To get more patients, you need to make a lot of friends…on Facebook. Whether you’re running a small dental office or a bustling plastic surgery center, it’s important to know how to use the right social media tactics to interact with your clients, build up your brand name, and grow your fan base. Here are some social media tips that every medical professional should know.
Facebook- the Final Frontier
Social media sites come and go (remember MySpace?), but hands down, Facebook is the place to go to get noticed. No longer a virtual crash pad for college students, Facebook offers businesses the chance to communicate with their clients on a much deeper level than ever before. By having a Facebook business page for your medical practice, you can really get to know your patients- find out more about their needs, answer questions they have about medical procedures, so that you can better hone your services to meet their expectations. Better yet, your patients get a chance to connect with you, get a feel for your “brand.” Physicians who establish a presence on Facebook become more real, more personable to their network of clients. And nothing builds a reputation better than 1,000 Likes on Facebook, as it increases your search engine rankings, resulting in, hopefully…more patients to pencil in for appointments.Facebook Tips
Building a business page on Facebook couldn’t be easier. Just go to Create a Page and Facebook will walk you through the process. Here are some helpful tips to get you started:- Choose a timeline photo that is clear, colorful, and engaging without being too busy. Facebook images should be 851×315 pixels- a banner-type shot. Choose a landscape shot of your medical facility, a group picture of doctors and nurses, or a photo taken at a media event. According to Facebook policy, your timeline must not include phone numbers, web site URLs, or any “call to action.”
- Choose a profile pic- it adds personalization to your brand. Facebook avatars should be 160×160; a good rule of thumb- stand up and step back a few feet away from your computer. If you can still clearly recognize the image next to your name, then you’ve picked a winner.
- Engage your audience, but use good social media etiquette. Do ask your fans questions about their medical needs, share health articles that might interest them, and keep them updated on all the services you provide, including upcoming specials or events. Don’t beg people to Like your page, post more than a few times per day, or spam other medical pages or blogs in an attempt to gain patients.
- Keep it up! It’s okay to let a few days lapse between posts, but a few weeks without posting is dead air time. Keeping your Facebook page updated doesn’t require more than about 20 minutes per day, but you have to be consistent.
- Keep it current! Post at times when you think your patients are most likely to respond. This can be tricky, as people tend to check up on their Facebook friends at different times of the day, specific to their lifestyle habits. Patients who work 9-5 are most likely to tune it before work or during their lunch breaks, people who don’t have access to a computer during the day may wait until after dinner to plop down in front of a screen.