In the same way that the heart is essential to the functioning of the body, social media is crucial to the success of a dental practice’s online presence. Without consistent, engaging content, a practice’s social media presence can quickly become stagnant, losing the interest of current followers and failing to attract new ones. Like a heartbeat, social media must be kept alive and pumping to be effective. By regularly posting engaging content, dental practices can humanize their brand, connect with patients on a personal level, and build a strong and vibrant online community. However, consistent posting is not enough, especially when it does not align with your brand. So we’re here to talk about leveraging your social media to build your brand and retention!
Social media has become essential for dental practices to reach and engage with their patients. By posting regular content showcasing the practice’s personality and the people behind it, dental practices can build a strong and loyal following. The content posted can range from educational posts about oral health to fun behind-the-scenes glimpses of the practice and everything in between. By sharing informative, entertaining, and relatable content, practices can establish themselves as a trusted source of oral health information and build lasting relationships with their patients. But how do you get to this point?
Find Your Direction
Before diving into social media, it’s essential to take the time to determine the direction and personality of your practice. This means identifying what sets your practice apart and what kind of content will resonate with your target audience. For example, suppose your practice serves an older demographic. In that case, your social media content might focus on topics such as senior dental care or tips for maintaining healthy teeth as you age. On the other hand, if your practice is known for its cutting-edge technology, your social media content might highlight the latest advancements in dental technology or showcase state-of-the-art equipment in your office.
It’s also important to consider the tone and style of your social media content. Are you going for a fun, lighthearted approach or a more professional and informative tone? By being true to your brand and matching your social media content to the personality of your practice, you’ll be able to create a consistent and engaging online presence that resonates with your audience. By taking the time to determine your social media direction and establish a strong brand voice, you’ll be well on your way to breathing life into your dental practice’s social media presence.
Set Your Goals
It’s essential to recognize that social media for the dental industry is different from other industries. Unlike fashion or food, dentistry is not necessarily a glamorous or visually exciting topic. As a result, you need to set realistic expectations for social media engagement. While ten likes might not seem like much compared to other industries, this can be a significant achievement for dental practices.
Setting realistic goals is vital to ensure your social media efforts are effective. Some examples of goals that dentists can aim for include:
-
Increasing brand awareness:
One of the leading social media goals is to increase brand awareness and reach a wider audience. To achieve this, you can increase your follower count or the number of people who engage with your content.
-
Providing educational content:
As a dental practice, educating patients about oral health and dental procedures is essential. Social media is a great platform to share educational content such as blog posts, infographics, or videos that inform patients and help establish your practice as a trusted source of information. Avoid any graphic or surgical photos or videos. As a dental professional, it’s important to highlight the warning and filter block on social media when sharing graphic dental images. These images may require additional clicks to view, except for videos. Therefore, it’s crucial to be selective when sharing graphic dental images to avoid scaring away or offending your audience. While it may be tempting to showcase your expertise and illustrate the importance of dental hygiene, it’s important to tread carefully and maintain the trust and confidence of your followers.
-
Building patient relationships:
Social media is an excellent tool for building patient relationships. You can use social media to showcase your personality, highlight your team members (including birthdays and anniversaries), and share patient success stories. Doing so can create a more personal connection with your patients and build stronger relationships. Having a social media presence is crucial for dental practices to establish and maintain their reputation in today’s digital age. Research suggests that 75% of consumers check social media profiles before using a business’s services. Thus, dental practices must leverage social media platforms to showcase their expertise, interact with patients, and establish a trustworthy online image. By sharing engaging content and responding to patient inquiries and feedback, dental practices can demonstrate their commitment to patient care and build a loyal patient base.
By setting realistic goals and creating engaging and informative content, dentists can build a successful social media presence that helps them connect with their patients and build their brand.
Straighten Your Social Feed Like You Straighten Patient Smiles
Once you have established your social media direction and goals, it’s important to get your ducks in a row and start creating and planning your content. This means building a consistent brand image across all your social media platforms using your practice’s logo and colors. A well-branded social media presence can increase your practice’s visibility and make your content more recognizable to your audience.
When it comes to the types of content to share on social media, it’s crucial to have a mix of static posts, animated posts, and videos to keep your audience engaged. When creating videos, it’s essential to keep them short and engaging, focusing on entertaining or informative content that people will want to watch. For example, videos showcasing the team having fun or the dentists or hygienists dancing can be great ways to engage your audience.
If you plan to share content featuring your patients, it’s vital to follow HIPAA laws and obtain their consent by having them sign a photo or video release. Finally, when running specials or promotions, you must not be too sales-forward or pushy with your messaging. Instead, focus on providing value to your patients and offering helpful information about your services. By following these tips and staying organized with your social media planning, you can create a successful and engaging social media presence for your dental practice.
Social Media Success is Just a Partnership Away
We understand social media can seem daunting. While it may sound simple enough to create and post content, dentists often struggle with finding the time to build a strong and loyal following consistently. However, there are options available to help streamline this process. Hiring someone full-time in your office can be costly, but the more affordable option is to partner with a dental marketing agency that can create and post content for you.
At Gargle, we can ensure your social media presence aligns with your practice’s personality. We post consistently across three platforms, and all posts are branded. Plus, we truly know the dental industry and what works. By working with us, you can free up valuable time to focus on providing quality patient care while building a solid and effective social media presence for your practice. Let us leverage your social media to help build your brand and create more patient retention. Partner with a social media team who is as passionate about your practice as you are! Book a demo today!
