Social Media Tips and Tricks, Part 2

In last week’s post, we reviewed some basic strategies to help guide a successful social media campaign. Today, we’re revisiting that topic and adding a little more fuel to the fire. As it turns out, your practice’s social media presence has a few things in common with a personal page. And while business is still the name of the game, social media can give your practice a personal, relatable touch that’s attractive to new and current patients alike.

6. Keep Your Photo Albums Full.

Whether the page is your practice’s or your own, the photo gallery on a site like Facebook is one of the first places visitors look. Pictures really can be worth a thousand words, and people are inquisitive; they like being able to see your practice for themselves. A well-stocked photo album serves as a miniature behind-the-scenes tour, and helps make your practice appear friendly and inviting. A little familiarity goes a long way, and while you don’t need a detailed photographic essay, it’s a generally good idea to include a view of your rooms, your equipment, and especially your smiling staff.

7. Be Timely

One of the main reasons for having a social media campaign, aside from the obvious marketing benefits, is to make your practice feel more personable and welcoming to new patients. If you want to convey that message naturally, showing your lighter side is a good way to do it. For example, when holidays roll around, feel free to show your more festive side. Decorate your practice, wear green on St. Patrick’s Day – however you decide to celebrate is fine – just be sure to take plenty of pictures! So long as the majority of your content remains professional, letting your hair down every now and then will only be seen as a plus.

8.  Write like a Person, not a Brand

This one can be tricky.  True, when all is said and done, your social media efforts are part of your marketing. Even so, that doesn’t mean your posts should all be recognizable as advertising. Your followers didn’t sign up to be peppered with your ads, they signed up to stay in touch with your practice. They expect to be treated as people, and not merely consumers. When your content is entertaining, engaging, and educational, you’ll project the proper voice to ensure that when you do post something more like an ad, your followers will pay attention to it.

9. Don’t Preach, Converse! – Social media is a great outlet for information and opinions of all kinds, especially your own. But it isn’t a one-way street. Social media, as the name implies, is meant to be used to engage with people, and that means talking with them instead of at them. Keep up with what your patients say on your page, and whenever you have the chance, respond. This kind of relationship-building makes them more likely to return, and to recommend you to their friends.

10. Maintain a Blog and Keep it Visible – Content is king in social media, and blogging is the single most effective way to maintain a steady stream of content for your Web Presence. A blog allows you to talk about the most recent topics in your field, provides an opportunity for education and engagement, and even helps build valuable backlinks to improve your search engine ranking. Keeping your blog linked up with your Facebook and Twitter pages helps you project a unified message to more people.