Dental marketing has made quite a lot of progress over the past few years. Before, plenty of dental practices with a limited budget had to rely on word of mouth to get their practice’s name out there.
Of course, you could always take out an ad in the paper or purchase billboard space, but those marketing options tend to cost quite a bit, which means that chain dental practices were getting all of the patients.
Nowadays, with the rise in popularity of online services and the Internet, digital marketing has become the first choice when it comes to business marketing, and along with it, the use of social media to boost a business’ online presence.
When used right, social media can provide plenty of benefits and visibility to a dental practice. However, like all tools, there is a right way and a wrong way to use it. Here are some mistakes to avoid when using social media for your dental practice’s dental marketing strategy.
Inconsistent posting
A very common mistake that plenty of businesses make when it comes to their social media is the fact that they are very inconsistent with their posting.
Some businesses set up their social media pages, post once or twice, and leave it at that. Like your professional website, it isn’t enough to simply have a social media page, you have to actually do something with it.
This means maintaining a consistent schedule of posting. Potential new patients are more likely to go to a practice that is more active on social media compared to a practice whose last online activity was more than a year ago.
Getting too personal on your business’ social media
It’s always important to remember that your social media page is a reflection on your dental practice. Because of this, it is always a good idea to maintain neutral or avoid certain topics altogether. As a dental practice, it would always be better for your dental marketing strategy to focus on the dental industry.
Avoid topics like politics and religion on your social media as you risk alienating a significant portion of your followers. Always keep your social media pages as professional as your dental practice.
Being unprofessional in your posting and engagement
In the same thread of thought, you should maintain a professional tone when it comes to your posts and comments. For example, someone might have left a negative review on your social media. Do not lash out and attack the user who left the review, even if they’re wrong.
Remember that being unprofessional online will also reflect on your dental practice. In this situation, it would be highly recommended that you send the user a private message to discuss what could have been improved.
Keep a polite and professional tone, whether it’s responding to reviews and comments, or when you create new posts on your social media.