When promoting your Page, you want to ask yourself, “Why would anyone LIKE their dentist on Facebook?” You need to give them a reason to initially like your Page and then a reason to continually engage with your Page. This is the most effective way for your Page to grow.
Once someone likes your Page, you will want to give them reasons to continually engage with your Page. Your goal is to get them to read your posts and then click on any links, comment, like and/or share what they read. The more engagement you get, the more people will see your posts, and the more Page likes you will receive. Here are a few ideas on engaging your audience:
- Consider having promotions or contests in your office. You could offer a drawing for a free Sonicare Toothbrush, gift certificate, etc. to certain followers by a certain date. Contests guessing the number of a certain item are also a great idea. The goal is to generate likes, shares and comments. Note: Be sure to follow Facebook’s acceptable use policies for contests.
- Post frequently. There is no magic number of ideal posts, however it’s unlikely that you will over-post even if you post every day. Be sure to keep posts around three hours apart for maximum reach. A good guideline is to post at least once a week. Smile Savvy does this for you, but its always an added benefit to supplement what we post.
- Appoint one of your staff members as your social media manager. A Facebook savvy staff member with a smart phone can do wonders to grow your Page. A dramatic difference in engagement can occur in as little as 10 minutes a week.
- Post “insider” information. Your fans want to see your office and they want to see your staff “behind the scenes”. Posting content like this will make your followers feel as if they are part of your office community and it gives a feeling of insider exclusivity.
- Take a lot of pictures. Post pictures of special events, dress up days and holiday parties as well as every day snapshots. With permission, posting pictures of patients is a great way to get likes and shares.
- Encourage patients to “Check-In” at your office through Facebook. When they check-in, their Facebook friends will see where they are, which means free advertising to hundreds of people in your area who may never have heard about you.
- Want engagement? Then engage! Reply to comments on your posts. Like what other people say on your Page. Get a conversation started.
- Get personal. Share your hobbies and activities. People don’t want to know a business, they want to know people. If you participate in a fundraiser or charity, let them know!
It’s important to remember that social media should be social. Your website is something that people will search for and use to get more information about your location, hours and services offered. But your Facebook Page exists so that you can create community. This will increase patient retention and advertise your practice to the friends of your patients. Word of mouth advertising is still the most effective form of reaching your target audience, and Facebook makes that easier than ever.
