The use of Social Media is now the new granted and unconscious trend for our society. After the Covid 19 pandemic crisis, we are increasingly integrating Social Media into our daily lives: 48% of Italians use social networks.

This trend is also present in medicine and dentistry. So, our patients are online like you do.

Here we have summarized the most important tips for Social Media in medicine and dentistry.

THE ROLE OF SOCIAL MEDIA IN DENTAL PRACTICE MARKETING.

Medical and dental clinics are increasingly communicating with their patients through social media, especially in the current pandemic situation. Tools such as Instagram and Facebook allow what happens in the dental practice and, in times of constant change, keep the users updated (like updates in safety protocols and changes in opening hours). At the same time, they offer to patients the opportunity to learn about the dental team and the services offered by the clinic.

This transparency eliminates any users’ worries, who feel safer before entering in the dental clinic.

This kind of digital-first contact is a much closer approach to the patient than you think, because it allows him to take a look behind the scenes of your clinic, from the comfort of his home.

DEVELOPING YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY

GOAL: WHAT AND WHO DO YOU WANT TO REACH WITH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA?

Choosing which Social Network to use among the various alternatives in the digital world could be a really daunting task. The starting point is one: ask yourself who you want to reach and what your goal is. In fact, there are endless possibilities for the answer. Through social media, it is possible to reach new patients as well as potential partners and employees. Through the employer branding, you can inspire and attract potential employees and collaborators through a distinctive online presence that allows the image you want to give of yourself (attractive employer and a winning partner).

Defining your target group plays a key role: to have a winning strategy, you need to define the desired type of user and align your Social Media communication accordingly. How?

By setting concrete, measurable, but also realistic goals to be implemented over a certain period of time. These could be, for example, getting 200 new followers by the end of the quarter, achieving an average of 40 likes per post, getting at least 5 comments under each post or increasing the number of followers by 10 percent by the end of the year.

OUR ADVICE:

Create a written log with all your goals to be achieved and timelines to be met. At the end of each reporting period, review the results and look at the Insights of your Social profiles.

What worked, what didn’t work and why? How are your competitors doing? What corrective actions could be taken?

Of course, we will be happy to help you with this!

HOW CAN YOU REACH YOUR TARGET GROUP?

From Facebook, to Instagram via TikTok, anything is possible. You are spoiled for choice!  However, the effectiveness of different Social platforms depends on your target group. To reach more adult patients, you need to use social networks different from those used by younger patients. The clear image of your ideal patient makes the strategy to achieve your goal easier.

INSTAGRAM.

After Facebook, Instagram is the most popular social network. It focuses on sharing appealing photos and videos and is particularly suitable not only for posting simple photos or videos with captions, but also for uploading “stories.” In stories, short videos and photos can be uploaded, accompanied by music or tags. You can create polls, ask patients questions, or advertise new posts. You can also use the Stories feature to introduce your practice and services, answer patients’ frequently asked questions, or promote blog articles. Instagram Stories are visible to your followers for 24 hours and can also be saved to your profile. The Story feature allows you to entertain your community and get them more active, thus strengthening dialogue and patient loyalty.

FACEBOOK.

Facebook is the easiest way to create a complete page of your dental practice. Thanks to the high number of subscribers, this social network is particularly suitable for expanding your target group and reaching new users. On your professional profile, for example, you can use many functions: from simple updating of opening hours, to automatic replies for patients. Facebook also offers a user rating function and is particularly suitable for high profile campaigns. Facebook also offers the function of giving ratings and is particularly suitable for public relations. A post can easily be shared with your entire network, and then spread further. Here too – similar to Instagram – you can use the Story function by uploading visible content for 24 hours.

YouTube.

YouTube is a social media based on video upload. Unlike other platforms, it is not yet used by many doctors and dental practices. The opportunity to become true leaders is therefore possible!

It’s a good idea to post videos explaining your core competencies, illustrating processes and solutions. As a dentist, for example, you could explain the structure of a dental implant or the whitening procedure. Dermatologists could explain to patients the ideal sun protection factor in day creams and orthopedists about the structure of the spine and the factors that could affect pain and alteration.

We always recommend to share your experience with patients through this medium, providing answers to frequently asked questions.

TikTok.

TikTok, of all the social media outlined above, is the relatively newest one. Born in China but very famous in the West, it is based on the uploading of short videos accompanied by music. Available as an app, it looks similar to the Instagram Reels function. Some dental hygienists and dental clinics already use this social media and publish short video clips to show the behind the scenes of their daily practice. The target of TikTok is young and is mainly used in an informal way. Like all phenomena that affect the digital world, however, it deserves careful observation of its near future! By now we know that the trend is moving more and more towards the video format …

Do you have any questions about the social media management? We will be happy to support you and be at your side. We want to fly together!