Last week Pinterest rolled out their new welcome mat to the business world, or is it the business world now has a better way to roll up on Pinterest?
We’re confused enough, so here’s the digital dental marketing skinny on dentists effectively using Pinterest to acquire more new patients and communicate better with existing patients.
In case you’re not the coolest dentist on your block already connected with us, Pinterest is a relatively new ultra-popular photo posting & sharing community. Pinterest for dentists is a way to show how you are an up to date tech-savvy practice capable of communicating engaging images worth sharing…
People (and now formally, businesses) can post photos (products with links); Pinterest members then Like, Comment, or RePin (share) each other’s content.
So if you were selling widgets this might matter to you, but how can dentists use Pinterest to some tangible benefit?
We won’t waste more time with stats and figures all supporting the incredible popularity or meteoric rise of the Pinterest platform, nor will we belabor the digital dental marketing point of joining the digital dental health conversation where it is taking place – be that Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, Foursquare…or the next social dentistry up and comer.
Success with dentists using social media depends heavily on practice culture and how the individual tools are applied to the intended goals.
Success with Pinterest for dentists wanting to visually communicate with their surrounding community, existing patient base, product vendors, industry, local media, and more, depends entirely on how well you showcase your visually captivating dental-centric content.
Here are some best practices for businesses using Pinterest, courtesy of the Pinterest blog. If you need to convert your existing profile to a business profile, or if you’re new to the whole Pinning phenomenon, go here and sign up for a free business account – just follow directions, it’s not as involved as Facebook or Google+ – and it’s not a root canal.
We’re adding some pinning pointers to the list for the socially savvy dentists out there looking to use Pinterest to acquire new patients and enhance existing patient communications.
Here is a link to their marketing guidelines – how to use their logo and things like that.
1. Verify your website. The verification badge helps people identify high-quality sources of content and more easily find the business they want in search results.
2. Add new buttons and widgets. Integrate the Pin It button, Follow button, Profile widget, or Board widget to get more engagement from pinners and traffic back your site.
3. Create Inspiring Boards. We got lost with this one, it’s easy to fly off the tracks and lose sight of the goal, but it’s crucial to stay focused. The goal is to create boards that are tightly themed around a particular subject – one that is preferably highly searched & engaging for patients, for example:
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Teeth Whitening
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Before & After
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Wedding Day Smiles
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Office Holidays
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Giving Back
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Anti-Aging Dentistry
4. Show Your Practice Culture. Eliminate the negative and accentuate the positive. Maybe the dentist talks to nobody and is a recluse that only comes out from behind the mask to spit and rinse. Maybe you have the nicest little secluded garden patients can see from the chair. Maybe your Halloween contest this year was off the charts. Have fun with it.
5. Link to Your Website or Blog. Hopefully your website or blog have some interesting photos of before and afters, smile galleries, or testimonials – pin those images to specific boards and be sure to add your links to the photos.
6. Educate & Engage. Maybe the manufacturer’s website, blog, Facebook page, or Pinterest Board explains how effective the latest greatest whitening product is better than you ever could – share the info! Habitually Pin (or RePin) other visually captivating social dental content.
7. Run Contests. This one is a no-brainer, and it holds true for dentists using social media as a whole. Have people Pin to Win by posting or voting or sharing their favorite photos – get creative, talk to staff & patients for ideas. Check out this dentist getting all Bob Barker by giving away a new car to one lucky patient that gets the most votes for their photo posted to the dental practice Facebook page.
Here are 10 more ways to use Pinterest for Business…
No matter the platform, the goals for dentists using social media remain the same – acquiring new patients, enhancing existing patient communications, and improving practice productivity.
Pinterest can be a win-win for dentists and patients, but it all depends on how well the dental practice can communicate pin-worthy informative, engaging, & captivating dental-centric imagery.
Got any Pinterest Ideas to Share with Other Social Media Savvy Dentists?
