Dental Focus have been taking care of social media for dentists in the UK for over two years! That’s not taking into account creating social media channels for dentists and dental practices for more longer than that. During which time our team has learnt a lot about how to grow online communities and increase your brand awareness.

How to go from 0 to 100+ Facebook Page Likes as a dentist

A blank canvas is the hardest when it comes to starting your journey on social media. If your Facebook page is brand new then it can be a bigger struggle to get that initial buzz about your practice/brand than if you want to jump from 500 to 600-page likes.

With no initial community to speak of, we have a proven method to get your page noticed. Watch the video below for more.

Should my Facebook followers only be dentists?

The beauty of social media is that everyone can get connected, however, this can also be detrimental to your business plans. Cultivating your community is essential to growing your brand in the right direction, otherwise, you can spend a lot of time and resources with on the wrong people.

If you are a referral practice, then you largely want to be addressing other practices and dentists, as these are the people you most want to be in front of. However, for the majority, you are most likely a dentist using social media or a dental practice. In which case, catering for patients is going to be your aim in which case they make up the “general public”. You should still, however, be selective in what you post and how you present your brand, ensuring that you take into account your demographics.

Piggybacking

Fun as a kid, essential as a business looking for massive growth on social media. And no, we don’t mean go and jump on anyone, rather look for other profiles that have a bigger following than yours and look to create a mutually beneficial relationship. Again, the profiles you decide to associate with should reflect your brand well (no use associating your Facebook page with Coca-Cola – synonymous with sugary drinks).

One fabulous way to piggyback is to promote the services of someone else. For example, a local restaurant might share your post if you gave away a dinner for two of your patients.

Come back soon for more info about social media for dentists or give our team a call to discuss more – 020 7183 8388

Social Media for Dentists: Don’t Be Afraid

Having become a central player in the cultural and social makeup of billions of people’s lives, it is no wonder that many businesses (dental practices included) have flocked to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more to promote their services to the masses.

Whilst many other industries have approached social media with a carefree attitude, highly regulated areas like healthcare and dentistry must approach the platforms in a less reckless manner.

Watch this video from the Dental Focus team about why dentists are afraid of Facebook:

How can dentists be compliant on social media?

One of the factors that prevent dentists from using social media is compliance. With so many regulatory bodies such as the GDC, CQC, ICO and ASA overlooking dental practices in England (with similar bodies globally) it can be hard to know what the rules and regulations are.

Social media is a massively public arena and this seems at odds with dentistry given that the relationship between dentist and patient is confidential.

The good news is that almost all the governing bodies have printed material that sets out the Do’s and Don’ts of using social media.

What can a dentist post on social media?

Staying away from anything that could be considered to bring the dental profession into disrepute is essential. Any content from a patient is a no-go unless you have explicit written consent to use it on the specific platforms. The other factor to consider is the nature of the platform. Ensuring your posts are relevant and suited to the type of social media can be hard to understand, especially as these platforms development at an alarming rate.

The good news is that Dental Focus can help you with this.

What are the benefits of using social media for dentists?

Unlike other forms of digital marketing, social media for dentists is all about the long game. It is unlikely to generate instant return on investment (ROI) if you haven’t put in the hours cultivating your online community and ensuring they feel nurtured by your brand.

The benefits include having more loyalty amongst your patient base, who will appreciate your engagement with them socially rather than just charging them for treatments, as well as being able to communicate with them on a more regular basis – because the majority of adults who use Facebook use it daily. This allows you to:

• Notify them about your latest treatments and services
• Keep them up-to-date with the goings on at the practice
• Promote your team members and their skills

What should a dentist post on social media?

As mentioned, it is essential to post content that is tailored to the platform. It is also important to not spam all of your followers with dull posts about why they should buy the most expensive treatment with you every day. That’s not going to appeal to online communities and it’s a sales tactic that is not very welcome on most platforms.

Instead, you need to decide on a plan of how you want to present your brand on social media and do it consistently, with the goal in mind of getting the most engagement possible. Social media friendly content would include things like:

• Competitions
• Video tutorials on oral health
• Charity work by your team
• Promotion of local businesses
• Local events relevant to your followers

Looking for help managing your dental social media?

Get in touch with our Social Media Guru Dominic Haslam by calling – 020 7183 8388 – for a friendly chat.