Social Media Real Estate
by Melody on 02/06/10 at 11:40 am
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Think about the first thing you look at on any web page, or page in a book for that matter. Do your eyes focus on the small print? No, they immediately zoom to the picture or graphic. Then they scan the rest of the page for information. The headline and the picture grab your attention and make you want to read more. Newspapers and magazines have this down to a science. The main content is accentuated at the top and the importance of the material wanes as you read down the page. You only have seconds to grab someones attention before they move on. The same goes for a Facebook fan page or Twitter page. If you really want to gain more fans and interactions, you must take advantage of the page “real estate” available to you.
Facebook allows for some great real estate customization on fan pages. The profile picture is the first thing you see when you visit a page, so it should really catch attention. The profile picture can now be 180×540 pixels (down from 200×600). This is a big piece of real estate on the page. The profile picture should inform the visitor who you are, what you are about, and where you can be found. Remember the rules of a good head shot and the rules of body language. Smile! Don’t cross your arms. Many people think crossed arms means confidence. It actually is a defensive posture and should be left out of pictures. Include a logo and a catch phrase but don’t overdo it. I strongly advise using only a logo as a profile pic for a business or personal page. It says nothing about you except that you hired someone to design a pretty logo. Social media is about making personal connections, even if you are marketing your business. Be sure to include your website somewhere on the picture. All of this information should be balanced very nicely. Many people go overboard and fill every spot with graphics or text. A little space is fine and if in doubt, side on the side of blank space. (more…)
FBML for Dentists
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Starting a social media strategy is a major step in the right direction. As we have shown before, social media is taking over marketing in a big way. Dentists are starting to embrace the platform, and using its tools to get the word out. If you are like me, once you start a profile and use it for a while, you begin to ask “Whats next?” The big “what’s next” for Facebook is FBML.
Many of you who have used Facebook have already experienced FBML in use. Almost all of the apps and games (Farmville and Mafia Wars) use FBML. Many other big brands like BestBuy, McDonalds, and Coca Cola use FBML to customize their Facebook pages and give them rich graphic content. FBML is not just for big brands like these. Dentists can also use FBML to create mini websites within their Facebook page, and improve a visitor’s experience there. FBML can allow visitors to make an appointment, get directions, or fill in a email contact form right on your Facebook page. (more…)
Social Media Marketing – A Real Life Example Of What (Not) To Do
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Social marketing is not for everyone. There are some individuals and businesses who don’t like Facebook and “don’t get” Twitter. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. However should a business still participate in social marketing even if they don’t like it?
If you don’t like Facebook and you think Twitter is a waste of time, perhaps you’ll still explore it … for business purposes. Let’s say you know your clients or customers are spending a lot of time in social media, so you decide you must explore it. Do so with caution or consider enlisting the help of a professional to help you co-manage your efforts. (more…)
Big changes in social media
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Social Media for Dentists will host a live question and answer chat board on the Social Media Dentist Facebook page Wednesday May 5 at 8:00 PM Eastern. You must “Like” the page in order to join in the conversation. Visit the page at http://facebook.com/socialmediadentist to join in the conversation!
This is a wonderful time for dentists who use Social Media. Things they are a changing for the better. Dentists who have social media and internet profiles should have noticed some changes in the major platforms lately. Facebook, Google, and Twitter have enacted and announced some cool new features. These new tools will allow you to share content more easily and to take advantage of new technology.
One of the most obvious changes is Facebook’s shift to “Like”. Those of you who have a Facebook page for your dental practice probably remember that those who follow your page were called fans. Now your pages are called official pages and you no longer have fans, you have a cavalcade of people who “Like” your page. The like is not only a move to add some positivity to the wordage, it marks an effort by Facebook to extend its connections to the entire internet. Facebook announced that the “Like” option can be connected to most web content. This means you will be able to add a “Like” button to your blog post or web narrative, allowing a web visitor to easily share the information found there. Along with the “Like” option Facebook introduced a cooperation with partner sites, the most obvious being Yelp. When visiting a profile on Yelp, your Facebook profile can be accessed. This collaboration allows a visitor to share content found on Yelp with Facebook connections. The collaboration is a great opportunity for Dentists to have their Yelp profile shared across Facebook. (more…)
Is Your Dental Practice Facebook Marketing Working? (Part Two)
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A growing base of patients who “like you” is another indicator your efforts are working. This means you have a population of patients who are likely seeing your name and face on a regular basis in their Facebook newsfeed. You and your practice are sandwiched among your patient’s friends and family’s posts. When done well, your posts can build trust and nourish relationships (and referrals) over time.
Don’t expect your Facebook community to grow on it’s own. Many practices have an influx of admirers when they open their page. There is excitement, and the team may ask family and friends to join … However, in order to keep your patient base growing over time, you’ll need a plan in place. (more…)
Is Your Dental Practice Facebook Marketing Working?
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How will you know if your Facebook marketing efforts are paying off? This is a question many people are beginning to ask. One obvious indicator would be new patients entering your practice and saying they found you on Facebook.
Have you already had several, or many, new patients come into your practice and say they found you via Facebook? Or, do you think people just say they found you “on the Internet?”
Now is a great time to check your patient registration forms and add Facebook to your “How did you learn about us” section. In fact, if you are tweeting, or using video, you could also add Twitter and YouTube to your intake forms.
If you have replaced your phone book ads with efforts in social media, it makes sense to update your questionnaires as well. The first step in successfully tracking any marketing effort is to make it easy for you or your team to monitor over time.
Rita Zamora is a relationship-focused dental marketer, specializing in referral marketing, patient relations, case acceptance and social media for general and specialty practices. Rita developed her referral marketing expertise working hands-on in specialty and general dentistry practices. She is the author of the ebook The Referral System How-To Guidebook For Dentists. With over sixteen years experience in dentistry, Rita has trained, coached and motivated dentists and teams in marketing, patient relations, communication and social media. Find more about Dental Relationship Marketing on Rita’s blog.
Are You Pretending Social Media Is Free?
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It’s often said that time is money. Whether you, your team, or a trusted service provider manages your social media efforts, it’s important to understand that social media does require time, effort, and therefore money. Be prepared to set aside a budget before diving into social media. Many dental practices have already made the decision to transfer their yellow page advertising budgets to social media.
Consider the time involved and whether you want to maintain a presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube or if it makes more sense to begin with just one account. (more…)
