Our August Practice of the Month — Arizona Dental Heights!

Congratulations to our August Practice of the Month — Arizona Dental Heights!

One of the most important realizations in dental social media marketing is this: most of your patients are actually willing to be your practice’s greatest advocates! But they won’t help if you don’t ask. By making it easy and fun for patients to share about you on social media (through things like Facebook posts and Google reviews), you reach the people most likely to become new patients — their family and friends.

The team at Arizona Dental Heights makes involving patients and creating their own shareable content a group effort, and it’s paying off remarkably! Since starting with My Social Practice a few months ago, they have tripled their Facebook audience, doubled their Google and Facebook patient reviews, and built relationships in their community. It just goes to show that once your team fully commits to helping new patients find you through social media, you can begin to see results almost immediately.

We reached out to Rebecca Michael, marketer and hostess for Arizona Dental Heights, for some insight about which social strategies and activities are working best for them. Take the opportunity to learn something and apply it in your own practice!

Q&A With Arizona Dental Heights Marketer Rebecca Michael

(Responses edited for length and clarity.)

Since you started using social media in your practice, what has been the biggest surprise? The one thing you just weren’t expecting?

“We have been most pleasantly surprised with the interest shown by our patients regarding spreading the word about our fantastic dentist, office and staff. Our patients are genuinely interested in helping our practice grow and provide care to their friends and neighbors.”

Which social media tools have you seen the most success with?

“The cute animal videos provided by My Social Practice have been popular, and we boost them on Facebook. The biggest success that we have had thus far is a video we made in the office of our entire staff doing a ‘floss race.’ We set the video as our Facebook page cover and also used it for a paid page promotion. This has resulted in hundreds of new page followers!”

How has social media affected your patient-practice relations?

“Our patients feel that they know us better now, and that when they recommend us to their family, friends or coworkers, they are confident they will have a great experience.”

What do you feel has been the biggest benefit of social media marketing for your practice thus far?

“As a result of our social media marketing efforts with My Social Practice, our patients feel more confident in the care they receive and we have more patients calling our office because they see our Facebook ads and content. They’re great reminders for people to call and schedule appointments. We’ve tripled our Facebook audience, and patients are helping us market our office because now they know how to help. They already love Dr. Hatch and now they have more ways to spread the word about their great dentist.”

What do you and your team do in the office to move your social media efforts forward?

“Our team has a morning huddle. We use that time to identify the patients that we would like to ask for a text review or take a funny themed photo. Also, we talk about who would be most willing to give out a referral card. Everyone knows their assignment, so that no single staff member feels that they are doing it all by themselves or feel burdened.”

What advice would you give to a practice just starting out on social media?

“It’s trial and error, and more TRIAL! Ask yourself whether you would respond to a certain post or video before you spend money to boost or promote it. Utilize the many training videos that My Social Practice has available to us anytime night or day. Watch what others are doing and don’t be afraid to try it.”

Rebecca also mentioned that their team is still working on getting everyone comfortable with bringing up social media and reviews during patient appointments. We understand! Becoming a social practice requires a change in mindset and daily effort! Check out our blog post for an exercise that can help you along.

We’ve been so thrilled to see the great work Arizona Dental Heights has done in-practice and online in the short time they’ve been with us! We wish them continued success and growth as they refine their social media marketing tactics, strengthen patient relationships, and build practice culture.

The post Our August Practice of the Month — Arizona Dental Heights! appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

This Is the Easiest Way to Create a Powerful Brand Video for Your Dental Practice

Video content makes instant connections with prospective patients by conveying your team culture better than just about anything else. Here’s how you can create a great brand video that helps new patients find you!

Different types of videos, like all other forms of social media content, excel at accomplishing different things in your practice’s social media marketing efforts. Some are great for marketing, while others are better for branding (and if you don’t know the difference between the two, make sure to read our blog post about it!). Some are designed to give people a reason to Like your page, or just make fans smile!

But content that strengthens your practice’s brand — at least the parts of it you control — pull people in by communicating your values, culture and characteristics. How does this help grow your practice? A strong brand establishes initial rapport when a visitor finds your practice on social media for the first time. A strong brand nurtures relationships and helps you maintain top-of-mind awareness, converting your patients and fans into advocates for your practice.

A short video can be a great centerpiece for building your practice’s brand online. A one-or-two-minute clip that sums up what your team is all about can be permanently pinned to the top of your social media pages, and embedded in your practice website’s “About Us” section. It’s a perfect way to give prospective patients a feel for the kind, caring, fun atmosphere you strive to maintain in your office — and that familiarity can make all the difference when it comes time to actually choose which dental practice to call.

3 Great Ideas for Brand-Boosting Videos

The videos you create specifically to be branding content should be evergreen — meaning that they need to be relevant no matter when a fan or potential patient watches them. So, you shouldn’t create brand videos centered on specific practice events, giveaways, or holidays. This isn’t to say your brand video needs to be like an infomercial about your practice, but it should focus on communicating your values and culture. Here are a few simple ideas for videos that can help you do that:

1. Getting to Know the Doc

A strong dentist-patient relationship is built through many small interactions, and videos can be a part of that. Come up with a list of five to seven questions that your practice’s doctor could answer on video to help fans get to know him or her better. For example:

• “Why did you decide to become a dentist?”
• “Where did you go to school?”
• “What do you like to do in your spare time?”

You could also make more transitory videos like this with team members for a “weekly team member spotlight” post.

2. Take a Practice Tour

Some of our clients’ most successful videos have been simple tours of their practices. Take the opportunity to quickly introduce some of your team members in the office that day. Show off the unique features of your practice that allow you to provide a patient experience like no other!

The more familiar prospective patients can become with the different aspects of your practice, the more likely they will be to visit or call for an appointment.

3. Patient Reaction/Testimonial

You can tell prospective new patients how great your dental practice is as many times as you want to, but it still won’t have the impact that a personal recommendation from a friend, family member, coworker or neighbor will have.

It’s really important to remember that your patients, fans, and team members are your practice’s greatest marketing assets. They can do FAR more to help new patients find you than you could ever do by yourself.

The Video Centerpiece of Your Branding Efforts

Now that all the tools you need to create a great video are on your smartphone, there’s no reason that your dental practice can’t have the same kind of attention-grabbing, relationship-building video content that large companies have. A brand video that gives viewers a feel for your team, treatment environment, and culture will give prospective patients an impression of your practice they won’t soon forget.

The post This Is the Easiest Way to Create a Powerful Brand Video for Your Dental Practice appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

Enhance Your Practice’s Google Profile With New “Posts” Feature

A large percentage of potential patients looking for your practice online are going to get their first impression of you on Google Search. Use Google’s new Posts feature to help show that you’re active, knowledgeable, and personable!

Processing literally billions of searches every day, Google remains the #1 choice of people looking for information about local businesses and services. And what consumers see when they search has a huge impact on where they eventually decide to go.

In fact, Google reports that 76 percent of people who search for businesses nearby have changed their mind about where to go based on search results, and 28 percent of those searches result in a purchase. When people search for a local business on Google, they’re ready to make a purchasing decision — so you need to make sure your dental practice’s Google profile is the best it can be.

Apart from keeping your business details updated and gaining positive reviews, there are other ways Google has introduced for you to establish initial rapport with people who search for your practice. Most recently, they’ve introduced Google Posts, which you can use to engage potential patients and provide valuable information where they’ll actually see it!

My Social Practice’s Google Search profile, Posts section highlighted.

Here’s how it works:

1. Log into your practice’s Google Business account at google.com/business.

2. Find the Posts section and click “Create Post.”

3. Upload an image and write the text for your post. Keep it short, or simply write the title of the content you’re linking to. If you are linking to something else through this post, click the “Add a Button” option and add the URL.

4. Publish your post!

Keep in mind that your post will expire in one week and be removed from your Google Search business profile, so make sure you’re consistently providing fresh new content! The email address attached to your Google Business account will receive a notification when your post is about to expire.

Your dental practice’s presence on Google is one of your most important marketing assets, so don’t miss any opportunity to make it more appealing to potential patients. With Google Posts, keep everyone up-to-date on special offers, events, blog articles, team milestones, and all the other great things happening in your practice!

The post Enhance Your Practice’s Google Profile With New “Posts” Feature appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

The Most-Ignored Secret to Kickstarting Your Dental Practice’s Social Media Growth

Getting consistent engagement is crucial to helping new patients find you on social media, but it can be difficult for practices just starting out on Facebook or Instagram. Don’t ignore your greatest resource in this situation — your team members.

We talk a lot about turning patients into advocates for your dental practice, but just about all the same principles can and should be applied to turning team members into advocates for your practice.

Your team members are likely connected on social media to thousands of ideal potential patients in your area, and if you’re not leveraging those connections, you may be missing out on reaching hundreds of people that would have a high chance of scheduling an appointment with you.

We say “leverage your team members’ connections,” but don’t read that the wrong way. We’re not saying to encourage your team members to sell dentistry to their friends on social media. The smarter approach is to encourage your team members to simply interact with your practice’s posts — sparking some engagement and helping more people see them.

3 Simple Things Your Team Members Should Do When Your Practice Posts

First off, remember that team member participation in your social media efforts needs to be strictly voluntary. People are protective of what they choose to post and endorse on their personal social media accounts, and you need to respect that. But, when done correctly, team social media engagement builds unity and relationships.

Here’s what your team members should do when you post to your practice’s social media pages:

1. Read the post and mention it to patients in the practice. Social media marketing becomes much more effective when your entire team is involved. Encourage your team members to check your practice’s pages often to stay up-to-date on giveaways, campaigns, and other fun things that patients would want to know about.

2. Like the post or leave a comment. A main factor in how Facebook’s algorithm decides what content to show users is how much engagement a post is getting. By simply Liking your posts, or better yet, leaving short comments such as “I love working with this team!” or “We’re always happy to see our awesome patients!”, your team members can increase the reach and visibility of your practice’s posts.

3. Share the post to their personal accounts. The best thing a team member could do is share your practice’s post to their own personal page so their friends and family can see it. This puts your practice’s name in front of the people most likely to become new patients themselves. However, not everything you post will be a great fit for sharing by team members. Encourage team members to share your practice’s most fun, people-centric posts, and start small — perhaps just once per week.

Make Social Media a Team Effort

Dental practices new to social media marketing sometimes find it difficult to get the ball rolling, but involving the entire team makes it so much easier. Bring these items up in your next staff meeting, and work together on creating social media content that your team would be proud to share!

The post The Most-Ignored Secret to Kickstarting Your Dental Practice’s Social Media Growth appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

The first Navigated Implantation via X-GUIDE

Enhance Your Practice’s Google Profile With New “Posts” Feature

A large percentage of potential patients looking for your practice online are going to get their first impression of you on Google Search. Use Google’s new Posts feature to help show that you’re active, knowledgeable, and personable!

Processing literally billions of searches every day, Google remains the #1 choice of people looking for information about local businesses and services. And what consumers see when they search has a huge impact on where they eventually decide to go.

In fact, Google reports that 76 percent of people who search for businesses nearby have changed their mind about where to go based on search results, and 28 percent of those searches result in a purchase. When people search for a local business on Google, they’re ready to make a purchasing decision — so you need to make sure your dental practice’s Google profile is the best it can be.

Apart from keeping your business details updated and gaining positive reviews, there are other ways Google has introduced for you to establish initial rapport with people who search for your practice. Most recently, they’ve introduced Google Posts, which you can use to engage potential patients and provide valuable information where they’ll actually see it!

My Social Practice’s Google Search profile, Posts section highlighted.

Here’s how it works:

1. Log into your practice’s Google Business account at google.com/business.

2. Find the Posts section and click “Create Post.”

3. Upload an image and write the text for your post. Keep it short, or simply write the title of the content you’re linking to. If you are linking to something else through this post, click the “Add a Button” option and add the URL.

4. Publish your post!

Keep in mind that your post will expire in one week and be removed from your Google Search business profile, so make sure you’re consistently providing fresh new content! The email address attached to your Google Business account will receive a notification when your post is about to expire.

Your dental practice’s presence on Google is one of your most important marketing assets, so don’t miss any opportunity to make it more appealing to potential patients. With Google Posts, keep everyone up-to-date on special offers, events, blog articles, team milestones, and all the other great things happening in your practice!

The post Enhance Your Practice’s Google Profile With New “Posts” Feature appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

Laird Markland is Making A Difference

Each month we are looking to spotlight special people in our community. This month we are proud to have true humanitarian, Laird Markland! Awesome! North Austin Name: Laird Markland Occupation:  Regional Manager/Business Development How long have you lived in Austin: 44 years What makes you awesome? I am on the Board of Directors for Honduras Good […]

See More Here: Laird Markland is Making A Difference

The Most-Ignored Secret to Kickstarting Your Dental Practice’s Social Media Growth

Getting consistent engagement is crucial to helping new patients find you on social media, but it can be difficult for practices just starting out on Facebook or Instagram. Don’t ignore your greatest resource in this situation — your team members.

We talk a lot about turning patients into advocates for your dental practice, but just about all the same principles can and should be applied to turning team members into advocates for your practice.

Your team members are likely connected on social media to thousands of ideal potential patients in your area, and if you’re not leveraging those connections, you may be missing out on reaching hundreds of people that would have a high chance of scheduling an appointment with you.

We say “leverage your team members’ connections,” but don’t read that the wrong way. We’re not saying to encourage your team members to sell dentistry to their friends on social media. The smarter approach is to encourage your team members to simply interact with your practice’s posts — sparking some engagement and helping more people see them.

3 Simple Things Your Team Members Should Do When Your Practice Posts

First off, remember that team member participation in your social media efforts needs to be strictly voluntary. People are protective of what they choose to post and endorse on their personal social media accounts, and you need to respect that. But, when done correctly, team social media engagement builds unity and relationships.

Here’s what your team members should do when you post to your practice’s social media pages:

1. Read the post and mention it to patients in the practice. Social media marketing becomes much more effective when your entire team is involved. Encourage your team members to check your practice’s pages often to stay up-to-date on giveaways, campaigns, and other fun things that patients would want to know about.

2. Like the post or leave a comment. A main factor in how Facebook’s algorithm decides what content to show users is how much engagement a post is getting. By simply Liking your posts, or better yet, leaving short comments such as “I love working with this team!” or “We’re always happy to see our awesome patients!”, your team members can increase the reach and visibility of your practice’s posts.

3. Share the post to their personal accounts. The best thing a team member could do is share your practice’s post to their own personal page so their friends and family can see it. This puts your practice’s name in front of the people most likely to become new patients themselves. However, not everything you post will be a great fit for sharing by team members. Encourage team members to share your practice’s most fun, people-centric posts, and start small — perhaps just once per week.

Make Social Media a Team Effort

Dental practices new to social media marketing sometimes find it difficult to get the ball rolling, but involving the entire team makes it so much easier. Bring these items up in your next staff meeting, and work together on creating social media content that your team would be proud to share!

The post The Most-Ignored Secret to Kickstarting Your Dental Practice’s Social Media Growth appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.

3 Awesome Apps for Making Social Video Content in Your Dental Practice

Video production used to require a whole team and hours of work. Not anymore! These apps give you everything you need to make a fun, shareable video for your practice’s pages in seconds!

People are watching more online videos than ever before, especially on Facebook. And smart dental practice marketers are finding that video sparks more social media engagement and sharing than just about anything else.

A viral video from your practice can put your name and team in front of hundreds of thousands of people, including ideal potential patients in your community. Video content is especially effective at helping people get to know you personally — and people like to do business with people they know. Plus, creating short, simple videos with your team is just fun! It’s a great way to build unity and practice culture.

What’s made the social video marketing revolution possible? The smartphone in your pocket (or you’re reading this on right now)! Now, you can capture the little things that make your practice special and turn them into fun, shareable, social media clips — anytime, anywhere!

Here are 3 free, easy-to-use apps on both iOS and Android that you can use to create short videos for your practice’s social media pages:

Dubsmash

Some of the best videos we’ve seen from our client practices have been created with the free Dubsmash app! It allows you to “dub” your video footage with audio from various movies and songs, then share it to your social media pages. Download the app and let your team’s creativity loose making funny clips!

Note: As some of the lyrics and quotes available through Dubsmash contain adult language, make sure to review them first.

Boomerang

Boomerang makes short, looping animations with no sound. It’s barely any more effort than taking a regular photo, and it allows you to inject some fun and personality into simple updates or announcements!

Flipagram

Flipagram is a great way to share a lot of photos with your fans in slideshow format! It’s fast, easy, and more engaging than just looking at a photo gallery on your Facebook page. It even allows you to set your slideshow to a music track!

Plus, all of these apps support saving your clips and/or instant sharing to Facebook. No need to try to build an audience on so many different platforms — simply create video content with any of them, save it to your phone’s Camera Roll, and post it directly to your practice’s Facebook page with a couple taps.

Try creating a short clip with your team this week and see how fun and easy it is to build your practice’s online presence with social video.

The post 3 Awesome Apps for Making Social Video Content in Your Dental Practice appeared first on My Social Practice - Social Media Marketing For Dentists, Orthodontists, & Optometrists.