Social media can be a great marketing tool for dental offices, allowing you to connect with patients on a more personal level. From educational posts that teach patients about oral hygiene to giveaways and employee spotlights, there are lots of ways to engage your audience through social media.
You probably have social media accounts, but that doesn’t mean you’re using them the right way. Looking for dental social media post ideas? Check out this guide to find out how to attract more dental patients through social media platforms.
The dental industry is competitive. In most places, patients have several dental offices to choose from. One of the best ways to stand out is to connect with your patients on a more personal level.
Dental social media marketing gives you an opportunity to educate your patients, answer questions, and host giveaways. As you build a following and engage with more people, you’ll boost your reputation as a knowledgeable, friendly dentist.
Social media marketing for dentists is also great because it’s affordable. You don’t have to pay for expensive ads or waste countless hours writing slogans and creating graphics — just post consistently.
When it comes to dental social media marketing, there are several platforms to choose from. We’ll discuss the most popular platforms, what type of content does well on them, and what makes them smart choices for social media marketing below.
Facebook is one of the oldest social media platforms, and it’s also one of the most widespread. While some social media platforms are aimed at younger audiences, Facebook does an excellent job of attracting a variety of users. It’s also an effective marketing tool because people typically use their real names and pictures on Facebook.
Perhaps the best part of Facebook is the format. Instagram and TikTok are great for short-form content like video clips and graphics, but Facebook is the platform of choice when it comes to written content.
Instagram has become increasingly popular over the years, giving users an easy way to share images and videos. You might use Instagram to share a quick educational video about oral hygiene, or you could post a picture to promote a special event or giveaway you’re hosting. Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, making it an excellent way to connect with your patients.
TikTok
When it comes to modern social media, TikTok is at the top. TikTok is massively popular throughout the world with billions of users registered. The short-form video format that TikTok uses has proven to be a great way to attract attention.
You could post a TikTok video spotlighting one of your employees, or you can respond to a Google review and turn that into a testimonial video for your dental office. With TikTok, social media ideas for dentists are endless.
Other platforms to consider
If you want to create longer video content, YouTube is one of the best places to post your videos. Whether you’re showing how a procedure is performed or giving potential patients a walk-through of your dental office, you can post your longer videos on YouTube.
While it’s not as popular with older audiences, Snapchat is huge with the younger generation. If you’re looking for dental social media post ideas to reach younger patients, Snapchat can be a great resource.
You needn’t worry about posting on Twitter / X for your patients—if they are on that platform it is not to hear from their dentist.
When it comes to promoting your practice on social media, consistency is key. People tend to connect with the brands they see on a regular basis, so make your dental-themed posts a consistent part of your current and prospective patients’ feeds.
If you’re having trouble reaching your local audience, you can use social media advertising to target people in your area. You don’t have to pay for ads to promote your practice on social media, but it can help you build a following when you’re just getting started.
Running a successful social media campaign starts with creating the right content. Effective social media content encourages people to keep reading or watching and check out your profile. If you’re having trouble figuring out what to post, here are a few dental social media post ideas for you.
1. Feature a service or treatment
It’s not uncommon for patients to have questions or concerns about the services and treatments you provide, so highlight some of your treatments and explain them in detail on social media. You can explain how teeth whitening works, how long it takes, and what the potential side effects are. You can also educate your patients about various surgeries and procedures and why they might need them.
Even if a patient isn’t interested in a particular service, you can show them you’re knowledgeable and show your compassion for patients.
2. Post oral hygiene tips
Be part of proactive dental health. How many of your patients only brushing once a day and have no idea where their floss dispenser is? Help better their lives, and their feeling toward you practice by educating your patients about oral hygiene so they can prevent cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease.
Alternatively, you can create a post asking patients for questions about oral hygiene and other dental topics. Answering patient questions is a great way to educate your patients and keep them engaged.
3. Create original content for holidays
There are dozens of dental-themed holidays throughout the year, which means you have several opportunities to create original content for social media. From Dental Assistants Recognition Week to Dental Hygienist Week, there are several holidays you can celebrate with your patients. You can even offer special discounts or small gifts for patients who visit on special occasions.
4. Spotlight your employees
Spotlighting your employees is a great way for your patients to get to know your practice on a personal level. You want patients to view your dental office as a friendly group of people, not a faceless entity. Talking about your employees is a great way to make your practice more approachable.
There are lots of ways to spotlight an employee. You could make a simple graphic with an employee’s name and photo, a few fun facts, and some information about their experience and education. You could also create a quick video to introduce new employees to patients.
5. Run a promotional campaign or giveaway
If you want people to engage with your social media posts, try hosting a giveaway or running a promotional campaign. You can post trivia questions where the correct answer wins a small gift card or an oral hygiene kit. For a simpler solution, you can host giveaways where the winner is decided at random from the comments.
Building a loyal following is one of the hardest parts of reaching a large audience on social media. If your patients aren’t following you, you can’t consistently connect with them through social media posts.
Encouraging your patients to follow is one of our favorite social media ideas for dentists. Patients who are following you can like your post to help spread the word, and any patient (or prospective patient) who’s not following you can click the follow button.
Does your practice have positive online reviews from patients? Spotlighting reviews are a great way to showcase your practice on social media and show prospective patients that you’re knowledgeable and experienced. Try posting a picture of a review with a quick response to the patient, thanking them for the kind words and choosing your practice.
Showcasing patient reviews can also help encourage new patients to leave a review.
8. Post about what you’ve learned at dental conferences and trade shows
Continuing education is part of being a dentist—new information is always coming out, so you’re never done learning. If you go to dental conferences or trade shows, take notes about some of the important things you’ve learned and the coolest products you’ve seen. Sharing this information shows patients you’re committed to keeping up with the latest trends in dentistry.
9. Highlight other marketing strategies your practice is using
If you’re having trouble with dental social media marketing, try highlighting some of the other marketing strategies you’re using on social media. Perhaps you’ve got a program that you use to reach out and educate the community, or maybe you help provide dental services or toothbrushes for free or at an affordable price. Highlighting your dental marketing ideas can help patients get a better feel for what your practice values.
10. Maintain a consistent posting schedule
Consistency is key when it comes to social media marketing. If you’re not posting on a regular schedule, your patients aren’t going to check back for new content regularly.
Create a schedule for social media posts that you can keep up with. You don’t have to post several times per day to build an audience, but weeks of silence can drive your audience away. Ideally, you should try to post at least two–five times per week on your social media accounts. If you’re having trouble creating enough YouTube videos, short clips are a great way to catch the attention of your patients.
Are you having trouble deciding how often to post or coming up with dental social media post ideas? We’ve developed this dental social media calendar to help you stick to a consistent posting schedule:
Social media marketing is one of the best forms of community outreach—especially if you’re providing valuable information to your patients. You can educate patients about various dental procedures and types of floss and toothbrushes, or you can host giveaways to make sure people in your community have the necessary resources for dental hygiene.
Positioning yourself as a knowledgeable, friendly source can help you maximize the lifetime value of a dental patient. When it comes to social media marketing, focusing on content and consistency is the best way to build an audience. Try our dental social media calendar and see how social media marketing can help grow your business.
While consistency is one of the most important factors when it comes to social media marketing, you don’t have to post several times per day to market your practice. We recommend posting at least two–five times per week to keep your audience engaged. You can post as often as 20 times per week, but you don’t want to spam patients with constant social media posts.
Educating your patients is one of the best ways to create content for your social media accounts. You can compare popular electric toothbrush brands, offer dental hygiene tips, or create a list of symptoms that signify it’s time to visit a dentist. Don’t be pushy or focus on advertising — providing value is the best way to build relationships with patients.
You can determine your ROI from social media marketing by looking at the total cost of your marketing efforts compared to the returns you received. It can be difficult to determine which patients came from which channels, so you can ask patients how they heard about your practice if you want to figure out how much traffic you’re driving from various social media platforms.
Paid social media marketing is optional. You can invest in paid ads if you’re having trouble reaching prospective patients in your geographic region, but you probably don’t need to pay for advertising if you’re building a following organically. You can also get help from a professional to develop a more polished social media marketing campaign if yours isn’t effective.
Download the free dental social media calendar here!
