’s a marathon. Building a Facebook page alone will not generate results. Encouraging your patients to Like your page, consistently updating your page regularly with informative and relevant status updates, and interacting with patients and colleagues online – these are the tricks of the trade that will boost your following and turn social media into a relatively easy – and fun! – marketing effort for your practice.

Here’s a great article from My Social Practice offering some questions to ask yourself as you dive into this social media world.

There are countless ways to get involved in social media. As long as you view it as another important piece of your marketing plan, and dedicate time and effort toward engaging, social media can be a fun and rewarding way to increase the awareness of your practice throughout your community.

Does your practice utilize social media? How has it worked for you? Please share your thoughts and comments with us!

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Connecting with Seniors Online and Through Social Media

by Naomi Cooper August 2, 2012

Connecting with Seniors Online and Through Social MediaDoes your practice target seniors? Traditionally, tactics such as internal marketing and phone book advertising have been successful ways to reach your patients in the 65 years and older demographic. But as the reach of the internet continues to expand, more and more seniors are using the internet and engaging in social media, providing yet another way to reach patients and connect with customers.

According to a recent Pew Study, more than half – 53% – of all American adults over the age of 65 use the internet, and 34% of them use sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This age group is still in the minority when it comes to social media engagement, however their usage is growing at a rapid pace, and as our population continues to age, it stands to reason that these statistics will continue to increase.

This blog from My Social Practice offers further proof of the growing internet usage rates among seniors. So what does this mean for you? Social media is a growing influence that you can no longer afford to ignore. If seniors are a part of your target patient profile, beginning to engage online and building your practice’s presence on sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be yet another way to connect with your current patients, and reach new patients.

Have you noticed an increase in online engagement from seniors? What are some of the ways you currently reach the senior demographic? Please share your thoughts and experiences below.

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Getting Your Practice Online and Engaged in Social Media

by Naomi Cooper July 31, 2012

Getting Your Practice Online and Engaged in Social MediaHave you been thinking of increasing your practice’s online presence, but not sure how to get started? An increasing number of dentists have become familiar with using social media in their personal lives, but may not be comfortable or know where to begin incorporating social media into the practice’s marketing plan.

Here are a few ideas to consider when beginning your social media campaign:

– What sites are you already familiar with? This will help ease you into social media if you are using a site that you are comfortable with.

– What sites do your patients use? If you do not know, have your staff begin asking patients each day and keep track of the responses. Particularly pay attention to the sites used by patients who are most similar your “target patient”.

There are endless ways to participate in social media online. The most popular sites include Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google+. It’s important to remember that, with social media, quality is more important than quantity. So if you feel you only have time to engage on one of these sites, it is better to actively participate in just one site and build your audience with thoughtful and timely posts. Once you have mastered one site, you can then think about expanding into more.

Social media is the biggest buzzword to hit the dental profession in decades. Having a presence on social media sites serves to increase the traffic to your practice website and helps new customers to find your information when searching online for a dentist.

Is your practice online? What sites have you found to be most useful for your practice? Did you have any hesitations while getting started? Please share your thoughts below.

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