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Looking Toward the Social Media Horizon by Angela Weber, BA, MBA

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Header: Simplified Correction of Class II Using Powerscope
by Angela Weber, MBA
Orthodontic practices effectively no longer have a choice about whether to include a social media component in their marketing. If a practice wants to stay competitive in 2016, social media marketing is essential.

Indeed, most of the practices I know have a presence on at least one platform, and many of them use more, but few of them are truly profiting from social media. That's a shame, because if done correctly, social media is one of the most powerful tools available to generate brand awareness and new patient phone calls.

The landscape is constantly changing. Read on to learn how to take advantage of what social media has to offer, along with the latest trends to look out for in the coming year.

Trend Alert
  • The teenage demographic is moving from Facebook to Instagram and Snapchat, but some 70 percent of adults use Facebook. Are you going after teenagers or their parents? Consider the audience you are trying to reach when determining which social media site you will commit to.
  • The number of online conversations keeps increasing. Position yourself to respond to comments about your practice in a timely manner. Do you have a team member assigned to monitoring your social comments? If not, make it a priority and create a game plan.
  • Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook have all recently introduced new search functions.
  • Facebook announced in November that it is generating 8 billion video views per day. That number is only expected to increase in 2016. Facebook will certainly give YouTube a run for its money.
  • To get the maximum benefit from social media, you will need to pay. When looking at your marketing expenses, be sure to add social media ads to the mix.
Keep your focus
New social media channels are always popping up, and the press frequently hypes a chosen one as the next big thing. Sometimes the hype is merited, but often it's not.

While it can be tempting to jump on the next bandwagon, a lot of appeal remains in well-established channels like Facebook. Whichever you choose, choose your platform (or platforms) wisely, and commit. To find success on any channel requires consistency. So evaluate your current social media presence. If you have any social media accounts that haven't been touched in ages, resolve to either shut them down or commit to re-energizing them. It's better to master one or two than to spread yourself too thin across multiple sites with outdated or nonexistent content.

Embrace online conversations


Online conversations about your brand will happen whether you encourage them or not. The most beneficial conversations occur when you're inspiring others to talk about you. But whatever the topic, listen to what is being said, and it will open you up to opportunities.

Listen and respond to both positive and negative comments, and never complain about or try to delete someone's negative comment or post. It's better to address any criticisms directly to defuse them or turn them to your advantage. When you politely and professionally respond to a negative comment, you prove that you are a smart choice because you are patient-focused. And remember, many businesses pay good money on focus groups to get this type of uncensored feedback. Look beyond any defensive phrasing to determine whether the content of negative comments has merit.

Publish with a purpose
Creating posts and spending time on social media platforms shouldn't be considered busy work or wasted time by you or your staff. Social media marketing indeed has a purpose and yields returns. Content that appeals to your audience gets shared, and shared content drives more visits to your website. Posts can indirectly assist with your rankings in Google and other search engines, while raising your profile within the social media platforms themselves.

Give them something to watch
YouTube now supports more than one billion video views each day. That should tell you how popular videos are among Internet users. Incorporating video into your posts can drastically increase engagement. Don't let worries about substandard video production hold you back. Just look at how impressive the video quality recorded on smartphones has become.

As with written content, create video content that is relevant and helpful. Boost views with an intriguing (but not misleading) headline. Here are some possible ideas for your next social video:
  • The story of why you became an orthodontist
  • How-to guides for home care
  • Tips for avoiding broken brackets
  • Patient testimonials
  • General oral-health tips for patients in braces
Pay to play
Businesses used to be able post a comment or image on Facebook, and fans would actually see the post. These days, people's Facebook feeds are crowded, and now you have to pay to boost your post if you want to get a decent amount of traffic.

Paying for visibility will certainly become more prevalent as social networks keep seeking ways to monetize their platforms. No one likes to pay for something that used to be free, but it's not all bad news. From personal experience, I know that paying for views works. In 2015, OrthoSynetics began to shift marketing spending to online efforts, and our investment has been paying off with measurable leads.

At the heart of all these tips and trends are some core basics about social media: publish consistently. Be engaged and engaging. Put in the time and resources to make it work.

Take these lessons to heart, and your online brand will be the key to your practice's success in 2016 and beyond.



Angela Weber Angela Weber is the chief marketing officer for OrthoSynetics, a company that specializes in business services for the orthodontic and dental industries. She leads a team of marketing professionals dedicated to developing and implementing cutting-edge strategies and solutions for its members. Weber has more than 15 years of experience in the advertising industry, with a vast knowledge of current and past trends, philosophies and strategies for marketing within the health-care industry. She holds a BA in mass communication from Louisiana State University and an MBA from the University of New Orleans.



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