Connecting With Your Care Provider In A Whole New Way
It’s 2012. Forget desktop PCs – now even laptops are soon to be obsolete. Welcome in a new wave in connecting through devices such as smart phones, tablets and more. New methods of communicating with others have created a demand for new outlets. Since the rise of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other such social media outlets businesses have steadily worked toward understanding and implementing them into a social media strategy. Restaurants, construction companies, even many government agencies have all developed a social presence.
One group in particular however seems to be poorly represented.
Healthcare practitioners as a whole seem to be slowly missing out on the power of a well planned and executed social media strategy. This is due in part to a rise in what one could only describe as a rise in “social media experts” and web designers who have convinced this group that a one size fits all website that is marketed to all providers in the same category equally is the way to go. Companies tout their ability to create “unique” and informative sites while providing the same content to each one. This seriously undermines the ability of any one provider to gain a foothold in ranking.
You might ask, what does a website have to do with social media? The answer is EVERYTHING. A website can be the very first point of contact between a provider and a potential client. That being said, by having a professional yet personally appealing site that offers valuable and UNIQUE content, a provider will be much more likely to convert visitors into clients and to have them click on the social media links that all great sites should have. Make an impression and your client will be much more likely to click your Facebook or Twitter button!
Healthcare practitioners are facing a tough economy as much as anyone else. With less dollars coming in from insurance companies, it is important to be marketing in order to keep a steady client load. By having a strong social media presence, you can easily brand yourself an expert in your field. The question that many providers have though involves the sort of content they should offer. As you might imagine, this should be industry specific. If you are a chiropractor, then send out Facebook posts concerning back exercises you can do at home to help ease back pain. If you are a dentist, then you might tweet about a new product you have tested and endorse. Surgeons could post information concerning upcoming events or lectures to their LinkedIn profiles.
Perhaps one of the best ways to reach out and grab the attention of clients and prospects is to offer coupons or specials through your chosen social media outlet. Let them know that they are appreciated and that you value their business. As you already know making your patient feel like family can certainly increase your chances of enjoying their continued patronage. One thing to keep in mind is that creating and implementing a strong social media campaign may sound like a time consuming chore, but it does not have to be so. There are companies such as Posse Social Media out of Charlotte NC who are skilled in both designing and executing such campaigns. Simply give them the direction you would like your social media strategy to take, and they can drive it home.
Don’t be fooled into thinking that you should settle for some “social media strategist” simply because they are located nearby. In today’s tech savvy society, you can hire a company as far as the other side of the nation and still do business face to face through tools such as Skype, GoToMeeting, Google+ hangouts and more. Do not be fooled into complacency with your cookie cutter site and hope that it is enough to draw in new clients. Let a company like Posse Social Media show you how a custom site with unique content plus a strong social media presence can turn into a powerful marketing solution that will drive clients to your door.