If your practice is anything like mine, COVID-19 has put a change to many of the goals set for 2020, and the unknown of when we can start again has me re-evaluating each one. One goal our office set this year was to be more active and present on social media. So, while we cannot practice dentistry at the moment, I thought what better time to focus on attaining the goals we can control, like our social media presence?
Here are a few ways we as dentists can stay connected to our patients and our communities during these tough times through the power of social media.
Support other small businesses
- This has been a huge hit for our office and allows us to support other local businesses. I have identified a few local restaurants doing carryout. Each week I post a new question or challenge for our followers, like show us a picture of your pet or give us a dinner recipe idea. Those who participate go into a raffle to win the gift card. I always tag the business we are supporting, and often that business reposts our post – increasing our views and engagements
Highlight patients
- We all have nurses, physicians, letter carriers or grocery store clerks as patients. Give them a call, check in on them to see how they are doing and ask if you can highlight them on your social media pages to say thank you!
Make videos of experiments, how tos and tips
- Remember the hard-boiled egg soaked in cola experiment? How about those tips and tricks your hygienists are always giving to patients, or tooth-healthy snack ideas? Get your staff involved and record some short videos. I’ve even had a few of my teacher friends use my videos on their class websites.
What is everyone up to at home?
- How hard is it to see someone every day and now not see them for weeks on end? I love our office text strings and hearing what my staff has been up to. Compile these photos and videos and let your patients know, too.
New continuing education you are taking to implement new procedures when you return
- If you haven’t caught on to the plenitude of free online CE right now, you are missing out. Anything you are focusing on? Let your patients know. I’ve watched several webinars on topics including tooth wear, clear aligners, local anesthetic and bone grafting. I turned this into a post about learning the latest techniques for pain-free injections and garnered hundreds of views, with several comments discussing the pain-free shots patients receive at our office. If that’s not the best free marketing, I don’t know what is!
Communicate latest local ordinances, recommendations and office status
- Finally, everything is changing day by day and as a health care provider, your patients look to you as a reliable source for information and to know the status of your practice operations. As new information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, ADA and WDA are given out, share it with your patients. Keep them up-to-date on the latest recommendations and the status of your office, while always letting them know you are there for emergencies if they need you.
Since the beginning of our shutdown, our social media engagement has been up 413%, page likes and followers are up 1,200%, and each posts view has increase 176% — all organically. So while we may not be able to directly interact with our patients or have our practices open, there are ways we can stay connected and engaged with our patients and communities. Keeping our social media content, presence and marketing relevant, I hope, will allow us to come back better and stronger than ever when this all ends.
