As the summer season approaches, however, it is a perfect opportunity to try and gain patients’ attention, particularly for a multitude of parents with kids who had hectic schedules and struggled booking consultations and regular teeth cleanings. Though it’s not only parents and kids – even older and young adult patients use their recently on-leave summer schedules to focus on their yearly checkups. So, how can you turn this into profit and gain more new patients?
Social media platforms are valuable tools to increase patient retention, reach potential clients, and partake in the industry’s latest breakthroughs. Marketing your dental practice for the summer is an essential and reasonably simple route to optimize your office and referrals this time of the year.
Summer Dental Marketing Tips & Post Ideas
Post Questions For Them To Comment On
Another way to encourage engagement from your target audience is to pose a question. People like an option to share their views on meaningful topics. Ask questions that involve your patients’ dental care and urge them to participate with a clear call to action. You’ll expand your social footprint and have the patients promote your dental office and services at the same time.
Develop A Fun Summer Contest
Photo Contests
You can also send them an email or postcard explaining to take a selfie with their white teeth and glowing smiles during their vacation – it can be at the beach, on a road trip, hiking, etc. – or after their regular cleaning appointment. Instruct them to post it on your Facebook or Instagram page. Choose a hashtag to make it easier to monitor the entries.
Voting
Voting is an essential part of the general contest plan. Choose the winning photo based on the number of likes or comments a particular photo holds. To remain updated, patients need to like your Facebook page or follow your Instagram account.
Prize
At the end of the voting period, choose the photo with the most likes or comments and post the results on your Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter profiles. Leave instructions on how to claim the prize.
Guessing Jar
Get a huge jar and fill it with dental floss, toothbrushes, or candies. Share a photo of it on Facebook and request your followers or patients to take a wild guess at how full the jar is. Announce the winner on your bulletin and social media page and post a picture of them receiving their prize!
Send A “before” Photo For A Free Teeth Whitening Appointment
Before and after images can be very efficient dental marketing tools for your dental practice. Establish the guidelines thoroughly and make sure entrants share their pictures privately through Facebook Messenger to avoid a surge of likely unsuitable “before” smiles and negative comments on your page. Randomly choose the winner and create an “after” post following the whitening procedure.
“Caption This” Contest
This social media idea will involve your followers and patients to be somewhat clever and have a great sense of humour. Caption contests make for effective advertising as they grant both you and your patients to brandish your characters.
Search for a funny image and encourage your followers to caption it. Then, your staff can vote to select the best and wittiest caption.
Contest Tips
- Remember to have a promotion disclaimer that distinctly states the dates of the contest, the eligibility, the prize(s), and the dates of the announcement of winners.
- Your audiences need a little motivation to join your contest so present something that will be tempting to attract participants.
- Create a straightforward call to action, for example, “Participate and Win Awesome Prizes!” or “Like us on Facebook for more information!”
- The more appealing the award, the more engagement the contest may reach.
- Along with sharing the contest’s mechanics on your Facebook, blog, and website, have posters in your lobby and dental offices as well.
Share Interesting Facts About Summer & Oral Health
Share some videos, articles, or trivia if you discover any that you believe your patients would find fascinating or helpful. Use dental trivia to prompt your followers that they still must visit you for routine cleanings and check-ups, even during the summer months. Search for things related to your patients’ day-to-day lives and oral health routine.
Offer Summer ONLY Deals
- Discount on children’s cleanings
- Refer a friend reward
- 50% off teeth whitening procedures
- Free check-ups or initial consultation for new patients
- A special package deal for specific services – $99 deal for a check-up, X-rays, and regular cleaning
Volunteering Events
You could also try organizing your summer-themed fundraiser or collaborating with another local company for a joint event — anything to get individuals outside to get an introduction to your dental office.
Share Funny Videos Of Your Team
You could also share photos of the team. Announce a new addition to your team with a picture and a short intro. This is a perfect way to acquaint your patients with new staff members.
Fall Campaign Preparation
Additionally, children are not the only ones returning after a break. Adults are going back to work too, so before the start of fall, it’s a perfect time to attract them with a “back-to-office” advertisement.
Blog Posts
If your website has a new blog post, you have to invite people to read it. Moving traffic to your site won’t only help you get more patients but also improve your search engine rankings. Post content, regardless if it’s old or new, on your social media to continue moving traffic to your web page.
What Not To Post
What not to post is just as essential as what to post and have on your social media platforms. There are things that you must refrain from posting on your Facebook or Instagram pages such as:
Graphic Images Of Orthodontic Cases
Even though you may consider pictures of your severe cases impressive, your patients will view them as disturbing. Pictures like this can also cause more dental anxiety so when in doubt, don’t publish it.
Photos Of Dental Apparatus
Seeing people’s teeth and root systems can be a cause of concern for many patients and dissuade them from booking an appointment, especially after seeing a photo of something they dread.
Too Many Personal Posts
It’s entirely okay to showcase yourself in a friendly way; however, keep the general style of your social media accounts professional and don’t disclose overly personal elements. It’s also in your best interest not to “like” or “share” posts that surround sensitive issues.
Wrap Up
Feel free to contact us for social media marketing assistance to help you reach more new patients or have our team post content for you regularly.