If you’re a dentist, you’re probably already aware that social media is a great way to connect with patients. One of the best ways to bring in new patients and keep your patients coming back is to provide content that educates them on dental tips and shows a human face to your dental practice. You can do this by offering up useful content, like videos or articles that explain what your practice does or how to better care for their teeth.
During the pandemic, Dr. Ashley Ciapciak started a TikTok channel where she would post videos with tips for patients, talk about life as a dentist, and share funny and insightful moments in the office. Her videos have received millions of views and have propelled her past just industry fame and into the public arena.
In her interview on Dandy’s The Margin Line, Dr. Ciapciak shared her knowledge about creating content for dental practice websites and social media. Here are her content creation tips for dentists:
1. Don’t sleep on digital content’s effectiveness for new patient referrals
Dr. Ciapciak shares that many Millennials and Gen Z patients are finding their dentists through social media—which is why it’s important to have social media accounts for your dental practice. The content you post should represent your dental practice (positively) and provide plenty of information useful for your patients.
Your website should be up to date and have both a digital scheduling tool and a phone number to call. Dr. Ciapciak also recommends having relevant Google keywords incorporated into the website and blog posts (yes, you should have a blog), so that your practice shows up on search engines.
Tip: Use Google My Business to make sure your dental practice is showing up on Google.
2. Post consistently and respond to comments
It’s important to post consistently on social media because it helps people see that your business is active, involved in the local community, and it makes them feel more comfortable trusting you with their dental care needs. The more engaged your followers are, the more likely they will refer new patients to you. It also helps build trust with potential new customers who may not know much about you yet.
Tip: Don’t forget to respond to comments on posts – this shows your audience that they matter and they’re being heard!
3. Ask your employees for help
If you’re feeling like there isn’t enough time in the day for all of these important tasks like posting regularly on social media platforms (or any type of content creation), ask your dental assistant or office manager to pitch in. In Dr. Ciapciak’s experience, normally the younger the employee, the more social-media savvy they are, however, any employee can learn how to use social media if given the time and training.
Your staff can take photos and videos of dental work before and after (ask the patients’ permission, of course), events at the practice, or post helpful tips about caring for teeth and oral hygiene habits. This will help spread awareness about the culture of your dental practice, which in turn will build trust between you and your potential clients!
Tip: If an employee is showing enthusiasm for your social media content, talk to them about becoming your social media coordinator. Dr. Ciapciak recommends paying them for this additional skill.
Your website and social media are the “front page” of your practice. You want it to be a place where people can go to find out about you and your services, but also where they can see the cases you’ve worked on recently. As you gain more expertise and skills over time, you want to ensure that all of your content is up-to-date, both in terms of what you offer at the practice and what patients should know about you and your staff. This way, if someone visits the site or follows a page, they can get an idea of what you’re like as a doctor right away.
Tip: Dr. Ciapciak recommends making your content feel personal, as that is what people are drawn to.
5. Remember that “everything is content”
It doesn’t matter if it’s just a photo or video—everything that comes out of your business should be considered “content” because it has the ability to help build trust with customers and attract new ones. Some ideas include:
- Before/after photos of dental work
Dr. Ciapciak recommends getting into the routine of taking photos of your work. “Replacing old amalgam filling with composite filling? Snap a picture before and after. Throw that up on your Instagram. Throw that up on your website. Why not? People see that and they see, geez, they kind of know what they’re doing.”
- Pictures of you and your staff at work
You can share photos interacting with patients or just doing jobs around the office. This helps people feel like they’re getting to know you and your staff members, which can lead to a better relationship between patients and the staff.
- Photos of your dental practice
Whether it’s inside or outside, these photos give potential patients an idea of what it looks like when they visit you for an appointment or procedure, and can calm dental anxiety when they know what to expect when they walk through the door.
- Videos with dental tips for patients
These videos can even be short (less than three minutes), but they’re great for keeping patients informed about new trends in dentistry, ways they can take better care of their teeth on their own, or what to expect when they come in for dental treatment. Short videos, posted on social media channels like TikTok, Instagram Reels and YouTube, are also a great way to get in front of a new audience. With consistent posting, Dr. Ciapciak has seen viral success and many new patients from this recognition.
Tip: You’ll want to make sure that your content is professional and trustworthy, so make sure it’s created by a doctor or staff member who is experienced in the field of dentistry.
