Marketing your dental practice can be one of the hardest things, especially if you’re a newer
practice or don’t have the money for print marketing. Word of mouth, while definitely a great way
to gain new patients, can be hard to harness.
Thankfully, the internet age has birthed more than cat videos, because digital marketing is one
of the best resources for your practice. Whether it’s sponsoring your posts on Facebook or paid
advertising through Facebook Ads, there are a variety of methods to increase your reach
through Facebook.
And, before we go any further, yes, all social media counts as marketing!
Elements of Facebook Marketing
There are a number of elements that are more important than others when it comes to Pages on
Facebook. Because of regular algorithm changes that are making it harder to traditionally “sell”,
you’ll need to have some smart tactics.
Images are Key
Facebook is a very visual medium, so you’ll want to utilize images every chance you get. You
can use images to promote a new service, advertise a discount, welcome a new doctor, or any
other number of ways. Canva and PicMonkey are free (with upgrade options) and easy-to-learn
design websites.
There are a few things to remember when using images.
• Make sure they’re a high resolution. Nothing screams unprofessional like a pixelated photo.
• Make them personal. Avoiding stock photos is one way to do this. Have someone in the office
with a good eye take pictures of the office, staff, patients (with permission), and events. Or,
you could consider hiring a photographer, potentially with a barter type of agreement, so you’ll
receive high quality images of your environment from a pro.
• Add text to the image, instead of accompanying it. While you can add text accompanying the
post, it’s even better if it’s on the image. Make sure it’s readable, and add your name and your
website to the bottom so there’s instant attribution to your office.
Video marketing is quickly becoming an important role in Facebook, so consider this as a
bonus. If you have the ability and resources to create video content, even if it’s a quick “Ask A
Dentist” segment, you’ll be able to give your followers a different type of content.
Diversify Content
There are a number of different types of content you can share, and it’s important to mix it up. If
you share too many advertising posts, your audience will get tired of the sell, sell, sell mentality.
(You also won’t appear in their News Feeds because of this.) But if you only share knowledge-
style posts, then people won’t know how you can help them. It’s best to keep your content
mixed to give your audience the greatest value possible.
• Informational articles (Ones focusing on dental health, advances in techniques, etc as long as
your audience will still find it relevant.)
• Direct sales (Promoting your services and deals while minimizing the sale wording.)
• Current events (While it may not be relevant to your brand, current events can help your post
appear before more eyes and can be relevant to your audience. Be sure to think twice before
posting anything potentially inflammatory!)
A content calendar is a great way to ensure you’re not posting too heavily in one category and
not enough in another. There are special calendars, but you really only need a basic calendar,
some time, a method (eg.,one per category per day), and maybe some different colored pens.
Find the Best Time
You have your images and your content categories, but now what? Finding the right time to post
is crucial for your engagement. If you post when your followers are online, then more people will
see your posts. If you post at the wrong time, no one may see that great post you took the time
to make.
Thankfully, it’s easy to find by clicking “Insights” at the top of your page. (Only administrators
have this ability.) You may find it helpful to create blackout periods, when no one posts. Because
views are critical, take the time with lowest engagement and never post. One post can take your
engagement down, and while that isn’t the be all end all, it’s an important gauge of your page’s
success.
Utilize & Respond to Reviews
As a “services” page on Facebook, your clients will be able to post reviews. This is a great way
to engage! Thank people for their reviews, especially if they took the time to write thoughtful
response. And if, unfortunately, you receive a negative one, redeem the situation by responding
and doing whatever you can to improve their experience.
Utilizing Facebook Ads
Facebook’s ads have a number of aspects you can utilize. You can “boost” posts, which can be
seen at the bottom of your posts (if you have Admin rights). This gives your post more reach
than it may have if you didn’t boost it.
The second aspect is actual advertising through Facebook. This is one of the most affordable
advertising options, especially if that’s where your patients are. Facebook Ads takes your
keywords and shows your ad in relevant users’ news feeds. If they’ve recently searched for
dentists, or posted on Facebook about finding a dentist, then your ad will appear.
Bonus: Demographics
While it may seem like the entire world is on Facebook, there are demographic segments that
appear more than others. When deciding how to use Facebook marketing, consider these
statistics.
• Age 25-34 is most common age demo (29.7%)
• 47% Men, 53% Women
• Half of 18-24 bracket is on Facebook right after they wake up
• 1-3 pm mid-week sees the highest traffic (Remember the posting times from earlier?)
• Critical or important to 42% of business marketers (Meaning you should take it seriously!)
Social media is a powerful tool that puts the power both in your hands and your clients’. Used
correctly, it can create a wonderful way to engage with your clients and draw more people to
your dental practice. However, there needs to be a strategy. These Facebook marketing tips can
help you boost engagement with your followers and create value for them as well.
