With all the fancy features the social media has to offer, we sometimes become too focused exclusively on the “media” side of media marketing. What you post online should reflect what takes place inside the walls of your practice: face-to-face interactions that build lasting relationships with patients and staff members.
We understand that many people are concerned with all of the obsession with getting your practice recognized on social media. They might say things like, “Everyone just stares at their phone now!” or “People are forgetting how to just have a conversation!” And we do get it.
They’re afraid that our fascination with Likes, shares and retweets is preventing people from forming authentic connections with other people. Which, to a certain degree, might hold some truth. But social media’s not going anywhere — and we believe that with the right mindset and strategic planning, orthodontists can use social media as a tool to share their team culture, strengthen relationships, and generate advocacy for their practices from their patients.
THE BASE OF YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE ISN’T ONLINE
Social media marketing tools like websites and Facebook profiles have no value whatsoever unless they are constantly generating meaningful content. And meaningful content stems organically from the great things that happen in your practice.
Your vibe, your brand starts with what you do every day to go the extra mile for your patients and make your practice an enjoyable place to visit and work. Did your team celebrate a recent holiday or have an engaging conversation in your morning meeting? Have you recently given away a prize or congratulated a patient on a personal accomplishment? Maybe you had a night out with the team as a morale-boost! Whatever it may have been, snap a photo and share it on social media!
INVOLVING TEAM MEMBERS
Successful social media marketing thrives on in-practice participation, especially from team members. Here are some easy tips you can apply today to get your team involved:
- Tag team members in practice posts. On Facebook, the account posting to your practice page can tag team members if they are personal friends with them. Doing this stretches your reach to anyone who has a connection with your team, including people who will want to become future patients.
- Encourage team members to share practice posts on their own personal accounts. Build a practice morale that makes team members proud to share their place of business and the atmosphere they work in.
- Train team members to ask for patient reviews. This is huge, because obtaining positive patient reviews is one of the best things you can do to grow your business. It boosts in-office morale, as well as how your practice looks to future patients.
INVOLVING PATIENTS
Here are some tips to get patients involved:
- Give them a good reason to participate. There has to be personal motivation, or else your patients won’t get involved. Invite them to snap and share a photo to raise awareness of good causes, commit to better oral health, and enter to win prizes!
- Encourage patients to share on their own accounts and tag and #hashtag your practice. This way, the patient’s friends and family who trust their recommendations will see the post. Also, when people search your #hashtag, people will see anything your practice has been posted about.
- If your practice shares a patient photo, remember HIPAA compliance. This is very important because you don’t want to violate any patient rights in the effort to gain an active social media presence.
Below you’ll see a perfect example of what we’re talking about. This frequently updated Facebook page from Castilla Orthodontics shows a promotion the practice has going on right now, encouraging social media engagement from their patients and followers!
A WELCOMING SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE REFLECTS A WELCOMING PRACTICE
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the latest social media marketing trends. But what truly gives social media marketing that impact you’re looking for begins with genuine interactions with your team and patients in your practice. If you make social media a natural extension of your practice atmosphere, then patients and team members will share it with family and friends, helping you grow your reach, and as a result, your business.
The team at Ortho Marketing are the experts in orthodontic marketing. Ortho Marketing serves orthodontic practices on the international level. If you have any questions pertaining to video testimonials, website design, social media marketing, SEO, reputation management, Google Adwords, or PPC campaigns, or would like to get started marketing your orthodontic practice, contact Ortho Marketing at: 914-788-1555
