OK, we get it…your team is busy. Nonetheless, you need to figure out a way to grow your dental practice’s online presence in a matter of minutes. Can it be done? Sure can. Digital marketing is the most effective way to grow any type of business in 2018, and by following our 5 steps below, you’ll be able to get started right away!
All you need is 15 to 20 minutes of your time each day to complete these key tasks to grow your dental practice online.
Did you know that on average most people have 5 different social media accounts, and they spend approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes-ish perusing these networks each day? You’re probably wondering who has that kind of time. Turns out just about everyone does.
So just like your potential patients have time to browse online, you MUST make the time to grow your dental practice online. First things first. Impressions! Yes, first impressions will go a long way in engaging your target consumer because while they don’t trust salesmen pitching to them, they do trust other people just like them who say you’re the best. So, the first steps to help grow your dental practice is gathering patient reviews and building your presence on Facebook.
If you had to guess what the percentage is of adults who use Facebook, would you guess it is a whopping 80 percent? Well, it is. That includes 75 percent of your target consumer, the decision maker in the family. Many adults rely on the recommendations of their family, coworkers, and friends so if one of them posts about an amazing new product they purchased, you now have a new audience…their Facebook friends. Same goes for published reviews on your Facebook profile and even more so on your Google + page. Without a doubt, reviews will dramatically help you grow your dental practice’s online presence. In turn, you have an entirely new set of prospects.
If there is nothing else you have time to squeeze into your busy day, at the very least…the first two items below should be your key focus in increasing your digital marketing efforts to grow your dental practice.
Here’s how to go about using the time YOU DO HAVE efficiently.
15-Minute Posts on Facebook to Grow Your Dental Practice
1. Daily Dental Posts
Posting fresh new content daily not only keeps your business on your audience’s mind, but it helps you seem sociable. Try to use engaging and trending content that directly links your products or service to your viewers.
2. Reply to Facebook comments, posts, and messages.
The best way to build trust and loyal relationships with your potential patients is by being responsive. You want to make sure you’re replying to their comments and messages in a timely manner. Turn on your notifications so that you don’t miss the opportunity to reply quickly. When your potential dental patients see that you’re interested in following up with their inquiry, they now become even more interested in spending their money the same way you spent your time…quickly. Remember that the patient experience that used to start with a handshake, now begins with an online exchange.
Simple replies like “We will be more than happy to help you!” or “Thank you for your positive feedback!” lets your readers know that you care and you’re listening.
3. Encourage visitors and patients to “like” your Facebook page
The secret to how to grow your dental practice online through your presence on Facebook is not only about what you do, it’s also based on what your entire team does in the office each day. Keep your audience in the loop on what’s happening in your office on a day-to-day basis. Connecting with your existing patients and asking them to “like” your Facebook page is an excellent way to keep them engaged. Take an extra step and offer an incentive if they share your Facebook page out to their friends. This is the digital form of word of mouth.
Never make the assumption that your patients wouldn’t be interested in liking your Facebook page. Keep in mind that a whopping 80% of Facebook users are decision-making adults.
4. Browse trending topics and hashtags to catch up on current events
Have you ever noticed that Facebook has programmed the most trending topics to appear at the very top of your news feed? These featured feeds are amazing tools to help you grow your dental practice because it lets your audience know what’s going on in the world. It also helps you learn what is most relevant to the adults who are browsing online in the moment. In turn, it will let you know which hot topics to post about and what hashtags to use. Hashtags help boost your post to a larger audience than your existing followers. Having access to the public via hashtags is a great marketing tactic that will better your post’s chance of being seen, liked, and shared.
5. Increase Your Online Reviews
1. Check your Healthgrades, Facebook, and Google profiles for recent reviews
Make sure you’re responsive to the most recent reviews on all of your profiles. Thanking your patients for their positive reviews will surely encourage them to refer you to family and friends. Attention to detail goes a long way inside and outside of your office. If the review happens to be a complaint, you should encourage the patient to contact you directly to improve their patient experience. Learn more on how to successfully handle negative reviews so that you use the proper practice for your practice.
2. Invite a patient or two to write a review each day
VITAL NOTE! Google and other major search engines capture IP addresses so NEVER ask the patient to write the review online while they’re still in your office. If you get too many reviews from the same IP address, it will be a red flag to Google experts and will deem the reviews invalid immediately.
The best way to encourage patients to write reviews is by making sure you gather each patient’s email address and sending a follow-up email after their recent visit. You can thank them for coming in and ask them to complete a quick survey and/or write a review. Include a direct link to the site you’d like them to publish their review on to make it a seamless process for them.
The Bottom Line
In this article, we made sure to cover the fundamental marketing tasks you will need to grow your dental practice online. We know how tough it can get to set aside time to advertise your products and services on a daily basis. Nevertheless, if you begin with pushing your marketing efforts towards Facebook and stay consistent, you will gradually increase your patient intakes. Once your marketing routine begins to flow, you can add a promotional task or two to your daily routine to continue to grow your dental practice online.
