Facebook and Twitter Dentist Marketing

As a dentist seeking more patients, you might have heard the buzz. Your neighboring dentist has a Facebook Page and a Twitter Profile. But does that get him new patients? A Facebook page or a Twitter profile is quite similar to having a website. Just by having a website, you won’t get patients. It is the case with Facebook and Twitter also. What’s the use of a website, Facebook Page or Twitter profile if your target audience in not interested in it?

A Facebook fan page, A Twitter profile and a dental website are just the basic amenities one should possess before commencing a marketing campaign. They illustrate your practice in a certain way. If you lay these platforms for prospective patients, then those visits will eventually turn into real patients.

There are some key elements that go into making a perfect Facebook Page for a Dental Practice. A result-oriented Facebook page should be:

Creatively designed.
Must possess professional and attractive photos and videos.
Easy to use and communicate.
Easy to grab and understand information.
The contact page should be in bold letters and highly visible.
Live and regularly updated.

If you have a website then it must contain an active blog segment where you discuss various dental issues with patients. But when it comes to a Facebook Page or Twitter Profile, you should have prevalent updates, information and promotions for patients.

It is paramount to understand that after having a well designed Facebook Fan Page or Twitter Profile, you should find a target audience and encourage them to visit your pages and successively call your practice. Also it is important to keep communication with them.

The ultimate goal of setting up a Facebook Fan Page or Twitter Profile is to get the prospective clients to call your dental practice and schedule an appointment. There are many techniques used to find the right audience. For instance, follow individuals on Twitter who tweet about their toothache. 

Remember: Facebook and Twitter dental marketing works only for those who are actively involved in these social media platforms. Having them just for sake of it will not produce any result.

Video Promotion for Dental Practices

It’s already a proven fact that having a strong online presence can help a dental practice immensely. But once prospective patients start visiting your site and actively seek quality dental services online, what more can you do to improvise conversions? How can you make your website attractive so that more patients will call?

When it comes to finding a good, experienced dentist online, people search extensively. They start-off with searching for a dental practice in their locality, then compare with other websites found in the results.

While the decision making process involves several factors, one common aspect of those websites which do a better job at persuading potential clients to call their office are those sites which give clients a strong reason to believe. Trust is the most important attribute of clients calling a dental practice. A website that cannot develop trust among potential clients is useless.

How can an individual develop trust for a website?

Only way you can engender faith among clients is when they know you. But in the case of online marketing, it all depends on your website’s “call to action.” That’s where a professionally made, presentation video becomes a decisive factor. Through website videos, dentists can give a fair introduction of themselves, their services, inculcate belief and provide the motivation that will help a likely patient to call their practice.

Video presentation gives your practice an edge over your competitors. If an individual seeking a dentist searches numerous dental websites and finds your website with a video, you possess a better chance he/she will call your office. One of the greatest aspects of video presentation is that it is cost-effective and result-oriented inbound marketing technique.

Social Media and Dentist Reputation

Conventionally, word of mouth has been the only source of reputation management for dentists. However, advent of the internet has changed the world of dental care industry. Though referrals and references still form a major part of client accretion, dentists should now consider taking full benefits of social media platforms. Many dentists have integrated internet in their marketing plan, still a number of them have not been able to come good with the social media terms. But not considering social media can have a negative impact on the practice’s growth. 

With social media, patients can give their reviews on a dental practice. Given its nature, both good and bad comments can spread like fire. A single negative comment can have a lasting effect on the practice’s reputation. Therefore, the challenge is how you can convert a negative review into a positive one. The following steps can assist dentists manage their online reputation:

Before commencing online reputation management, it is critical to go through all social media platforms that can be helpful to the dentistry. Some of the popular social networking websites include Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, MySpace, Yelp and so on. Identifying which platforms are result-oriented can facilitate reputation management in the longer run.

After determining the possible channels, the next move is to gain some control over these mediums. Off late, Yelp has proven to be a useful social media platform. Even though it is used to search information regarding restaurants, a number of users are finding it as an effective source for quality dental services. Establishing a Yelp account is a big step towards reputation management.

When a prospective patient turns his/her attention towards your practice, the best you can do is revert to his/her comment or tweet. It is crucial to respond to every comment. By actively participating in the conversation, dentists can leave a positive impression. 

Regrettably, some dental practices suffer from negative reviews and responses. Clients remark on various aspects like costs, services, procedures, etc. The best way to rectify these negative comments is to deal with the issues individually. Make sure you clearly address their concerns and provide a different solution.

Why Dental Practices Must Write

Many dental practices have a website providing crucial information about working hours, staff members, services and address. However, not many dentists choose to write. With more patients searching the internet for quality dental services, not having a blog can bring negativity to the practice. Blogs are crucial for communicating, as they provide a direct channel between the dentist and the probable patient.

Reasons why dentists should take up blogging

A blog is a modern way of marketing, which ensures your practice receives multiple benefits. The following credits will give you a clear idea how blogging can enhance your reputation whilst increasing the number of patients:

In today’s tech savvy environment, people find the internet as their premier source of information for products, restaurants, and services. And, this includes dental practices. In fact, more individuals are performing search regarding best dental services. A blog can be an asset for dentists to share their perspective and give an initial introduction of the practice. With that early introduction, patients will have a fair idea of the practice.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the procedure of enhancing website ranking in search engine results through online and offline methods. Using SEO is valuable for websites, as it increases their ranking and subsequently the visibility. Blogging assists SEO big time, as it provides the website with new content, which is indexed by search engines easily. Furthermore, blogging also increases the back links.

Blogging is an inbound marketing strategy, which improves website traffic by attracting leads. Once visitors are drawn to your website, they will keep your practice mind when the time comes to visit a dentist. Restrict self-promotion of your content, as it might blow away the prospective patients.

Building credibility is equally important for dentists who rely heavily on referrals and patient satisfaction in order to retain old clients and generate new ones. Blogs are a great way to demonstrate reputation, showing that dentist has in-depth knowledge of his practice. By giving likely clients a positive first impression, they are more likely to visit the dental practice.