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Glenn Lombardi: Well, let me start by differentiating social media and traditional marketing: While traditional marketing
involves the dentist marketing to patients, social media involves patients marketing to patients. It’s interactive, it’s
exponential, and the reach is phenomenal. It’s a very cost-effective medium, and it’s a great way to share information
and engage with patients while enhancing your brand and improving your reputation.
MD: And that really is profound, isn’t it? I’ve never heard the definition of social media be stated in such basic terms: patients
marketing to patients. So instead of the typical advertising relationship that we’re all familiar with, it’s almost like third-party
endorsement, where it’s a patient telling another patient about your services. It’s like me telling another dentist how much I
like my Officite Web site versus you guys sending a mailer to them. Of course you think you’re great. But if I tell another dentist
that I think you’re great, it takes on another meaning. That’s really very profound, isn’t it?
GL: It is testimonial driven. Social media is connection. It’s building relationships
online. For example: Suppose a woman comes into the office for a
whitening treatment. She’s so pleased with her new smile that she goes home,
visits her Facebook page and posts a picture of her new whitened smile to
show all of her friends. She’s excited, right? That’s part of the connection, that’s
part of sharing. All of her friends are going to see her newly whitened teeth
and then comment or write on her wall about how great her teeth look. What’s
the next question going to be? “Where’d you get the new smile?” That’s where
the connection begins, that’s where the referral begins. And that’s the power
of a patient testimonial.
MD: Wow, funny you mention that because last year, I was in a weight loss contest
with somebody here at work. I lost 50 pounds and he lost 15 pounds. And I took
his money, and that was great, but even more fun – and I didn’t even think about
it until just now – was, I went to my Facebook page and immediately deleted every
profile picture of me with a double chin or where I appeared to be pregnant at
certain angles from the side. I got rid of all those and replaced them with the pictures of the new me. I ordered new business
cards. And I changed the photograph that I send out in my seminar packets. So, you’re right: As soon as that monumental event
occurred, I made all of those changes. I didn’t have a dentist to thank, but I did have a 99-cent “Lose It” iPhone application to
thank. I don’t know how many copies of that application I’ve sold, but I’ve told everybody about it because it was at the heart
of my weight loss.
GL: Referral marketing. Great application.
MD: You’ve told me before that dentists are actually leading the way in the health profession for having Web sites. And I think
everyone will agree that it’s necessary for established practices to have a Web site. Today we’re talking about how social media
can enhance that even more. Explain to me how dentists can utilize the power of social media, and what kind of content they
can provide to make this happen.
GL: First, you want to set up a social media network with profiles on Facebook and Twitter. Facebook is a great place
to start. It’s the No. 1 social media Web site out there, with more than 400 million users. So it’s growing quickly, with
the fastest growing age group being 35- to 55-year-old females. It’s a great targeted market for dentists.
MD: Boy, that’s exactly who we’re going after in the dental practice, isn’t it?
Social media
is connection.
It’s building
relationships
online. ”
GL: Exactly. You’ll want to set up your Facebook page as Fan-based, meaning without friends – strictly a business profile
site. There are a number of things you can put on your Facebook site, including logos and photos of your office that
are cohesive with the look and feel of your Web site. You’ll also want to add any videos you might have from vendors
like Invisalign or Glidewell or any videos you’ve taken of patient testimonials. Third, you’ll want to include content,
such as tips for healthy smiles or articles about practicing good oral hygiene. And finally, you should announce any new
services or products your practice is offering, such as mouthguards and why this new product is beneficial.
MD: Or anti-snoring appliances would be a great example. It’s the No. 1 way new dentists come to us at the laboratory. And
what we typically see is: A dentist makes one (and you assume it’s either for the dentist or their spouse) and finds out, wow, this
“
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