Posted on 07-27-10
How To Get Started In Social Media Marketing by Rita Zamora
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have captured the attention of your patients. Nearly 500 million people around the world are now actively using Facebook—and the average Facebook user is on-board about 6 hours per month (Nielsen). Traditional marketing budgets for direct mail, newspapers, magazines, yellow pages, etc. continue to be moved into online interactive segments, such as search, e-mail, and social media marketing.
For dentists considering embarking in social media marketing (or for those who have already opened Facebook and Twitter accounts and are not sure how to proceed) here are a few tips to consider.
1. Know what to say and when to say it – This is one of the most common concerns I hear from practices, "We aren't sure what to say and how often should we post?". Each practice is unique. There is no one-size-fits-all marketing template you can apply to social media. With that said, however, you can formulate a plan to make your marketing efforts more thoughtful (strategic) and effective. In other words, plan ahead—what you will say and when you will say it.
Keep in mind, you don't have to post about dentistry all the time. In fact, make a concerted effort to keep the "social" in social media marketing. That means your relationships (and thus referrals) will grow more when based on the human connections you make. Remember that new and existing patients alike buy from people they feel they know and trust. Often it's posts about your love of a hobby or passion for volunteering that will make the greatest impact.
Regarding when to say it, plan to post once a week minimum on Facebook. Be considerate to your followers and do not post excessively. An example of "over-posting" is twenty posts in one day—one right after another. This will consume people's newsfeeds and they will likely opt to hide you from their forward. Find a balance on the amount of posting that works best for your practice, based on how much time you have available as well as how much your community participates. On Twitter, up to several posts (and interactions) a few days per week is fine: however, be mindful about posting too much at a time and appearing spammy.
2. Promote your online communities offline – Often it's the efforts you make offline (in your brick and mortar practice) to promote your social communities effectively. It's easy to detect if your social marketing efforts are working. A flat community isn't promoting enough whereas a growing—quality—community is likely doing something right. Add your Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube links not only to your Web site, but also to your tangible materials. Include address links on tangible items such as signage, newsletters, postcards, business cards, etc.
Most importantly, remember your most valuable tool in promoting your social network is good old-fashioned word of mouth. Many successful Facebook communities are grown via conversations with patients during office visits. This requires a "champion," at least one person in your practice who is motivated about patient relations and social media.
3. Plan to nurture your communities – Social marketing is unlike any form of traditional marketing or advertising. For example, with a postcard campaign, once you created the materials, you essentially mailed them and waited for the phone to ring. It was fairly turnkey. With social marketing, consider your communities your gardens. Just like a garden, they need to be tended to regularly. This means post consistently, focus on quality, and plan what you will say and when you will say it.
In addition, pay attention to your communities. Monitor your accounts for comments, be sure to thank people, interact, and be interested as well as interesting. Don't expect your garden (community) to flourish overnight. Just like referrals and word-of-mouth ROI, social networking takes time. With social marketing, what you get out of it, will be a direct reflection of what you put into it. What do you want your garden to look like? Barren or flourishing—the choice will be yours.
If you've long considered word-of-mouth marketing a powerful tool, know that social media will serve as an amplifier for your loyal fans, testimonials, and referrals. Get started today with at least one social network—I recommend Facebook to start. Social media offers unprecedented opportunities to market your practice by building trust and relationships with patients. Keep an open mind, be flexible, and have fun!
Rita Zamora is a leader in social media marketing for dental professionals. She has trained dentists, teams, dental consultants, as well as corporations. Rita and her team actively co-manage dozens of dental practice social media programs, including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. She was recently published internationally as a thought leader in social media marketing for dental professionals. To learn more, visit www.DentalRelationshipMarketing.com