Many of you will have heard of Social Media for Dentists if you are active on Facebook. Jason Liscomb and Steven Knight are the super powers behind this amazing business. If you had done a Google search on them you would find landing pages for their books (both of them are extensive 400 page tomes that walk a dentist through the social media landscape). They don’t seem to have a really flashy, self promotional website, but they are very successful. how is this possible? They KNOW social media… and use it amazingly well. Their business is mostly found on Twitter and Facebook. Jason has a bit of a profile on LinkedIn, but no connections to speak of.
I talked with Steven yesterday for maybe an hour. I bought both their books because I have been following them for some time and because we have similar feelings about social media. I read a lot… and look forward to reading their books.
There are a couple things Steven shared with me yesterday that are of special importance to dentists. I know of dentists that are spending upwards of $10,000 on websites… and huge amounts on Facebook pages. I asked Steven if he knew of a dentist that had a nice, functional website and social media presence that they didn’t spent a ton for. I wanted a real success story.
He told me of Omega Dental Care. If you Google “Omega Dental” they show up first in the results (though they show up no where near the top of a search on “Eden Prairie dentist” or its derivatives — they need some SEO help). Omega Dental has a functional website without a lot of Flash programming. They have a VERY functional FaceBook page. (Steven mentioned that he built the Facebook page for $500 when I lamented that too many dentists pay too much for social media presence and over-the-top websites)
Here is the take a way: Dentists don’t need super expensive websites. Dentists need a LinkedIn Profile and to join groups like the Dentist Network group for their professional networking (Business to Business) efforts. Dentists NEED a Facebook page for their patient facing efforts (Business to Consumer). Most of their action should be on Facebook. They need a $500 Facebook presence, and then… here is the important part: then they need to be social. Start friending every patient you have. Post on their walls when they visit your office. Tell them (and their friends) that you loved having them come in.
Follow the example of Jason and Steven. focus your efforts on the social media that matters most, and give, give, give value. The more value you give, the more trust you build. The more trust you build, the more likely you are to attract a new patient or hold your existing patients. Your efforts, like happiness, will spread like a contagion through three levels. Even your friends’friends’ friends will feel the happiness you build. Now, that’s a lot of potential patients!
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3 comments
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Melanie Griffin
July 21, 2011 at 6:50 pm (UTC -6)
Hi ~ While I love this idea, how can friending all your patients be appropriate within the parimeters of the HIPPA law?
onlythebestpractices
July 22, 2011 at 6:00 am (UTC -6)
Melanie, Thanks for your comment. I think the way to get around this is to have them friend you, and then they are the ones that have connected with you practice. When a patient visits a practice, all the other patients and any one passing by can see they are associating with that practice. I’ve seen dentists offer incentives for their patients to “like” the practice Facebook page that have been very cost effective.
Sara
August 29, 2011 at 1:03 pm (UTC -6)
I do agree that Facebook and LinkedIn are helpful tools to attract new patients but if the social networking account doesn’t have a link to a website the patient does not get a real feel for the practice. Through graphics, photos and overall design, a webpage can offer a real sense of the dental clinic. Great article! Thanks.
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