How can your practice use Facebook and Twitter to get referrals?

By Guest Author| April 8, 2013| Articles

Even if you don’t use Facebook or Twitter, I’m sure you are aware of what they are. If you happened to live under a rock for the last few years, Facebook and Twitter are websites people and businesses use to share what’s happening on a day to day, hour to hour, and yes, even on a minute to minute basis.

So what are the chances your patients or potential patients use these top social media services? I’d say pretty good considering Facebook has 1.06 BILLION monthly active users and Twitter has reached over 500 MILLION total users! Don’t kid yourself, this isn’t a fad. These numbers will continue to grow.

Here are some ways to increase your effectiveness on social media websites:

1.) Brand it. Having the same color scheme, name, and messaging across all platforms ensure that your entire online presence is using one cohesive marketing strategy. Social media is an extension of your business, it should represent that.

2.) Link it. Make sure the icons are up on your website and visible for all to see. It only takes 3 seconds for someone to hit a button and you’ve gained a new outlet for referrals and engagement.

3.) Use it. Content is King. If you have a page sitting there for weeks between updates, what’s the point? Demonstrate your expertise, what services you offer, and interact with your patients. Finding the time to answer a question or interact is important to build strong relationships. Interesting articles, funny pictures, news about your office, and special offers all go a long way to keeping your patients engaged.

4.) Put it to work, even when you aren’t on it. The way the Facebook news feed and Twitter retweets work, people out of your “network” will still see their friend’s activity on your pages. If Sally likes your status, writes a positive review on her wall, or shares your post, all her friends see it. Social media is responsible for 70% of patient referrals because recommendations from family and friends carries more weight than any other information source.

These are just a few basics to get you on the right path. Some practices decide to spend the time themselves while others opt to use an outside source to help engage their patients. Whichever you choose, keep in mind the upside of having a cohesive, active, online presence, and have fun with it!

VivioSites is a premier provider of dental websites, advanced search engine optimization, and social media management packages. Contact us today and we’ll be happy to help your practice get new patients anyway we can. Call us at 800-227-2513 or visit www.viviosites.com.