Our research continues to show that the two biggest turnoffs that occur when a prospective new patient checks out a practice’s Facebook page for the first time, both revolve around unceasing self-promotion. Either the practice is autoposting review after review after review to their feed … and/or they’re using their practice’s camera device to post an unending stream of patient photos.
Never Forget Social Media’s 70/20/10 Rule
The fundamental principles of effective social media marketing still apply. 70% of your posts should provide value, 20% should support others’ content, and only 10% should be self promotional. If your only content strategy on Facebook is self promotion by posting patient photo after patient photo, you become an ineffective one-trick-pony. Audiences quickly tire (and stop Liking, commenting on, and sharing your content) when all they see are photos of people they don’t know.
Branding Value vs. Marketing Value
Typically, there’s only one time when a prospective new patient will actually visit your Facebook page (and see the content YOU are posting there). It’s the first time they’re checking you out to determine whether or not they want to become your patient! This is a branding function – not a marketing function.
From a branding perspective, the very best things for prospective new patients to see in your practice’s Newsfeed are things that help them get to know you, and get to know your practice. Talk about your local community. Include photos of team members. Talk about the marathon your hygienist is preparing for and her passion for running. Talk about the awesome CE course you just completed in order to better serve your patients. Include photos of the food drive you’re doing to help the local food bank. And occasionally post a photo of a team member with a patient. You get the idea – 70/20/10.
For the most part, patient photos serve a marketing function – not a branding function. The marketing goal of a patient photo is to get the patient to post the photo related to your practice using their own phone to their own social media account(s). That’s where the people who care about that patient will see the photo (and Like, comment on or share it). That’s where the patient’s trusted, permission-based social media networks help you market your practice.
Fine Tune Your Dental Facebook Marketing
Here are two things to work on to become more effective with your Facebook page.
First, don’t be a one-trick-pony when it comes to the things you post. It doesn’t work. The most effective dental Facebook marketing posts include a thoughtful mix of six content characteristics.
And second, remember that in the olden days (last year) fewer people carried smartphones. Today, that’s changed. Train your team to use your patients’ phones to help you market your practice. It’s time saving, simple and by far the most effective way to share photos on Facebook. Patients are happy to do it when you ask them kindly, and they’re already your #1 practice advocates.
Press on!
I really like the idea of using the patients’ camera (vs ours) because it really gives that patient a feeling that it is about THEM and not some self promotion. Then we’ll ask to please post it on our page to share if they like. We are working on providing signs like “no cavities” or “I love my dentist” to take pictures with so the patient is more open to a “silly” picture. Great blog post!
Thanks for your comment, Jeff. I like your idea that it “gives that patient a feeling that it is about THEM and not some self promotion”. I hadn’t thought about it that way.
Excellent post. Thank you for defining “Branding Value vs. Marketing Value.” I feel this is an important distinction. Building value for your patients is a key factor in practice growth and loyalty. I love that Facebook can do this, if we don’t poison the well with poor marketing. Now, I would love details on how you train your team to use your patients’ phones to help you market on Facebook.
Hi Shane. This is Roxanne. I am a Social Media Consultant at My Social Practice. Thanks for your great question in regards to encouraging your team to ask patients to use their own phone when taking photos.
Sometimes we receive feedback from our clients that asking patients feels awkward. We understand. It is difficult to step out of our comfort zones and regular habits. However, we advise our clients to get their team together and discuss the best ways that they can ask patients. We advise them to role play with each other so the conversation seems more natural and less scripted. We have found that once they can overcome the little “hump” and start asking, requesting actually easily becomes a part of their regular routine.
The most important thing we encourage them to do is to have fun! Creating social relationships with patients is beneficial for the practice, the community, and ultimately provides a more enjoyable experience for the patients and your team members.
Let me know if you have other questions about training your practice’s team!
Thanks for your kind comment about the post, Shane. And by the way… I love the personal mantra on your website. Well said… “I believe that as we lose ourselves in the service of others, we discover our own lives and our own happiness.” When a business thinks this way, it shows. Best to you.
Great article. I love your stuff. I like the part about the percentages. Something to think about.
https://www.facebook.com/seasonsofsmiles
Thanks, Norm, for your kind thoughts about our content. And yes, the percentages are something to think about—even if your mix isn’t exactly like that, thinking about it this way changes the posture and timing of everything your practice does with marketing. It takes vision and patience to think this way. It’s hard… And that’s why it works.
I want to make sure I understand the 70% provide value–is this posting information about dental health-flyers, videos, ect? Can you explain to me more about providing value.
Hi Lacie. The best way to think about what the 70% should consist of is to put yourself in the shoes of your audience. If you were the patient, what things would you consider valuable. There are two things that your practice recently posted on your Facebook page that I think fall into this category really well! On November 11th, you paid tribute to our Veterans. That brings a good feeling to every viewer. Before that, you had posted an link to an article about the perils of drinking too much Mountain Dew! Wow! Keep in mind that your patients view you as their trusted health partner! One of the things you can do to provide value to them is to distill down the enormous amount of health information out there (in particular those things related to oral health) and pass along the gems to them—the things you feel like are most important. Here’s a link about better doing that: http://mysocialpractice.com/2014/09/content-curation-dental-marketing/ So, express thanks, educate, inform, promote sound health thinking, and be relevant. Along the way, you’re building your brand too. Let me know how your next posts go! Thanks for the question.