Creating a Facebook page for your practice can be an effective tool for promoting services, disseminating information, and sharing ideas. Anyone with a Facebook account can create a page, but when you consider that the sites sees more than 1 billion active users each day, you must build a presence that successfully engages your patients.
How can you harness the power of this $500 billion dollar social networking platform for your practice? Follow this guide on Facebook marketing 101 to learn how to increase patient conversions by engaging with them where it counts.
Creating Your Facebook Page
Categories
When creating a Facebook page, everyone must select the category in which their service or product best fits. As a healthcare provider, you would most likely choose the ‘Local Business or Place’ category for your Facebook page.
Name and URL
A name says a lot in just a few words, so choose the title of your Facebook page wisely. It will also appear in your Facebook URL and serve as a way to help potential patients find you. Keep your Facebook page’s name simple and use a combination of relevant keywords, such as your own name, practice name, specialty, or your credentials (MD, DDS, OD, etc.).
‘About’ Sections
These components of a Facebook page convey crucial information about your practice. Take a look at Dr. Amersi’s Facebook Page and check out the boxes labelled one and two.
Section 1
This smaller area is designed for a concise description. It tells Facebook users the specialty, location, and if the practice is currently open — similar to how you could type ‘best obgyn in santa monica open now’ into Google Search.
Section 2
Fill out the main ‘About’ section with as much detail as possible. Include basics such as your phone number, email, office address, hours of operation, and a link to your website to provide a multitude of opportunities for patients to contact you directly.
Branding Your Facebook Page
Facebook is a visual medium, where posts with photos generate 53% more likes than a text-based post. It is important to establish a consistent brand across all of your social media profiles. This firstly includes your Facebook profile and cover photos.
Imagery
Both your Facebook profile and Facebook cover photo should be eye-catching and have a clear focus. Include an image of yourself or you practice logo on your Facebook page. On Dr. Pandit’s Facebook page, her specialty is clear and you even get a glimpse of her with her practice staff.
Once those photos are nailed down, weave a similar style into what you share in your Facebook news feed, as this content is much more likely to be clicked on.
Here are some Facebook image size guidelines:
- Upload your Facebook profile picture at 180 x 180 pixels
- Upload your Facebook cover photo at 820 x 312 pixels
- Optimize shared images at 1,200 x 630 pixels
Best Practices for Posting on Facebook
Keeping with your practice brand, think about what information you want to share through your online Facebook profile. Unlike some social media platforms, Facebook allows you to create lengthy posts, but we recommend keeping all text around 60 characters or fewer to maximize engagement.
Check out these examples and ideas for your content marketing strategy:
Engage with the industry: On the path to becoming a thought leader, it is essential to demonstrate your expertise on Facebook. But, the most effective Facebook posts offer more than a headline and image. Explain the reason WHY you’re sharing something on Facebook, just like Dr. Guida.
Dr. Guide shares a link to a WebMD article on deviated septum surgery, but he offers his own insight on symptoms and treatment.
Promote your services: Whether someone is actively searching for a specific service on Facebook, the only way to generate interest is if the information is available. Especially when you’ve just purchased a new piece of equipment, customer marketing can help recoup high costs. Share these updates through demos, promotional deals, or even produce an informational video like Dr. Silani.
Dr. Silani shares a video summarizing his practice’s new dry eye treatment.
Allow yourself to get personal: People love stories, so tell yours on Facebook. Social media profiles help to personify your business, showing a prospective patient what their experience might be like. Use your Facebook profile to show off your happy customers in photos and by highlighting reviews.
Dr. Amersi shares that her patients are the reason she loves her job.
For more examples, check out these 5 doctors killing it on social media right now.
You’re Ready to Start Sharing to Your Facebook Page!
Make sure you coordinate a strategy to upkeep your social media presence. Even the busiest healthcare provider can stay active online by designating a member of your office staff to take the lead or utilizing a trustworthy third-party vendor.
Ready to take it to the next level?
Once you have the Facebook marketing basics down, consider evolving your strategy to increase social media reach.
Facebook Live is a newer feature that offers a fun way to connect with patients. Consider streaming a Q&A session, a tour of your waiting room, or an event you are attending.
Facebook Advertising will rapidly scale your social media efforts by allowing direct targeting of online users who fit your customer profile. It might be a complicated topic to understand, but here’s is everything you need to know to get started.
No matter what tactics you employ on Facebook, remember to keep HIPAA in mind at all times. Sharing on social media will help to grow your practice, but be sure to follow a standard of professional guidelines as not to let one careless Facebook post accidentally reveal protected health information.
