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.”
Why Should a Business Use Pinterest?
Like Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest is best suited for the individual, rather than the business. However, savvy marketers quickly learned how to leverage Pinterest for business. Pinterest jumped onboard, and now offers Pinterest for Business, a library of information aimed to help marketers use Pinterest effectively. With Pinterest, businesses can get interesting images in front of consumers, and the images can link back to an article, website, blog, etc. Therefore, it would seem that Pinterest gives you one more way to lead potential patients to your dental practice.
How Can a Dentist Make the Most of Pinterest?
Engage, engage, engage. It’s the bell that rings out across all social networking platforms. If a business wants to find success in marketing through social networks, that business must be fully engaged.
- Set up a Pinterest account for your business. If you need an invitation, ask us to send you one.
- Set up boards for categories of interest: cosmetic gallery, restorative gallery, blogs, etc.
- Install the Pin It dashboard link on your computer through Pinterest.
- Go to your website and use the Pin It button to select photos for your gallery boards.
- Caption all of your pins with keywords that potential patients may search for: porcelain veneers, your city dentist, smile makeover, etc.
- Go to your blog and use the Pin It button to select photos for your blog board. Be sure to select the photos from the blog’s unique URL page, not from a list of blogs in an index.
- You can add other boards as you deem necessary. Examples: our team, community service, around town.
- Re-pin images you find amusing. For instance, you might add a humor board to your Pinterest account and re-pin cartoons and funny photos there.
- Follow your patients and fellow doctors on Pinterest.
- Put Pinterest on your weekly update list. If you do not update weekly, you’ll lose ground, and Pinterest will become another abandoned marketing tool.
- NOTE: Your Pin It button will not work for Facebook, because Facebook has blocked access.
Does MDPM Manage Pinterest?
At this time, we do not manage Pinterest accounts for our clients. We are still waiting for Facebook and Twitter to show a positive return on investment! Social networking has not shown to have high ROI for dentists, as of yet, but it does require a significant amount of time. The cost for our team to effectively manage a Pinterest account would be more than it’s worth. Your marketing dollars are better spent producing original content for your website and blog. Google loves original content, and no matter how big social networks get, most people turn to Google when searching online for a dentist.