You may have been stalling when it comes to joining social media. Whether it’s setting up a Facebook, Google+ or Twitter account, you may be hesitant about putting your practice out into the digital world, or you might just be unsure of how exactly to go about it.
If you haven’t already, now is the time to set up a professional social media account exclusively dedicated to your practice. This will help build its online presence and reputation, as well as provide a platform for you to better communicate with current and prospective patients.
Marketing consultant Pam Moore recently wrote about the fears that prevent many businesses from establishing social media accounts. These can range from being uncertain of what to post about to worrying about the risks of putting one’s practice out there on the web.
“Ignoring social media is not going to make it go away, and it will increase your risk of a future problem or crisis more than it will help,” Moore wrote. She points out that your clients, prospects and employees are on various social networks, regardless of whether you are or not.
“Social media will reveal your organization from the inside out,” she warns. If you are not in control of your practice’s online presence, it will be created for you regardless, through tweets, posts and reviews written by past and current patients, employees and others who have associated with your practice.
“The best thing you can do is accept the fact that social media is here to stay and figure out how you can integrate it to the DNA of your business,” Moore advised. “It’s not a band-aid you slap on to solve the latest marketing or sale pipeline problem.”
Setting up accounts on microblogging sites such as Facebook, Google+ and Twitter, as well as on other social networking sites like LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram, is the first step to molding your practice’s online reputation. Regularly updating your accounts — at least once a week — helps set your social media tone and has the added bonus of boosting your practice’s search engine optimization (SEO).
MyAdvice Can Handle It for You
Have questions about building your practice’s online presence? Too busy to manage your social media accounts? Let MyAdvice help! We can plan an organized and effective social media strategy to get potential clients interested in your services! Contact an MyAdvice Representative to learn more.
