To some Twitter is simply a micro-blogging tool, a place to tell anyone who will listen what you are doing or how you are feeling. These same people connect with friends and hear about what they are doing and how they are feeling. All the while what they do not realize is they are marketing.
Twitter has thousands of dental professionals as members and even more potential patients. As a cosmetic dentist all you need to do to market yourself to patients is have a genuine discussion with them. Connect with them, share what your practice is doing, what you are doing personally and they will listen. Many studies have shown that trust is one of the most important factors when choosing a dentist. Twitter will help you develop trust with your patients.
One of the biggest mistakes of Twitter marketing is pushing your brand ALL the time. Your followers want to get to know you as a person and not just as a practice. Make sure you take the time to message patients directly on Twitter. Thank them for their visit to your practice, suggest a procedure that you think would be perfect for them, or give them tips on keeping a healthy smile.
Specific ways to use Twitter to increase your patient base include:
- Follow your followers. These people have shown an interest in you, repay the favor by showing interest back.
- Connect with other dental professionals. Twitter is a great place to meet other dentists, you never know who might refer patients to you after you’ve befriended them on Twitter.
- Follow your followers friends. If your patient is proud enough to follow you then they will likely recommend you when their friends ask about you.
- Be accessible, twitter is designed for discussions so be open whenever one occurs.
On a personal note Cosmepedia would like to thank our Twitter community for helping us make the 1000 follower milestone. We look forward to reading your tweets in the future! Remember to follow Cosmepedia at twitter/Cosmepedia.
If you have yet to consider, there are just as many reasons why Twitter is not very effective for dental marketing. For more info on the subject, refer to our blog when you have time.
http://www.thevisibledentist.com/blog/can-twitter-facebook-help-dentists-get-patients/
John Barremore
Houston, TX
Twitter is a great tool— for many things. Twitter marketing is just getting off the ground– it will really benefit those who TRULY understand word-of-mouth marketing. Throughout the years – I speak to dentists who say they get their patients from word of mouth— but never really devised any strategy. Twitter is a tool that can do that — but a strategy should be in place.