With more than 3 billion users, social media has become one of the fastest expanding and most successful digital marketing tools available today. One of the most common communication networks worldwide can facilitate real-time conversations with prospective patients and current patients alike.
Why social media for your dental practice?
Using social media is extremely important for any company, but it’s even more important for dental practices. Healthcare is a people-focused business – to tailor your communication methods to their needs, you need to consider what people want and what motivates them.
All of this is provided through social media platforms. Plus, businesses that do not use social media look out of touch. In this fast-paced, ever-changing healthcare world, these are not words you ever want to be associated with your dental practice.
An active online presence indicates that you are willing to connect with patients, care about their experience, and are on top of dentistry’s latest trends. Whether you’re on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter, your social media presence will help you build connections and achieve a steady flow of new patient visits.
When it comes to developing a robust and productive social media strategy for your company, the first step is to decide what social media networks you will set up your dental practice. To do so, you’ll need to consider these three questions.
What are your goals?
We know that social media can benefit companies in many ways, but how can we ensure that we get as much value from the time and money we put into the effort? One way is by knowing your goals.
It’s no secret that setting goals increase the chances of success in social media. Here are some of the most common goals that dental practices can consider reaching with their social media marketing campaign.
- Increase brand awareness. Brand awareness is the top reason advertisers use social media, according to a 2016 survey. It’s easy to understand why: The average user spends almost two hours a day on social media, so a great social media campaign is one of the best ways to draw the attention of your potential patients.
- Drive traffic to your website. Directing people to your website means they get a chance to learn more about the services you offer.
- Increase the number of leads. A lead is an individual who has given some information about themselves to your practice, such as their name, email address, and the like. This shows they have expressed interest in setting up an appointment with your dental practice.
What platform is your audience on?
The best social media platform for your business depends on who you are trying to reach and what kind of message you are trying to get across. For starters, if you are looking to communicate with colleagues, LinkedIn is a good choice. Instagram is excellent for interacting with potential patients. If you are looking to deploy ads tailored to a particular demographic of your patients, Facebook is handy.
It would help if you also considered the demographic of your target audience:
- Education level: Every 2nd college graduate has a Linkedin account.
- Income level: Eighty-four percent of those who earn less than $30,000 a year are represented on Facebook. Twitter and LinkedIn come out on top when it comes to the highest earners. On Instagram, income levels are more diversified.
- Age: If you want to target an older demographic, you won’t need Instagram or Twitter right now, as only 8% of those over 65 use Instagram and only 10% use Twitter. As 65% of this age bracket are present on Facebook, this is an excellent place to get started.
Can you choose too many platforms?
There are so many different social media networks available today, so it is impossible to maintain your dental practice on all of them.
Instead, it would help if you concentrate your energies on a few social media websites. This will allow you to develop a more substantial presence and get to know your current and potential patients.
Dr. Websites
Social networking is an essential tool that can provide your dental practice with all sorts of benefits. You will be on your way to selecting the right platform for your dental practice, but if you are in need of professional expertise, we’re here to help! Contact us today for a consultation.