Statistics can really be skewed any way, and some sources are certainly questionable to say the least, but when it comes to integrating social media into the average dental practice marketing plan, dentists still seem to be in a holding pattern.

Here’s a chart from a January 25, 2011 report courtesy of Verasoni:

The chart indicates dentists are languishing in the social stratosphere when it comes to effectively applying social media in their practice marketing plan.

When we look from our perspective now, 9 months later, can we still draw the same conclusions?

The aim of this post is not to communicate more statistics, charts, and case studies. Rather, we’d prefer to arm you with actionable (albeit simple) ways to easily incorporate social media into your overall digital marketing plan.

(BTW – click the link to read our dental practice social media case study involving one of our members in Kansas City, MO.)

Integration

We thought with the inaugural flight of Boeing’s newest flagship 787 underway, maybe the thin comparison we’re reaching for could motivate some dental practices out there to shed the pall of fear and take that initial first step toward dental social media hero.

Here are 3 clean & quick ways to integrate social media into your digital marketing plan.

1.       Offer a Deal

Your direct mail campaign(s) certainly communicates some type of offer, no matter how token it may be. Just take that same exact offer and publish through your practice social media profiles.

Now go a step further, maybe even consider crafting a Facebook specific ‘Deal’ to offer throughout your circle of fans, friends, and followers.

People check-in with your Facebook Places page and boom – they’re automatically eligible for your deal.

2.       Patient Communications

Do you send after treatment letters, email newsletters, appointment reminders, or any other ongoing patient communications?

Place a link to your Facebook and Twitter profiles inviting your existing patients to connect with your practice through those mediums.

Then offer them a reward for doing so.

It could be as easy as offering 10% off their next office visit, or as involved as a contest iPad2 giveaway.

3.       Website

This one goes without saying, or at least we thought so.

Integrating your social media profiles into your dental practice website will at the very least enable website visitors to gain a more socially-centric idea of your dental practice culture.

  • Do you have any idea about how many people visit your website each month?
  • Do you know from what source they most access (or find) your website?
  • Do you know how many of those website visitors convert over to new patients?

Having your social media profiles linked to your practice website will also increase online practice visibility and help develop the engagement necessary to amplify your dental practice digital word of mouth!

We are purposely leaving things up to the imagination here, and only hoping to spark some type of movement or interest.

How else can the average dental practice integrate social media into their overall digital marketing plan?
 

 

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