When Dentists Should–and Should Not–Use Facebook

Building a beneficial social networking presence for your (Dallas or Fort Worth area) dental practice takes time. You’ll need to invest in your Facebook account or hire someone like MDPM to do it for you.

That said, many dentists have unrealistic expectations of what Facebook can do for their marketing program. Understand:

  • Facebook wil not have much return on investment (ROI).
  • Facebook posts are not read by search engines like Google and Yahoo.
  • Facebook posts do not help with your website’s search engine rankings.
  • You will not get many fans who are not already patients of your practice.

If that busted your bubble, don’t stop reading yet. Facebook can be beneficial to your dental practice marketing if you’re interested in building a unique culture—an inviting, friendly, personal, relationship-building reputation.

In a recent USA Today article, Jeff Livingston of the Irving, Texas practice, MacArthur OB-GYN, hit the nail on the head. He said:

“If you go back two generations, doctors came to your house. They lived in your community. They probably went to the same church…what we’re really doing is going back and creating a more personal experience with technology.” Read More

Hey, Dentist… Which is More Important: Web or Community Marketing?

Why do you have to choose? Truth is, both types of marketing could really boost your patient base—and retention—in the Dallas – Fort Worth area. And never forget, the whole point is to leave an impression! Tried and true, good ol’ boy advertising does not appeal to the younger generation…the technical gurus who invest money in their health and appearance.

So let’s look at the balancing act between Internet and community marketing for dentists:

Internet Marketing for Dentists

  • Web marketing should start with a website that ranks well on Google for the keywords your potential patients most often use.
  • Beyond that, social networking, like Facebook and Twitter can be beneficial. However, you and your team have to use these resources correctly. Just posting random thoughts on a Facebook Fan Page and Tweeting about an article you read won’t effectively promote your dental practice. At MDPM, we offer one-on-one coaching for you and your team, so you can learn how to fit social networking into your schedule and get the most pop for your posts. There’s a simple formula that’s easy to manage, and you’ll find it highly effective.
  • You’ll also need a blog that feeds onto your Facebook page. The blog should be updated with keyword-rich, relevant posts at least once a week. The MDPM dental copywriters can make posts on your behalf, or I can teach you and your team how to write solid blog posts that appeal to dental patients and search engine spiders.

That’s a synopsis of web marketing for dentists. But when you consider that the Internet is international and your practice is local, you can see that community promotions are a necessary component to an effective dental practice marketing strategy—particularly in North Texas towns, like Keller, Colleyville, Southlake, Grapevine, Murphy, and Frisco. We’re in Texas, and what rules Friday nights? Football. That’s right. Read More