Welcome to the Hot Topics Blog
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Feature your practice on Facebook (10:28 AM)
Feature your practice on Facebook
Cristina Boggiano, Ophthalmic Staffing Specialist: Cristina@theophthalmicassociates.com
The newest forms of marketing and advertizing for your practice are here. If you are not yet using social media sites to market your practice, you may be at a disadvantage. Ophthalmologists and administrators alike have been using social media sites; such as, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter increasingly for personal use. Many have now branched out from personal profiles by creating profiles for their practices. While you may not reach everyone you want for your practice through just one platform, the more places you advertise and have practice information readily available, the more likely it is that it will end up in the hands of the patient.
There are advantages to using these social sites to promote your practice. Not only are these sites considered an interactive marketing tool but they also serve as a direct, real time, medium to communicate with patients. Telling your patients about your practice’s services via your Facebook page is a fast and free way to share ever-changing information. Posting your practice as a group on Facebook will give you more opportunities to appear in online searches and let you connect with patients in ways you can't via your practice's web site. Ultimately, you are encouraging visits to your own web site and making it easier for your practice to be found. This gives you increased exposure online with very little effort.
While there are many advantages to using social media sites, there are potential disadvantages as well. First off, your practice Facebook identity must be managed and monitored regularly. Frequent updates will keep information on your practice relevant and current. Additionally, poor comments or ratings could potentially hurt your practice’s reputation. Decide on a strategy early on as far as who will control and respond to any complaints or negative comments. Make sure you have a practice member dedicated to managing these types of situations to maintain a positive reputation. Furthermore it is important to be conscious of the marketing and advertising guidelines imposed by your state licensing boards along with HIPPA regulations as well. Follow these guidelines just as you would with any traditional forms of marketing.
Presenting your practice on Facebook functions to highlight services, put you in close contact with your patients and add to your practice’s market prescence both online and off
Cristina Boggiano, Ophthalmic Staffing Specialist: Cristina@theophthalmicassociates.com
The newest forms of marketing and advertizing for your practice are here. If you are not yet using social media sites to market your practice, you may be at a disadvantage. Ophthalmologists and administrators alike have been using social media sites; such as, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter increasingly for personal use. Many have now branched out from personal profiles by creating profiles for their practices. While you may not reach everyone you want for your practice through just one platform, the more places you advertise and have practice information readily available, the more likely it is that it will end up in the hands of the patient.
There are advantages to using these social sites to promote your practice. Not only are these sites considered an interactive marketing tool but they also serve as a direct, real time, medium to communicate with patients. Telling your patients about your practice’s services via your Facebook page is a fast and free way to share ever-changing information. Posting your practice as a group on Facebook will give you more opportunities to appear in online searches and let you connect with patients in ways you can't via your practice's web site. Ultimately, you are encouraging visits to your own web site and making it easier for your practice to be found. This gives you increased exposure online with very little effort.
While there are many advantages to using social media sites, there are potential disadvantages as well. First off, your practice Facebook identity must be managed and monitored regularly. Frequent updates will keep information on your practice relevant and current. Additionally, poor comments or ratings could potentially hurt your practice’s reputation. Decide on a strategy early on as far as who will control and respond to any complaints or negative comments. Make sure you have a practice member dedicated to managing these types of situations to maintain a positive reputation. Furthermore it is important to be conscious of the marketing and advertising guidelines imposed by your state licensing boards along with HIPPA regulations as well. Follow these guidelines just as you would with any traditional forms of marketing.
Presenting your practice on Facebook functions to highlight services, put you in close contact with your patients and add to your practice’s market prescence both online and off
Labels: advertising, facebook, marketing, social media
