If you’re an Etna social media marketing client, you recognize the value that comes from sharing a more “social side” to your practice. Maybe you’ve actively posted for years, or maybe you’ve just scheduled your very first tweet. Either way, there may be an important piece of the puzzle you’re missing from your online efforts.
Has a staff member recently encouraged a patient to “Like” your practice Facebook Page? Does your front desk have a “Subscribe to Our Newsletter” sign? Does your website link to your blog? If you’ve answered no, you may be missing out on an opportunity to grow your following and build strong ties with those who matter most: new and existing patients. After all, how can you expect them to engage on social platforms if you’re not asking them to?
So, here are 3 really simple ways to help you and your staff share your “social self” and to encourage engagement with patients:
- Be social in patient documents.
Welcome letters, treatment menus, follow-up documents — all examples of places you should encourage social engagement. If it’s in a patient folder, it should include a request for patients to follow your social profiles, subscribe to your email marketing, and read your blog.
- Make your office social-friendly.
That’s right: Your actual physical office can serve you well. Your front desk and your waiting and consultation rooms are the perfect places to encourage patients to like your Facebook Page, check out your Twitter, or follow your Instagram. It’s likely patients are on their phones while sitting in these spaces anyway, so why not have them read a blog post?
- Remember staff members are your best social advocates.
Encourage your employees to engage with content and share specials, upcoming events, and new blog posts to extend the reach of the content. A recent study* showed that content shared by employees received 8 times more engagement than content simply shared by a brand. In the office, be sure your staff is talking about your social platforms, too. Questions posed to patients ― “Have you signed up for our emails?” or “Have you liked us on Facebook?” ― would be music to any social media specialist’s ears, including this one’s.
Your social presence offers a very important opportunity to connect with and build strong relationships. All that effort posting staff selfies, promoting new specials, and sharing practices updates means nothing if patients aren’t engaging with the content. By making a few of the changes above, you’ll be well on your way, but if you still need help, ask your social media specialist. We’ll help brainstorm ways to promote your platforms, get your staff involved, and build a larger and more invested following. After all, that’s why we’re here!
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