It’s an interesting question, “Will Facebook Bring Dentists New Patients?,” and there’s discussion on LinkedIn that supports both sides. Just today, I received MDPM’s notification of fan page statistics from Facebook. The most new active users for one MDPM client was 48, the most new likes was 12, and the most new visits was 112. Sure, some of our clients recieved no new interaction this week, but most had at least a little activity. The client who got over 100 visits is probably quite happy that he has a Facebook fan page! And that’s what it’s all about — activity. We’ve drawn people to their Facebook pages, either with blog posts, email blasts, newsletters, or a link from their website or blog site. These people have seen the practice brand and message this week. That’s good marketing.
I had one client call me last week just to tell me that she received a call from someone who found her on Facebook.
We do not know for certain that Facebook or Twitter will bring you new patients. However, if you are a Modern Dental Practice Marketing client, we’ll set up your Facebook and Twitter profiles, then post your blog content to them so that they have constant activity. Some respected experts recommend NOT posting blog content to Facebook and Twitter, but dentistry is a bit different than marketing in other industries. First of all, dentists and team members aren’t usually at the airport or in a taxi during the business day. They’re with patients. Most dentists don’t have time to post social networking updates like a, let’s say, consultant might.
For dentists, feeding blog posts to social networking profiles takes up that slack. It keeps the profiles active, so it works for you while you’re working for your patients. Having been in dental marketing for years now, I know that dentistry is a different breed of industry. Social networking is relatively new, so we’re not sure if it’s cost effective. That’s why MDPM sets up our clients’ profiles and blog feeds as part of our dentist’s blog package. We figure, it can’t hurt. If we aren’t charging for the service and you could get a new patient, awesome. Because we aren’t charging for the service, if you don’t get any new patients, that’s okay, too.
If you have questions about blogging or social networking for dentists, call Jill at 972.781.8861 or email us. We’re always happy to answer questions and provide marketing guidance to dentists and dental industry professionals.