Dentists can use hashtags to grow their online influence. Their use across all social media is more popular than ever. Hashtags were once used primarily on Twitter, but Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Vine all now support them. Here is a quick “101” guide to help you understand hashtags for dentists and how to use them more effectively to market your practice:
What are hashtags?
Hashtags have been used since the early days of the internet as a way of categorizing and searching for topics, first in bulletin boards and usenet groups and later on Twitter. They were eventually adopted by other social networks to allow users an easy way to follow topics and trends. Hashtags are usually a unique word or phrase preceded by the “pound” sign and used to connect similar ideas, news items, or a current event or story.
What words can I hashtag?
You can hashtag nearly any word or phrase. The goal, however, is to use terms that are likely to be searched and are relevant to your practice, specialty or location. For example, if your post includes a phrase like “fun at the dentist” there could be two very good options: “#FunAtTheDentist” and “Fun at the #Dentist”. The first example would be best if you planned on using the phrase frequently in the future for similar posts. It could tie all of your posts together in a search and could become a common trend for your content. Just hashtagging the word “dentist,” as in the second result, makes the searchable term more generic and more likely to be found. Anyone searching for the hashtag “#dentist” would potentially see your post.
What should I avoid?
Don’t hashtag common words or phrases that no one will ever search for. In the example above, “Fun at the dentist” would be poorly done if you used a string of separate words like “#Fun #at #the #dentist”. First, it’s never a good idea to hashtag every word in your post. Second, the words “at” and “the” aren’t search terms and should only be included as part of an entire phrase if used at all, as in “#FunAtTheDentist.” The word “fun”, while somewhat less common, is too general and would miss your target audience. Another example of this might be if Smile Savvy were to use the phrase “#Dental #Websites.” While the word “dental” would be better at reaching our target audience who may be searching for all things dental, the word “website” by itself is too broad. Smile Savvy’s only market is to dentists, so just using #website, would dilute the audience that we are trying to reach.
How can I reach my local community?
Consider using hashtags that will drive traffic from your local community. You may want to use the name of your state, city, hometown, local school or neighborhood. Local events and festivals are also great to mention with a hashtag and show that your dental practice is connected with the world around you.
What about hashtags for dentists, specifically?
Tagging your posts with their topic will be a great way for parents to find your pages when they are looking for help with a specific problem. You might have a post on preventing cavities, for example, and decide to use the hashtag #CavityPrevention. Anyone who searches for that hashtag would potentially see your post.
How do I find out what’s popular?
Many social media sites, like Facebook and Twitter, allow you to see hashtags that are trending. When appropriate, look at popular hashtags and use them in your posts. A current news event, for example, is a great way to keep your current fans engaged with your Page while reaching out to potential patients. You might also think of how you could use a hashtag for a favorite sports team during the next big game.
Be certain to keep all of your hashtags relevant to your post and your dental practice. Don’t overuse them and try to stick to less than three hashtags in any given post. Use them sparingly and be sure they make sense. Whatever you choose, just be sure to put yourself in the place of your followers. What word or phrase would they use to find out more info?
Visit our website for more information on how Smile Savvy can help manage your social media presence!