“Happy Holiday” posts on your Facebook page and other social media accounts are great at adding to December cheer. What they’re not so great at: engaging your followers and gaining social shares.
A better option for dentist offices is to incorporate awards and press coverage into social strategy. At any time of the year, status updates about media coverage, awards, and milestones will encourage patients to comment and share.
Imagine sharing an article about your business from Yahoo news, or posting a link to a press release that celebrates a new achievement. This content is authentic, interesting, and unique; it will help to make your social media presence more robust.
- Award and media coverage stands out. An award is–by definition–a special event. Awards attract buzz because they are fun to speculate about, offer excitement, and recognize great achievements. While many dentist offices will post about the holidays, a link to an article describing a new achievement is unique: it helps to set your practice apart and catches new patients’ attention.
- Awards and articles get people talking. Think about a generic holiday post: it’s nice, but there’s not much off a jumping-off point for people to respond or comment on. On Facebook and other sites, most social media users don’t think it’s appropriate or common to comment on these kinds of generic posts–it’s a gesture, not a conversation. Press coverage reverses this trend. As a unique and unusual form of coverage, a link to an article will organically inspire more responses. Your patients would love the chance to let you know they appreciate your work: an article that naturally invites a congratulations message will give them an easy way to do so.
- Media coverage enhances your announcements. Announcing a new award, purchase, or milestone is exciting in itself. But media coverage of your practice’s achievement helps to take announcements to the next level. It neatly avoids any perception of effortful marketing; instead, it’s to-the-point and impressive. Having a link to media coverage from a credible source also helps to enhance your practice’s overall image and add variety to your social media feeds.
Comments are important. Generating engagement–likes, comments, shares, etc.–is key when it comes to social media. But that doesn’t mean you need to approach your social posts in a forced way. Instead, think about what naturally leads to excitement, sharing, and positivity: the announcement of a great new milestone or award. Patients will use the chance to show their appreciation (and show off how great their dentist is!). In logistical terms, comments and shares help to ensure that more people will see your post. When a Facebook user comments on a news link, for example, the post becomes visible in the feeds for their friends, family members, and neighbors–creating a ripple effect.
- Credibility and trust for new patients. Social media posts sharing new milestones and awards will help build out your overall online presence, impressing new customers and making it more likely that they’ll find and choose your office. Many potential patients take time to check out practices’ Facebook pages or other social media, so having news articles from reputable sources is a clear win that attracts new business.
Ready to take your social media game to the next level? FeaturedDentist.com works with dental practices to provide press coverage that celebrates their work and enhances their media presence. Contact us today to learn more.
