Social Media For Dentists: Myths And Facts
The biggest buzzword in marketing is social media
. Wherever you go or whatever you do now, from buying your coffee in the morning to watching television at night, businesses are asking you to connect with them on social platforms. It may be Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+ or one of the many others. Social media is place people go to connect, for friendship and for business. It is a powerful marketing avenue.
Here are four reasons why some dentists are slow to adopt social media to help their practices be more profitable:
Myth #1:Social Media is a Fad
Social media is in its infancy, however, its value and worth have been clearly demonstrated. Facebook is racing towards having a billion active users.
Traditional advertising, newspaper ads, telephone ads, and direct mailers are static in nature. They are usually advertisements about your services. Once the printed piece is presented there is no opportunity for connecting with and engaging the viewer and answering their concerns.
Social media networks like Twitter, Facebook, and Blogs allow you to connect and engage in one on one or group conversations. This means more potential new patients and more treatment acceptance.
Social media allows you to become real, not just an ad or a rectangle in the yellow pages. On social media the dentist comes across to patients as a real person. You can communicate your personality, your professionalism, even become a leading expert in your field by consistently demonstrating authority.
Potential patients read your posts, learn more about dentistry, find out just how and why dental care is so vitally important, and even see the complications from untreated dental care. Real time interaction between clinician and patient is limited by time constraints. Online interaction is unlimited, or really, limited only by the interest of the patient if you present ample content.
Social media allows you to build credibility, gain trust, and foster relationships , taking away the feat of going to the dentist.
Myth #2: Social Media Platforms Are Only For Young People
Social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube are not just for the young at all. Women make up more than half of Facebook users, and there are as many women over 30 or Facebook as under. Given that women make around 80% of the purchasing decisions in families, it means if you reach patients on Facebook, you stand a good chance of getting your message out to the person making the financial decisions.
Think about how many office calls of patients scheduling are from women, making appointments for the-selves, their children, and their husbands. Those woman are interacting on Facebook, and you should be too.
Myth #3: This Takes Too Much Time and Effort
If you research which platforms are the best for your practice, make a plan, and delegate responsibilities, social media marketing is very manageable.
Advice to newcomers is to start with one, possibly two, of the social networks and become comfortable. Being active and consistent on a few sites is preferable to inconsistency on multiple sites.
Time is a factor in managing social media, but once past the learning curve, but a lot of the work can be automated. If the tasks are overwhelming, outsource some or all your social media activities.
Assign someone in your practice, an outgoing and tech-savvy person, to manage your sites. This person can post for the practice, but not in the first person.
Developing a well thought out social media policy and guide for what is and isnt permissible to post.
Myth #4: It Is Too Expensive
Marketing your practice is a large expense, and traditionally it meant exorbitant yellow pages ad costs, printed newsletters, and many outmoded marketing techniques. Social media, even if you pay to outsource or use labor hours to have an employee manage the accounts is far less expensive and can have tremendous potential.
Consider this: only about 15% of the population even still uses telephone books. Building your online presence is critical to your practice. Social media marketing will lessen your advertising costs if you give it time. This translates into higher profits. Learn more about how Easy Social Practice can help you get started today.
by: gus kaloti
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