97% of people believe that dentists should use social media for professional purposes, according to a recent survey conducted by DentaVox.
These men and women perceive dentists with social media as “innovative and caring for patients,” whereas those without Facebook or Twitter are seen as “traditionalists.”
While there’s nothing wrong about being a traditional dentist, it can be extra challenging to survive in today’s competitive world without establishing a strong connection with your target audience.
This is why social media for dentists is a MUST.
Since everyone is on social media, which means your ideal patients are too, you should take advantage of these different platforms to engage and appeal to them.
Come to think of it, when someone in your city is looking for a dentist, how can they find you if you’re not on social media? How can you reach out to new patients and get your old ones more engaged than ever?
Statista reveals that as of 2020, there are 23 million social media users in the US. This data should be the only motivation you need to start mapping out your dental social media plan.
On this post, we’ll talk about the importance of social media for dentists, the best platforms out there, and a few secrets to make sure that you’re on the right track.
Let’s get started!
In its early days, social media was merely a platform for everyone to connect and interact with friends online.
Now, social media is an essential tool for businesses across all industries.
With millions of active users on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram every day, it makes perfect sense that business owners and health professionals have jumped on the social media bandwagon.
Today, that bandwagon will gain another passenger - you.
Gone are the days when you’d only rely on word of mouth and reputation marketing to build your dental practice. Social media should be a vital part of your everyday life as a dentist now.
As the world becomes more digitally focused, you’ll realize that Facebook isn’t just a channel to show off your pup’s incredible talent, nor is Twitter solely for venting your frustrations or expressing your excitements.
They’re more than those. They’ll help your dental business grow in ways more than one. Here’s how:
It goes without saying that social media is one of the best tactics to gain new dental patients.
As we’re living in a digital age, more and more folks turn to Google or other search engines for help.
77% of people researched a dental practice online before booking an appointment. In another study, 75% admitted that they bought a product or service after seeing it on social media.
Remember, patients who invest in a dental practitioner are committing themselves to a consistent relationship with someone they believe can take good care of them. That’s why most of them do their research first before diving into a decision.
By constantly posting informative and engaging dental content on social media, whether it’s about oral health or dental procedures, people who come across your page will see you as a credible source.
If they live in the same city as you, there’s a huge chance that they’ll drop by at your clinic for a visit.
Also, social media allows you to provide details such as the services you offer and your geographic location, increasing the possibility of you getting found by potential patients.
Your dental social media page is more than just a great platform to give your audience an overview of your expertise.
As a matter of fact, it gives you an opportunity to connect with your patients on a more candid level.
While it’s crucial to post quality content about dentistry and oral health as often as possible, you should also share photos and videos of your team or clinic every now and then. That will give your current and prospective patients a closer look at the very heart of your dental practice.
Besides posting wholesome stuff, there are tons of other things you can do to create relationships with your audience through your social media posts.
Show your audience that you’re always ready to help. Answer questions and comments directly. You can even set automated responses for common patient questions via Facebook Messenger or Twitter.
Another way to show your audience how much you care about them is by dispelling any fears they might have about a dental procedure.
It’s not uncommon for people to get afraid or anxious before an appointment, especially if it involves surgery or extraction - and we’re pretty sure you’re already aware of that.
Reassure them that you and your staff will give them the utmost TLC when they undergo a procedure.
Perhaps you can share a video of a patient (with their consent, of course!) who had, let’s say a root canal, telling everyone that it wasn’t as painful as expected. They can also share how they felt about the way you efficiently and carefully handled the procedure.
At the end of the day, people will want a dentist who’s not only nurturing and attentive, but one who knows their practice from A to Z.
By showcasing your expertise and knowledge of the industry on your dental social media platforms, you instill confidence to and remove doubts from your audience.
One way to boost your reputation in the field is by posting photos or videos that highlight the modern techniques you use, as well as the latest technology you have in your clinic. You can even share a clip of you performing a difficult procedure!
Seeing how advanced your equipment and tools are, or how skillful you are, your audience won’t hesitate to contact you for an appointment the next time around.
Now that you understand how having a dental social media makes a difference to your practice, let’s talk about the top channels to launch your campaign.
Keep in mind that social media channels appeal to different types of audiences. Some might naturally work better for dentists than others. Before deciding, you need to consider your goals and target audience.
With that in mind, here are the top four social media sites to grow your dental practice:
With over 2.6 billion active users every month, it’s no surprise that Facebook remains to be the world’s most popular social media - and that 3 million companies use it to advertise their businesses.
Thanks to Facebook ads, you can promote your dental practice and services effectively without spending a huge chunk of money, as it allows you to explore audience types and consumer personas. You can target users based on activity, interests, age, location, and gender.
Facebook is also a great place to promote new dental products or services, share the latest news about your practice, and collect reviews from happy patients.
Here’s how you can use Facebook to establish trusting relationships with your audience:
YouTube prides itself as the world’s biggest video sharing platform and the second biggest search engine. No wonder 62% of businesses use it as a channel to post their video content!
If you’re not sure how market your dental practice on this social media platform, follow any of these tips:
They say less is more, and that’s what makes Twitter stand out from its strong competitors.
While Twitter and Facebook are similar in a way that they both appeal to a wide range of consumers, the messages you share on the former are way more refined and compact.
Twitter not only keeps you engaged with your audience, but its hashtag feature can help you attract a wide following.
Get people to notice your dental business on Twitter using these tried-and-true tricks:
There’s no better place to post before and after pics of your patients than on Instagram, especially if you specialize in cosmetic dentistry.
Image Source: Golden Proportions
Flaunt your exceptional dentistry skills by sharing photos and short videos of the services you offer. Be sure not to go over the top with your filters though or you might lose authenticity.
Below are things you can do to take advantage of Instagram:
Now, it’s time to finalize a strategy for your dental social media campaign. Let’s get right to it!
Although 90% of dental and healthcare professionals are social media consumers, only one percent of them are content makers.
If you’re thinking this sounds like the perfect opportunity to create your own content, we’re definitely with you on that!
People who come to dentists share a common goal: They want to flash everyone their best smile.
That being said, you’ll want to write blogs about dental services or products that can help with their oral hygiene, as well as tips to protect their teeth against germs and diseases.
Once people find your content informative, chances are, they’ll share them on social media. That means higher engagement for your dental practice and perhaps even new patients coming to your clinic.
If you stumble upon a dental-related article or video that you think would captivate or intrigue your audience, feel free to share it on your social media platform. Pay attention to facts that pertain to people’s day-to-day lives and oral health.
Social media is all about connecting with people. It shouldn’t be one-sided.
Yes, you want to post information and share updates about your dental practice, but you also want to elicit a response from your audience.
So, how do you do that? How can you get people to react, comment, and share your posts?
Simple: Pose questions. People love to voice out their opinions when given a chance, and that’s a chance you’ll give them from time to time.
Ask questions pertaining to your patients’ oral hygiene routine. Make your delivery as creative as possible to keep your followers engaged and have them looking forward for more of your dental social media posts.
A surefire way to engage your audience and enhance your credibility as a dentist simultaneously is by sharing live content.
Live videos are getting a lot of buzz right now, and we can totally see why. People don’t want to miss whatever it is you’re sharing in real-time, as it makes them feel as if they’re the only ones who weren’t able to participate.
You can use Facebook Live to give your audience a tour of your dental office, or you can film a selfie video introducing a new service you’re offering. A live Q&A session is another excellent idea.
Give your Facebook, Twitter, or Insta followers things to look forward to each day. Use some of the most popular hashtags such as #MondayMotivation, #WellnessWednesday, and #FlashbackFriday.
On Mondays, inspire everyone by posting a motivational quote. Make it a Wednesday habit to share a health tip, and Fridays should be for sharing baby to teen photos of you and your dental team.
Social media for dentists is one of the many digital marketing tactics you can use to boost your dental practice. Incorporating it into your dental marketing strategy can make all the difference.
If you need help curating the perfect custom social media marketing strategy, our team of social media specialists here at Digital Resource has your back! With their expertise and experience, they can turn those clicks into clients in no time!
Contact us today to start your journey to dental social media success!