Being social: building your practice with social media

Social media is the most effective form of promotion in business practice today. And guess what – it’s free. For those who are just starting up a practice, this article will show you the importance of starting an online community.

To my colleagues who have been in practice for several years: it is time to embrace social media and jump on the bandwagon to ensure you don’t get left behind. From a chiropractor’s perspective, using social media can provide a number of great benefits, including building awareness, creating or encouraging community involvement, and providing enhanced customer service.

Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube are three small words that are dominating how we view business today. In my practice, I am driven by the ever­evolving online community. The online presence I’ve created is working for me even during times I am away from my practice. I constantly share new information and patient testimonials as they become available on YouTube and Facebook.

At the time of writing this article, my practice has a Facebook following of more than 1,700 fans in addition to about 550 Twitter followers. Together, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube provide my practice with at least 8­10 new patient referrals per month. Ideally, you are looking to create a culture among your followers.

What is a culture? I like to define it simply as a group of individuals who share a common interest. As a DC, you need to identify the culture of your target patients and appeal to, as well as nurture, that culture. As chiropractors, we need to provide constant opportunities for our online community to be heard. For example, I polled my Facebook fans on the question, “Would you be open to requesting patient appointments over text messaging?”

More than 70 per cent of responders thought it was a great idea! Now 80% of my patients are able to request appointments and receive appointment reminders via text messaging. It is also important to show your online community that your culture enjoys promoting and helping others, including those in your profession. I frequently recommend other local practices through social media. This shows the public you are helpful, while at the same time confident and secure in your own business practice.

To get an idea how to effectively use social media in your practice feel free to check me out on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.