How Important Is Social Networking for Dentists?

How many new patients have you ever gotten from Facebook? LinkedIn? Twitter, Pinterest, MySpace? The answer is probably none, if you’re like most dentists. I’m disappointed in dental marketing companies who shout “social networking” from the hilltops just because dentists, by nature, are interested in new things.

At MDPM, we’ve helped dentists set up Facebook contests, we offer a daily social networking posting service, and we set up Facebook and Google+ Local for all of our clients. However, we do not believe that spending hours a week on social networking will ultimately yield more new patients.

The Purpose of Marketing is to Grow a Business

Website First: Dental marketing aims to get dentists more patients. A great dental marketing strategy can be targeted toward a particular demographic — say, those patients who need dental implants, smile makeovers, or sleep apnea treatment. While Internet marketing is absolutely essential for dental practice growth, social marketing is just one of many tactics savvy dentists should employ (and in moderation). All dental marketing should begin with a well optimized, visually appealing dental website that can be amended as needed, as the practice grows. Branding with a logo, signature color palette, and practice name will tie all of your marketing together. So, create a brand, then build a website. Read More

Facebook for Dentists: What to Do Now

Well, we now have Timeline for individuals and businesses. If your dental practice has a business page, you may have noticed a pop-up that asked you to create a special offer this week — that’s new. But everyone has been talking about Facebook for a few years now. If you’re asking yourself how a dentist can use Facebook in marketing, join the club. I ask myself that question every day. Yes, I’ve seen, read, and heard other marketing experts share their advice. To date, though, I’ve not had a dentist tell me that Facebook brings in new patents and has a great return on investment (ROI). Websites do, blogs do, microsites do, but Facebook? Not so much.

Should we continue to do what’s not working? Absolutely not. That’s the definition of insanity, according to Einstein. We have to find an application that will make Facebook that serves us well.

I’m a problem solver by nature, so I’ve dived into the challenge of trying to determine how to leverage Facebook for dentists — without purchasing Facebook ads. Can it be done? I’m not sure, but here are some things I want to share based on the new boot camp video series that Facebook created and the feedback I’ve received from dentists over the years. Read More

Ten Steps for Managing New Patient Surveys

Last week, we discussed the pros and cons of conducting patient surveys. Although Modern Dental Practice Marketing primarily focuses on marketing through blogs, websites, social media, and newsletters, we’re happy to offer you a 10-step plan to help your team manage a dental patient survey.

Step 1: Decide upon your survey’s theme

Your survey should be geared to a specific topic so you can target improvements to a specific area or service of your dental practice.  For example, if you want to discern whether your front office staff is acting professionally, you might want to tailor your survey to patient service oriented questions.

Step 2: Ask questions that illicit useful feedback

Ideally, the answers in a survey should provide as much information as possible in a concise manner. Avoid open-ended questions and simple yes or no answers. Instead employ a scale for each question.

Step 3: Determine how you will conduct your survey

Will you use an Internet service, hand out survey forms to patients in person, or use both of these methods? If you decide to use both methods, you may have more patient feedback.

Step 4: Decide if you need to screen the survey’s audience

Depending on the purpose of your survey, you may need to screen who participates. For example, let’s assume that you’re a general dentist who also provides cosmetic dental procedures. More than likely, a 10 year old’s opinion of porcelain veneers won’t matter much to you.

Step 5: Inform respondents of how long the survey should take

Time is valuable. As a courtesy to your patients, let them know roughly how long the survey should take. Extending this gesture of respect for their time, might secure more responses. Read More

Do Dentists Need to Market with Pinterest?

In light of many recent questions from our clients, I’ve postponed the follow up to “Do Dentists Need a Patient Survey,” and instead, today’s blog will focus on Pinterest.

  • Fact: Pinterest is the third largest social networking platform, behind Facebook and Twitter.
  • Fact: Pinterest is free, just like Facebook and Twitter.
  • Fact: If you don’t post to Facebook and Twitter, you sure won’t post to Pinterest.

What is Pinterest?

Wikipedia has a good definition: “Pinterest is a pinboard-style social photo sharing website that allows users to create and manage theme-based image collections such as events, interests, hobbies and more. Users can browse other pinboards for inspiration, ‘re-pin’ images to their own collections and or ‘like’ photos. Pinterest’s mission is to “connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting”[3] via a global platform of inspiration and idea sharing.” Read More

Do Dentists Need a New Patient Survey?

I’m often asked whether a dentist should send a survey to new patients. On one hand, surveys provide information that you can use to improve your customer service. On the other hand, consumers are inundated with surveys.

You’re probably asked to complete a survey at over half of the stores and restaurants you visit…the request is often printed on the bottom of your receipts, along with a promise to enter your name to win a bazillion dollars if you complete the survey. The survey craze is a national problem. Just yesterday, a popular radio station featured the topic of “too many surveys” on their morning show, here in Dallas-Ft. Worth. When is the last time you completed a survey, just to offer constructive advice (not to register a complaint)?

Why to Have a Survey

That said, surveys for new dental patients can be a good tool for improvement and quality control. You’re in and out of your office every day, and you probably think you know the impression you make on new patients. However, you aren’t on the phone when they call, in the front office when they arrive, or at checkout when they leave. You may not know how long they waited to see you, whether they were greeted with a smile or frown, and what the “temperature” is in your office. The kicker is, if you are not going to review survey results and take action toward improvement, surveys are a waste of time for you and the patients who complete them! Read More

Social Media: A Powerful Marketing Tool for Dentists

Sure, you’ve heard of Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus. You may think that social media is just for keeping in touch with friends and family. While this is true, social media is also a powerful marketing tool for all types of businesses. In fact, the largest corporations in the United States use Facebook business pages and Twitter accounts to connect with consumers, market their goods, and determine customer satisfaction. Although a dental practice may not be a Fortune 500 corporation, dentists around the country benefit from utilizing social media, too.

Gaining Exposure with Social Media Users

By setting up a Facebook business page or Twitter account, you familiarize social media users with your name and services. For example, commenting from your business account on community pages and local groups will expose more people in your area to your name and your practice. As more people become familiar with your name and practice, you increase the likelihood of attracting new patients.

Managing Your Reputation

More than likely, you have read reviews on websites such as as Google Places or Yelp before you took your vehicle to a mechanic or visited an unfamiliar restaurant. Online reviews from actual customers and patients are extremely useful for consumers. However, reviews may also hurt a dentist’s reputation. One disgruntled patient can anonymously leave an unfavorable or untruthful review of your dental practice. Using social media helps combat anonymous smear campaigns and effectively manage your web reputation. A Facebook wall filled with glowing reviews of your expertise and concern for your patients will offset negative reviews on other sites. In addition, dentists have complete control of the content posted social media platforms. Read More

How To “Respond Publicly as Owner” to a Bad Google Places Review

I’m the first person to tell a dentist, if you’re going to use a consumer review service, use Google Places. Sure, you could use Yelp! or Merchant Circle, and I certainly don’t discount the SEO benefits of using multiple services. However, only Google Places allows a dentist to “respond publicly as the owner” to a negative review.

Let’s say you get a Google Alert that your name came up in a new Google Places review. Much to your surprise, the review was bad… really bad. In fact, you were called a quack! You may not even remember seeing the offended party. Perhaps the review is a fake. Regardless, you’re lucky the review was on Google Places and not Yelp! Why? Because you can respond. You have the opportunity to share your side of the story.

Warning: DO NOT GET EMOTIONAL. Instead, use facts, empathy, and kindness in your response.

Here’s a pretend review from a disgruntled individual…

“Dr. Xavier placed a crown on my tooth, but I still have a toothache, and I feel like I was greatly overcharged! When I called to ask about my bill, they wanted me to come in for another appointment! I think Dr. Xavier and his team are money hungry quacks! – In Pain from Dallas, Tx” Read More

How Dentists Can Engage Facebook

In addition to your dental website and your dental blog site, Modern Dental Practice Marketing encourages dentists to use social media —especially Facebook–for marketing. Did you know that there are over 800 million Facebook accounts? Now that a huge percentage of the population in the US has a smart phone, people are on Facebook all the time. Fortune 500 companies are using Facebook business pages to generate consumer feedback and market their products. More than likely, your local newspaper and coffee shop have a Facebook business page, too. If using Facebook for your dental practice seems like uncharted territory, the tips below are sure to help you navigate the murky waters of social media marketing.

Engage Your Fans

You want your patients to communicate on your page. The more communication and activity on your business page, the more likely it is to appear in your patients’ news feeds. Remember to post concise statuses that engage the reader. Posts that contain questions or updates that are less than 40 characters illicit a higher response from Facebook users than long, complex posts.

Avoid Posting Too Often

Posting too often on Facebook can cost you. If you post too frequently, your patients may see it as spam and “unlike” your business page. You should aim for four or five posts a week. Wednesday and Sunday posts tend to encourage more user interaction than posts on other days of the week.  If you decide to post to Facebook daily, avoid posting more than twice. Peak hours for user interaction are after eight o’clock in the evening. Posting at night tends to increase the likelihood for patient comments.

Use Facebook for Promotions and Discounts

Need patients in the dental chair? Keywords that include the word “coupons” or the dollar sign symbol attract users’ attention. For example, promote a special offer on teeth whitening or a free cosmetic consultation. If you don’t want to offer discounts or coupons because it would attract a clientele outside of your target market, offer a complimentary cosmetic dentistry consultation or a donation to Operation Smile for every teeth whitening kit you sell. Read More

Brand Continuity for Social Networking Dentists

With Facebook’s new Timeline for business and LinkedIn offering what amounts to business “likes,” savvy dentists should make certain that their brand is continuous throughout all of their websites, blogs, and social profiles.

Website: A dental website should feature a dental practice logo that will represent the practice in print, on signage, and on the Internet.

Blog: Your dental practice blog design does not have to be identical to your webpage, but it should be complementary. In addition, I advise that dentists host their blog on a separate domain from their website, rather than a subdomain. Other dental marketing companies disagree, but I have yet to see proof that their argument has basis. My stance is based on the fact that Google shows favor to “experts,” and having multiple websites and a ton of original information on a subject can make you an expert. A blog on a separate domain is, in essence, a microsite, which is great for SEO.

Facebook: On Facebook, you’ll want to go ahead and switch to the Timeline style for your dental practice page. Just to get started, select a large image for the banner and your logo for the profile picture.

Twitter: Customize your profile picture with your logo or photograph, and upload an image that reflects your website’s design.

YouTube: Customize your profile picture with your logo or photograph, and upload an image that reflects your website’s design. Furthermore, include an opening and/or closing slide on your videos that features your logo. Read More