Sitting ahead of Youtube, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Google+, Tumblr, and Instagram, is Facebook. To-date, Facebook remains the undisputed leader amongst all social media platforms. According to ebizMBA’s January 2017 rankings, Facebook has an estimated 1,100,000,000 unique visitors per month. PEW Research Center also estimates that 
approximately 79% of American adults are active Facebook users. And believe it or not, there are still many doctors and medical practitioners who aren’t taking advantage of this diverse and profitable platform. There may be a good reason for not doing so, but it’s hard to imagine why not when…
- Facebook is practically free
- Unless it’s used for advertising – but that’s also another perk, it can be used for advertising
- Facebook brings together targeted audiences
- Facebook allows customers/patients to be interactive
- Facebook broadens your name and brand
- Facebook can boost your visibility with search engines
- Facebook can generate leads
With all that said, Facebook marketing for doctors shouldn’t even be a question, it is a must.
But of course, figuring out a Facebook strategy for your practice or niche market may take time and a bit of testing – it’s not a set-and-forget program. Not every strategy will work for every practice, and it needs to be consistently managed, but there are basic Facebook tools that will help get those strategies into place. Let’s review:
About Section
When setting up a Facebook business page, you are provided 155 characters to describe your practice. This description appears at the top of your page and should include a couple of keywords in your field for SEO purposes. Be descriptive, direct and helpful.
Add a Username
Adding a username allows your followers to tag you in posts easily (@username). It also acts as a custom URL for your page (facebook.co/username).
Profile Image and Cover Photo
Create a profile image and cover photo that represents your brand and name. Coordinate brand colors, make your logo obvious and apparent, and add a positioning statement in your cover photo. Users will immediately gravitate to these images, so you need to show them who you are and what you do.
When creating these images, also be aware of the dimensions – there will be sections of the cover photo that will be hidden behind the profile image and buttons. And of course, don’t forget about mobile users. These images will look different on mobile devices, so ensure that you use a template for to create the optimal image.
Link Your CTA Button
Facebook offers 7 pre-made call-to-action buttons. You can choose from:
- Sign Up
- Shop Now
- Contact Us
- Book Now
- Use App
- Watch Video
- Play Game
For medical practices, we advise using “Contact Us” or “Book Now.” As a page admin, you can link this button to a destination away from Facebook, such as a contact page on your website. To view data on the performance of this button, click the button on your page and click “View Insights.”
Page Insights
Once you’ve created and shared several pieces of content on your Facebook page, you can click your “Insights” tab to view Likes, Reach, Page Views, Posts and People. This is an accumulation of relevant weekly statistics. You can use this tool to hone in on your target audience and measure what posts are getting more engagement. This will help you for future marketing initiatives on Facebook.
Use the 70-20-10 Rule for Posts
Don’t know that posts to create and spark engagement? Stick to the 70-20-10 rule:
- 70% of your posts should add value to your brand and practice. For example, recent events, survey questions, local news, etc.)
- 20% of your posts should be curated content from other influencers – not competitors. For example, sharing content from relevant businesses or tagging them in posts
- 10% of your posts should be promotional. For example, introduction to services, discounted promotions, etc.
A few other notes on posts: make good use of photos and videos, and avoid using frequent updates to promote your services.
Pin Posts
Take advantage of the pin feature for posts. If you have an important post – like a Facebook Live video or a post to promote an upcoming seminar – you can click the drop-down arrow on the post and click “Pin to Top.” This will push this post to the top of the page. It will remain there until you take it off/decide to pin a different post.
Actively Engage with Your Audience
Don’t leave your audiences in the dark. If you are getting engagement on your posts – whether it be comments or messages – be timely and diligent with your responses. Don’t wait 3 days to send a reply, do it as quickly as possible. Be as helpful as you can and show your audience that you are willing to start a dialogue with them.
Facebook Ads Manager
To create and manage ads, you can use Ads Manager. With Ads Manager, you’ll be able to create and run your ads, target your ads for a specific demographic, set a budget, see how ads are performing in Ad Reporting, view your billing summary, and payment information. This is immensely important if you want to run multiple campaigns for different services you offer.
These are Facebook basics that every medical practitioner or doctor needs to know about. Without these in place, you fail to make a business page that truly exemplifies who you are and what you do. You also miss the opportunity to attract your ideal patient.
If you need a comprehensive and effective digital marketing strategy and medical marketing consultants to bring your practice to the next level, call my team, invigoMEDIA at 1-844-ROI-GUYS.
