Eighteen years ago when the book The Cluetrain Manifesto was published, the notion of the public having a voice was unheard of. The idea of open communication and transparency was not a standard business practice.
Fast forward to 2019 and today it is very much the standard practice. And it’s having a profound effect on health care choices – 41% of people say social media affects their choice of a doctor, hospital, or healthcare facility.
So If you’re not using social media marketing, you’re missing out on almost half of the people looking for the services you provide.
If you treat it as just one more broadcast channel where you can post content, you’ve missed the point.
Social media is about two-way communication. And you have to be on top of it so that your prospects and patients feel that their comments and questions are being received and answered. It does take time and skill, but the benefits make it worthwhile.
Build a Like-Minded Community
Perhaps the greatest value of social media marketing is your ability to build and engage with a community of people interested in what you do. Having a “tribe” you can engage with is what social media is all about. It’s like an ongoing focus group you can tap into at any time. You get to know what your patients think and feel, what they like and don’t like, what their issues are, and what they’re trying to solve. These insights are very valuable.
It needn’t take a long time. You can build a following of 1000 people on Facebook in a month or two. It all depends on the time you are prepared to put in and your budget.
Strengthen Relationships with Your Patients
When a patient feels closely connected to their health provider they refer to them as ‘My’ doctor, chiropractor, etc. It takes time to build that feeling of trust and confidence.
You only see them for a short period of time in the practice, but now you can extend the relationship building process to social media. You can post useful tips and interesting articles that he;p your patients on a daily basis.
If someone says something about you or your practice, you’ll know quickly and can respond right away. Creating a strong relationship with your patients will keep them coming back and turn them into advocates who send you referrals.
Become a Thought Leader in Your Local Area
Unless your practice is in a very small town, you most likely have competition in your area. Even in a relatively small city with 100,000 residents, such as Pasadena, CA or Clearwater FL, there are more than 20 chiropractic clinics and a slew of primary care doctors.
So you need to be seen as the “go-to” practitioner. To be considered the thought leader in your field. you need to create and publish high-quality content that delivers value to your patients. And you have to do it on a regular basis.
Yes, I know you’re busy. But if you want to expand your practice, this is the way to do it You can find a team to work with that can do all the heavy lifting and make it an easy and rewarding process.
If you need help with your social media strategy and content, give us a call. We’ll do a free audit of your social media and help you devise a plan that works for you.
Sally Falkow
626 676 6419
