• 3
• Dental Marketing ,
• 16 Nov

I don’t have to tell you that social media is one of the best ways of attracting new customers and retaining old ones. This statement is also true when it comes to dental business.

Unlike some other industries where other forms of online marketing are a viable option, social media is perhaps the best way to promote your dental clinic. That is due to the nature of dentistry: people have to trust the doctor doing the procedure.

You don’t want to go to a dentist who will mess up your jaw. It is precisely why new patients usually come via recommendations. Because of that, traditional marketing will not work so good. Potential clients need some kind of proof that you will do a good job.

Social networks help you bridge that gap, and they will get you closer to a person.

What is the secret behind social media?

When browsing Facebook or some other platform, you’re usually at ease. You probably have some spare time, and you want to see what’s going on, perhaps relax watching some cute pictures or entertaining videos.

Because you’re so relaxed, you’re also more open to new things as well as purchasing products and services. One of them is looking for a new dentist. Even if you’re not so keen on giving a person you don’t know a chance; you are more likely to do it now. So, once your clinic pops up, a person seeing the sponsored post will be more inclined to check out the website and then give you a call.

Our company always focuses on Facebook advertising as the best way of promoting your dental clinic and for a good reason. We can also do your daily dental social media marketing and build relationships with other people.

Needless to say, Facebook is increasing in popularity every month, and in a way, it represents an alternative for some other types of content on the web.

How can Facebook help you as a dentist?

Even if you’re not using Facebook ads, you should still be present on the biggest social media platform. There are various reasons for this, such as:

1) Reach new patients through it

One of the most significant issues for new and expanding dental clinics is getting new customers. Oral health services are quite specific as people are prepared to pay extra money to get the best service possible. Unlike some other services, a person is not just gonna come knocking on your door. Instead, they will do the proper research beforehand. Facebook allows you to reach out to your potential clientele in a gentle, non-pushy way. Through direct interaction and posting personal stuff, people will feel closer to you. It is a much better alternative to Google search where potential clients only see titles and names on a white background. Facebook (and social media in general) have a unique personality that allows dentists to bring people closer to their brand and build trust in the process.

2) Establish yourself as a local leader

Reputation is vital for any company. While a simple presence on social media is not enough to solidify you as an industry leader, it gives you a channel through which you can interact, share tips, teach people about proper dental hygiene, and so on. Provided that social networks are viral by nature, having just one good viral video can help you quickly build a solid reputation and help you become very popular within the community. Perhaps the most underrated aspect of becoming a local leader is the fact you can start charging your services more, thus increasing your overall profitability. Or, if you want to go the other route, you can increase the size of your practice by employing more oral professionals. One thing is for sure: you won’t lack clients!

3) Build relationships with other businesses and institutions

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram allow you to connect with other dental practices informally. You don’t even have to have a mission or a goal; simply communicating with other professionals in your niche can get you ahead. The benefits of such relationships are immeasurable. Besides the fact you can do joint ventures, you can also recommend a fellow dentist to your clients and vice versa.

4) Stay in touch with current clients

When it comes to dentistry, people who visited you once are most likely to return, especially if you’re doing a good job. But this is something that shouldn’t be taken for granted. These patients are the same as all others; they need attention and care. Even if they have some issues with your service, they will be more inclined to stay with your practice if you show some respect to them. This will also increase their loyalty, and they will be more willing to recommend you to their friends and family. But there is another crucial reason why you should stay in touch with your regulars – you can remind them they need to perform a routine checkup from time to time.

While most companies focus on their website as the most critical channel, you have to keep in mind that people usually prefer Facebook as it is more direct and personal. In that sense, don’t be surprised if your Facebook page becomes more important for your business than your website.

How do you perform dental social media marketing?

There are lots of different things a dentist can do on social media:

• Create posts regarding your profession services

Even though the dental profession may seem a bit limited when it comes to the type of content you can create, this is not entirely true. First and foremost, you can always share news and innovations about the dental and medical profession. This will quickly establish you as an authority figure. But you can also share some other cool stuff such as dentist memes and jokes. Lastly, like any social network, it allows you to share personal news about yourself and your team. While some people don’t like to reveal things from their personal life, this is an excellent way to connect with your audience and build trust.

• Share other dental companies’ posts

One of the rules of social media marketing is that you should always share things that are cool and beneficial, regardless of who created them. Sharing other people’s posts and content can be a nice gesture and will help you develop better relationships with other professionals. At the same time, if you have enough interesting content, people are more likely to visit your page and eventually give you a call. Always remember to give credit where it’s due.

• Interact with your audience

As previously mentioned, interacting with your audience is a smart way to build relationships. Most dentists think that this is an easy job when they first start doing social media marketing, but all of them soon realize that it can be quite a choir. Interacting with an internet audience is always a tricky thing as you have to deal with different personalities. Sometimes, you might even lose your cool or get tired, but you must press on. That is why hiring companies such as ours can be a wise solution.

• Post different discounts and promotions

Everybody likes discounts. Unfortunately, oral clinics are not groceries, so you likely won’t be aware that your dentist is giving a discount. The best way to do promotion is to advertise via Facebook or Twitter. There is no need to publish this news on billboards or through other channels, as you probably won’t be able to get back your money. So, as a good alternative, you can post these promotions on your social media account. To make it more exciting and involving, you can make the discount exclusive for people who contacted you, namely via social media. This way, you can increase your organic reach and get new followers.

• Be active in various Facebook groups

The main reason for having a social media profile is that you can increase your reach. So, if you don’t have large followership, the best way to grow it is to become noticed in various dental groups. Facebook groups might not bring you patients as they are often usually used by other dental professionals. Still, this gives you an excellent opportunity to be followed by other medical practitioners, and after that, you might get followed by their own circle of contacts. By doing this, you can exponentially increase your reach. By being active, you can also establish yourself as a local expert.

Social media marketing can be pretty straightforward if you know what you’re doing. Unfortunately, it takes years and years to get a knack for it and maximize your impact. Still, it is something you need to do no matter what, even if it takes a little bit more time in the beginning.

Conclusion

Dental social media marketing is becoming perhaps the most important type of marketing there is.

In modern business, there is no point in investing in some other, obsolete form of advertising. People are spending so much time on this platform, and they are often oblivious to everything else surrounding them.

Because of this fact, your Facebook marketing game has to be at a high level. If you’re uncertain as to what to do, just give us a call, and we’d be happy to point you in the right direction.