By Dr. Greg Grillo
Social media gives sociologists plenty of real-world material to study. Nearly 3.9 billion people each have an average of 8.8 social media accounts. Studies have analyzed both the benefits and consequences of online engagement. However, people generally find healthcare-related social posts credible: 60% of people who use social media say they trust posts by doctors. Practices that understand digital connectivity put healthcare social media marketing in their corner. People spend more time than ever online, and we only need a few seconds of their attention to increase their awareness of our brand. Here are the top 10 dental social media tips for 2022:
1. Don’t Go Silent
Social media accounts don’t provide much value unless they’re used. Once you’ve set up accounts on your chosen platforms, make sure you’re active. It’s better to delete an inactive account than keep an unused page up. Schedule posts from Legwork Campaigns for the upcoming month to deliver them automatically and add a few custom posts as well. Consistency pays off as followers see your brand over time.
2. Build A Loyal Following
Get proactive and ask patients to like your page. In my practice, we’ve built the message into our Legwork Appointment Reminders and made a point of asking patients to check out our Facebook page. You’re more likely to pile up followers if you give them a reason to hit the like button. For example, your team could say, “Dr. Molar posts oral health tips, keeps an eye on current news, and occasionally offers exclusive discounts for Facebook patients.”
3. Incorporate Social Video
Video gives consumers more of what they want. The average person absorbs 16 hours of online video weekly, but 86% of people say they’d like to see more video from businesses. A social video draws more attention than static posts, but many healthcare providers don’t provide it. Social video doesn’t require professional filmmakers; use your phone, record short clips, address interesting topics, and give patients a look into your practice.
4. Capitalize On Contests
Big brands run sweepstakes, drawings, and contests to attract more attention. People love the possibility of winning, and these events boast 34% more conversions than other content types. Consider ways to tie contests to local events. For example, our practice has run contests to give tickets to local performances and enjoyed dozens of entries, shares, and likes each time.
5. Mix In Non-Dental Material
Social media is ultimately about relationships. Followers don’t want only to see flossing tips and implant graphics. After the home page, the most visited page on most dental practice websites is the doctor bio page; we’re in the people business. Social media offers channels that help build relationships. Mix in posts about your community, local students, staff members, and other human elements.
6. Give More Mileage To Blogs
A dental practice blog helps bring fresh content to your website and gives visitors another reason to return. A new monthly article covering patient-centric topics from Legwork Campaigns helps establish your brand as a trustworthy site for dental information. Add social media posts that entice readers to click and read a new article, and the inbound traffic helps build your search results, too. Look for ways to call visitors on one platform, like Facebook, to click and visit your website.
7. Highlight Patient Reviews
Over 90% of patients use reviews to evaluate providers, and most of them trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. Prospective patients look for feedback. So, use social media to perpetuate your message when they land there. Provide patients with links via text or email after their visits so they can leave reviews on Facebook. Legwork Reviews make the whole process automatic and consistent.
8. Showcase Some Of Your Life-Changing Results
We find many ways to use before/after pictures of our patients. With written permission, post cases that show how specific services enhance smiles and confidence. Results from orthodontics, whitening, veneers, or bonding help reinforce what is possible. You can mix in video testimonial posts to increase the influence of social proof. Video brings these cases to life and carries emotional weight with viewers.
9. Include Paid Ads
The average person spends 145 minutes every day on social media, an increase of almost an hour over the past ten years. They’re going to see dozens of ads whether they want to or not. We’ve boosted some of our best posts to reach more people and raise their awareness of our brand. Plus, running specific, targeted ads through Legwork Dental Advertisement stretches your exposure further. Parents may respond to advertisements for back-to-school specials for their families, or new patients may jump at an opportunity to get a new quip electric toothbrush at their first visit.
10. Step Onto Another Platform
Did you know there are 17 social media platforms that host over 300 million monthly users each? However, for our practices, we’re better at focusing on the top players. Facebook remains a stalwart, but YouTube isn’t too far behind. If your Facebook strategy has legs, consider the power of video on YouTube. If you want to reach a younger demographic, you may want to create a Tik Tok account rather than Facebook or Instagram. One dentist I know records short, humorous Tik Tok clips about “boring” dental topics. He’s created a following of younger patients who wouldn’t engage on other platforms.
Dental Clinic Social Media Marketing For 2022
Social media marketing for dental clinics is a long game. Don’t expect to measure a definitive ROI after a few posts. However, remember that patients spend much of their lives in this space. Relationships build over time, and they can fade at the same pace. Social media establishes connectivity that we can’t get anywhere else; that’s vital to our long-term success. Legwork delivers engaging, patient-centered content with a track-record driving better engagement. Legwork Campaigns avoid technical vocabulary and focus on why patients should accept treatment. You can select from three types of dental blog posts: General Dentistry, Orthodontic, and Pediatric Dentistry, with 12 monthly social media posts for each category, too. Social media marketing for dental clinics involves embedding our brand in the awareness of our patients and community. Engage with your followers so that you’re their choice for exceptional care!