Courtesy of Facebook
Since Facebook launched in 2004, dentists of generations past certainly didn’t use the social media giant back in 1969, but a lot of what made dentistry successful 50 years ago translates to your capabilities within Facebook today.
A lot of dentists use Facebook and funnel marketing techniques, thinking the leads will turn into eyeballs on their site… only to realize the conversion rate on those Facebook ads amounts to about zero. So, instead of continuing down the Facebook marketing hole, it’s time to think about Facebook’s most valuable purpose and start putting your time on the social media giant’s platform to good use for your practice.
Going Back to the Basics
Think about how dentists marketed themselves 50 years ago. With no social media, daily use of computers or cell phones to rely on, how did they do it…and remain successful? We would consider it “going back to the basics” – dentists were upstanding members of their communities who volunteered and networked with others to attract business.
Now, flash forward to 2020 and think about Facebook and its basic function. It’s the ideal platform to market to your community. Best of all, you can be much more visible about your marketing efforts within the site, allowing you to build your own “community” in the process.
Facebook even began marketing the value of its Groups and how that builds communities for individuals; why wouldn’t that work for your practice?
Facebook Best Practices
So, if you’re going to use Facebook for your practice, there are some best practices to remember to make the most of the experience.
Get Reviews on Your Facebook Page
You have patients; so, you should have people already in place who are fans of you and your practice. Ask them to write a review on your Facebook page of their great experience. Want to take it to the next level? Ask them to share their reviews, so it broadens the audience on the review and your practice!
Take Time to Respond to Reviews
If you ask people to write reviews, it’s important that you take the time to respond to them. It demonstrates engagement, something that is important in making personal connections for your practice.
Post About What People Want to See
Anyone following your page knows you’re a dentist, so they know the caliber of your education and your technical skillset. Facebook is not the platform to showcase your specialization or what you’ve published in the latest dental journals.
People following you on Facebook want to connect with you and your staff. So, show them what they want to see by posting about the people in your practice and activities you all do there. That helps people feel connected and familiar with you before they ever step foot in your practice.
Leverage That Relationship With Your Facebook Connections
You’re always looking for ways to attract new patients, right? It’s time to leverage the work you’re doing out in the community to gain greater exposure. Say you volunteer at a food bank; posting that kind of activity on your page is good, but what’s even better is trying to get into the food bank’s network…a cross-promotion between them and your practice. So, when you go to post about your activities in the community, make sure you share a link or hashtag to that organization’s page, so you’ll not only get eyes from your followers but also eyes from that organization’s followers. Who knows, maybe when they go to look for a new dentist, they’ll remember you took part in something that is important to them and help drive them to your practice.
Use Facebook Live
People post pictures and even videos to Facebook all the time, but you might have noticed the uptick in Facebook Live videos. There’s a good reason for that. When you broadcast on Facebook Live, it’s the only way to get something out of what you’re doing to all your followers; there are no filters for Facebook Live.
So, if you volunteer at a food bank and just post a picture, consider this. If you have 875 followers, only 3% of them will see that picture (about 26 followers); otherwise, if you use Facebook Live, all 875 of your followers will see it. Let’s take it up a notch — if you can get that Facebook Live video not only on your page but also on the food bank’s page, then you’ll not only get in front of all your followers but also all the food bank’s followers, creating more visibility for you and your practice!
Remember, forget about those Facebook ads and funnel marketing. The power of Facebook is in amplifying your community, so you can attract patients and keep them coming to your practice. If you need guidance to build your strategy, the experts here at TNT Dental are ready to help you expand your community, albeit virtually. Give us a call today!
About The Author
Tim Kelley is one of the founders of TNT Dental, the #1 creator of custom websites and marketing strategies for dentists. Recognized as a leading expert in helping dental practices grow, Tim is passionate about harnessing the power of online marketing to attract and keep new patients. If there is anything Tim can do to help you, please do not hesitate to contact him directly at the office, (877) 868-4932, on his cell, (972) 989-9137, or via email at tim@tntdental.com. Of course, you can always visit www.TNTDental.com to learn more.
