You already know that posting regularly on Facebook is the best way to engage your patients, but when you’re up to your elbows in fillings, implants, and veneers, it’s hard to come up with new ideas. Lucky for you, this is our forte. When you’re struggling to come up with post-worthy material, here are just a few ideas to consider:
- Behind-the-Scenes of Your Practice — Your patients want to see you interacting with your patients and team members. Anything from a posed “after” shot of you with someone who has completed treatment to a candid picture of a team luncheon will keep you and your practice on the forefront of patients’ minds. Don’t go overboard, though: Sharing photos or video of an in-depth or graphic procedure may have the opposite effect and send them scrambling for the “hide posts” button.
- New Technology — This can really impress your patients as long as you don’t make it too technical. Ultimately, your patients don’t care about the ins and outs of your cone beam laser; they care about the fact that it exposes them to less radiation, takes seconds instead of minutes, and produces a superior image quality that helps you diagnose and treat with greater accuracy.
- Education — These types of posts could be compared to a dental Public Service Announcement for your patients. Do your patients think professional whitening harms enamel? Do a 20-second video with one of your whitening patients explaining how safe it actually is. Do they think they shouldn’t floss when their gums are bleeding? Use Facebook to set them straight.
- Non-Dental Content — While you don’t want to post non-dental content too frequently, this is a great way to remind patients that you and your team members are human. Did you treat your local teachers to breakfast during Teacher Appreciation Week? Share it! Did you participate in a charity race? Let your patients know about it. Did a patient surprise your team members with doughnuts? Show them how grateful you were by sharing about it on Facebook!
- Fun Dental Facts — Everyone loves a little trivia now and then. These posts can be short and sweet, such as the number of bristles on an average toothbrush, a quick statistic about the link between smoking and gum disease, or facts about animal teeth. If you share such posts regularly, your patients will begin to look forward to learning something new when you show up in their newsfeeds.
- Why Choose You? — Show your patients and prospective patients what makes you different from the practice down the street. This can be accomplished without being boastful, too. Take a selfie at a continuing education event to show your patients that you continue to learn about new technology and methods that will improve their experience when they visit. Share a candid photo from seminars you hold in your office to demonstrate how much you value patient education and communication.
There’s no need to put off posting when you’ve got ideas like these. If you’re still overwhelmed, remember that you have an entire team of people who might be willing to help you maintain your social media presence.
