By capitalizing on the benefits of social media marketing, dentists can achieve greater success with little investment.
By Susan Richards
You would be hard-pressed to find someone without at least one social media account. Unsurprisingly, it can be a powerful tool for businesses of all types – even dental marketing. In 2024, maximizing the benefits of social media for the dental practice is more vital than ever for attracting new patients, building relationships, and staying connected.
The advances in digital and targeted marketing make social media platforms even more valuable, but let’s start with the basics.
Getting Started
All of the major social media applications are free to use with paid options for promotional purposes. Facebook remains the leading choice worldwide for businesses and marketing experts surveyed; however, with the increased popularity of video, YouTube dominates with active users in the U.S.
While having a presence on every platform is unnecessary, choosing the right one for your target demographic is important. Each app will have instructions on setting up a business account, and then it’s easy to explore the different marketing tools they offer.
Over half the U.S. population is on Facebook, and 71% of internet users are active on the platform. It offers flexibility for posting all types of media, including office updates, video content, special offers, and more. Additionally, Facebook paid advertising is an easy and cost-effective way to target specific demographics for your practice.
Instagram is under the Meta umbrella, so it easily links to Facebook while reaching an entirely different audience. In addition to simple posts, Instagram uses reels, stories, and live video content to reach its diverse demographic. Using hashtags can help with content searches from non-followers.
Setting up a Google Business Profile is crucial for every practice to allow new patients to find them, but it’s also a great place to post updates and photos for improved ranking. Regularly responding to customer reviews and questions on Google will solidify your reputation as an engaged and trustworthy practitioner.
YouTube
Video is hot. People are viewing online video content for an average of 16 hours per week, so it can be beneficial for dentists to get their practices in front of the camera. Creating, uploading, and embedding video content into your website and other platforms is easier than ever.
The professional networking site LinkedIn has also gained in popularity and flexibility in recent years. In addition to connecting with peers, you can use it to post SEO-rich blogs and office updates that can reach new patients and potential employees.
X – Formerly Known as Twitter
While this platform has lost ground in the past year, it still has 95 million users in the U.S. and can be a good platform for sharing bite-sized information, customer service, and #hashtag marketing.
TikTok
If your practice is geared for a younger demographic, it’s difficult to ignore the rising popularity of the video-sharing app TikTok. Recent statistics show a 215% growth rate in the platform’s brand value, ranking it as one of the most popular apps in 2023.
How Social Media Benefits the Dental Practice
Unsure how social media can build new patient acquisition or improve communication with the ones you have? The benefits are multi-faceted, from increasing your visibility to educating your patients on improving their oral health. Considerations include:
- Brand awareness. Define your identity through social media by showcasing services, expertise, or unique offerings. Do you have sedation options for fearful patients? Specialize in pediatrics or implant dentistry? Use the reach of various platforms to spread that message.
- Engagement. Informative media and personal interactions can generate engagement with potential clients and build relationships. Social media enhances a sense of community and trust through posts, comments, and interactive content.
- Education. Social media allows practices to share valuable content with their patients, including oral hygiene tips, updates on the latest advancements in dental technology, and information on dental procedures and products.
- Traffic. It may seem obvious but don’t forget to include your website link on social media profiles. Prospective patients who follow your URL from Facebook or Google increase website traffic and trigger retargeting tools for more impressions.
- Targeting. Most social media applications offer robust marketing tools that allow you to target specific demographics and reach the most relevant audience for your practice.
- Cost-Effective. While there can be paid components like the previously mentioned targeting tools and ad campaigns, premium subscription services, and fees, basic posts and content can enhance organic visibility for little to no cost.
- Referrals. Social media platforms have increasingly become a space for patients to share their experiences and testimonials. These word-of-mouth reviews are powerful endorsements that may influence potential patients researching dental services.
Professional Tips for Social Media Marketing
Dental professionals are only limited by their imagination regarding social media content. You can be creative, but stick to the fundamentals like promotions, events, services, trending industry news, updated hours, or special announcements. Let your practice’s personality shine through humor, inspiration, and your passion for your work. Personalizing your posts allows patients to feel good about who is treating them.
Posting several times per day is not necessary, but be consistent and stay on brand. Experiment with finding the right times and days to reach your audience by monitoring your stats and adjusting accordingly.
Whether you establish someone in practice to manage your social media or encourage team members to share and tag, ALWAYS remember to follow HIPAA protocols when involving or mentioning any patients. The American Dental Association recommends establishing a social media policy for the office that defines guidelines for online activity.
Just like your dentistry, marketing should be as painless as possible, which is why Dr. Michael Silverman of DOCS Education founded RAMP: Results-Driven Advertising & Marketing Professionals in 2001 for dentists. Whether you're a solo practitioner looking to acquire more high-value patients, or a multi-practice owner ready to take your business to new heights, the right marketing mix of social media, website retargeting, or geofencing can all help you achieve maximum impact for a reasonable investment.
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Author: Susan Richards is a staff writer at DOCS Education with over 20 years of experience in local journalism and business marketing. Her career includes award-winning feature writing, as well as creating content with context for a wide variety of industries.
