Reasons Why You Should Be on Social Media
Many medical and dental practices are still on the fence when it comes to investing in a strong social media presence. While the majority of practices have set up basic Facebook accounts, many are unclear as to whether developing their social media imprint is worth the time, money, and effort. Properly utilized, social media can be a powerful tool for establishing your brand and boosting several aspects of your overall website marketing strategy. If you are wondering what participating in social media can do for your practice, our team at Rosemont Media has outlined some of the most valuable benefits a well-run social media plan can provide.
Expand Your Reach & Drive Traffic to Your Website
Your patients are on social media, and the majority of them are on Facebook. As our experts revealed in an earlier blog post on the comparative reach of social media outlets, Facebook alone is accessed by an astonishing 585,144,000 individuals daily who fall within the target market range for elective healthcare professionals. Facebook is an invaluable portal to your niche market. This unique social platform enables you to broadcast information about your events, specials, media appearances, blogs, new procedures, and other social media-relevant topics directly into the newsfeeds of your fans, as well as individuals you’ve chosen to target within a detailed demographic. Ideally, these posts can create visual recognition for your practice and motivate engaged viewers to interact with your website, which may result in a correlated uptick in website traffic and quality leads as your audience expands.
Engage Your Audience
There is no easier way to personally engage with your audience online than through social media. Creating social media posts that connect with your audience can inspire interest in your online activity and facilitate engagement, which is measured in likes, views, comments, and shares. In addition to these metrics, engaging posts can result in valuable website referrals and, in some cases, quality feedback included in the content of comments and shares. The level of engagement, referrals, and quality of audience participation can be analyzed to sharpen your social media strategy and help your overall website marketing plan evolve.
Control Your Brand Image and Build Trust
Quite possibly the most important reason for an elective healthcare professional to establish a social media presence is to control your brand image online. Your social media activity can speak volumes about your practice and provide a valuable avenue for building trust with your audience. Your Facebook page may be a potential patient’s first introduction to your practice, and what they find, or don’t find, can create a powerful impression that either encourages them to learn more and contact your practice, or continue looking for another practitioner. If you are unsure about the best ways to represent your brand image and build trust through social media, the branding experts and social media butterflies at Rosemont Media can help guide you in the process and even provide a customized strategic framework for accomplishing your goals.
Gather Valuable Analytics about Your Target Market
Done right, social media activity on Facebook and other outlets can work synergistically with website and content marketing strategies to create a measurable impact for your investment. Facebook Insights and Google Analytics offer detailed statistical data that allows you to track crucial values that gauge social media success and can provide valuable direction for your marketing efforts. Learn about who your audience is, who is most engaged, how they interact with you, what interests them most, how many visited your website, and how they connected with your practice. Based on your findings, you can custom tailor future posts to keep your audience interested and connected with your practice.
Stay Competitive
Chances are your medical or dental practice is one of dozens in the area rigorously trying to increase their patient pool. Social media can be your opportunity to communicate why your services stand out from the crowd. As we’ve discussed previously, research and health surveys conducted by Mashable revealed that a whopping 57 percent of patients select their elective healthcare providers based on a practice’s social media presence. Given the fact that online avenues are one of the only ways for individuals to gain a cursory understanding of your expertise, this data is unsurprising. A well-crafted social media post, tailored for the platforms most utilized by your target demographic, has the potential to garner more leads for your practice. This exposure puts you in an ideal position to set yourself apart from similar providers and keep you on top of the competition.
Rosemont Media Can Help
Venturing into the social media landscape can be an overwhelming process, but you do not have to do it alone. The experts at Rosemont Media can assist you in forging an integrated marketing plan designed to help reap the full benefits of a social media presence. If you are interested in exploring how an effective social media strategy can benefit your medical or dental practice, we encourage you to contact us to speak with a knowledgeable representative.
Editor’s note: The original version of this post was published on July 26, 2016.