The current coronavirus pandemic has led to a dramatic change in working patterns for everyone. Part of that is a significant increase in the use of technology and the internet to communicate. As a successful dental practice, you should work out how these changes can allow you to interact with your patients. Social media allows you to communicate with large numbers of your patients quickly and in a cost-effective manner.
Facebook:
79% of UK adults use Facebook regularly, with a female to male ratio of 54%:46%. In March 2020, almost 45 million UK residents used Facebook*. Women between the ages of 25 to 34 make up the largest single group.
Many dental practices already use this platform to market and communicate with patients, as it is free to set up a business page. However, to use it effectively, it will require some investment of time and a good following from your patient base. It is also possible to use this platform for targeted paid-for advertising if you have the available budget, and schedule posts in advance which is a great tool to post over the weekend.
Instagram:
In March 2020, more than 24 million users of this social media platform were UK based with 31.9% being 25-34 years of age.
As a general rule, Instagram tends to have a younger demographic than Facebook. The platform focuses more on personal content and as a result, it is not possible to share other posts. However, you can tag other accounts and utilise hashtags to generate a wider reach of interaction.
Like Facebook, Instagram is free to set up but will require regular updating to keep it relevant to your patients.
What are the differences between the two platforms?
- It is not possible to share posts on Instagram
- Instagram focuses on visuals, so the most effective posts get their message across via an image or video
What should you post on social media?
- Important information posts: Examples include access to emergency dental services and telephone triage details. These give patients vital information at a time when it may be more difficult to speak to a member of the dental team.
- Fun posts: These are likely to get more interaction by people and may even go viral! If it is possible, involve the practice staff using video and or photos. These can show patients that although you take their dental care seriously, you also have a sense of humour.
- Prevention advice: Patients may not be able to get into the practice to see you but your preventative message can still get out there. Getting your team on board to help you will make the posts more fun and engaging to patients.
- Be inspired: Look at reputable pages for content that can be shared (if the platform allows it). Examples include Denplan, The Oral Health Foundation, www.actionforhappiness.org as well as many healthy recipe sites.
Examples of some successful posts:
