One of the most common mistakes any business makes in the use of social media is to see it as a passive type of advertising, branding and promotional campaign. To be effective, social media for dental practices has to be engaging and motivating for the readers to want to learn more, to interact with the website and to make an appointment in your office.
There are several ways that any office can maximize their use of social media for dental practices to reach the existing patient base and to appeal to new target audiences. For dental practices, this will include specific geographic areas, specific types of dental patients and in expanding brand recognition to attract new patients.
Provide Relevant Information
The term “content is king” doesn’t just apply to blogs and websites, but also to social media posts. Of course, creating a hook or an interesting teaser that offers content and information on dental care and links to the practice website or blog is the ideal combination.
People are more likely to respond to posts on social media for dental practices that are non-threatening and offer relevant information on dental hygiene, keeping teeth white, caring for children’s teeth and other similar topics. Add some local news and interest posts as well to link your practice to the community.
Online Contests
Online contests can be set up through social media sites and are very easy to manage. Ask people to submit their favorite picture of their smile or to enter their name in a draw for a basic service or a free consultation. You can also give away a gift basket of dental care products to a lucky winner who “likes” your page.
The key to this is the opportunity to then interact with the individual. This builds a relationship and makes a branding and marketing connection that keeps your name at the top their list of dentists in the community.