| Your Online Chiropractic CommunityBy Zach Zavoral
When it comes to maximizing patient loyalty for your chiropractor practice, you won’t find much success on certain social networks. Creating a page on every social network will boost your practice’s Google ranking, which is very important because it grows your practice’s appearance in local searches when people search for a nearby chiropractor.
Essentially only 6 social media networks even exist; all others don’t have large enough audiences to garner your attention. Of the 6 major social networks, we’ve identified the social networks you’ve heard of, but shouldn’t waste much time on because they won’t build your patient engagement and loyalty.
Have Minimal Activity On These
1. Myspace
Once upon a time, Myspace ruled the world: the original social networking site, once surpassing Google for the most visits in 2006. Everyone and their dog (literally) had a Myspace page. But around 2007, Facebook arose with more privacy settings and, at the time, classier users (Myspace did not regulate user-posted
adult content, nor did it employ spam filters, whereas Facebook always has).
Now, Myspace mostly exists as entertainment-geared social networking. Prospective musicians and movie directors belong on Myspace. Your chiro practice can survive without it, because for most people, the word Myspace causes chuckles.
2. LinkedIn
When it comes to your career portfolio, you must have a personal LinkedIn profile. Use LinkedIn to build fruitful relationships with cohorts and business interactions. Plus, many chiropractic groups exist on LinkedIn where DCs share ideas, theories and best practices.
However, don’t spend much time, if any, creating a LinkedIn business page for your practice. Few patients will follow your practice on LinkedIn. This handy social site works for professional networking, not as a consumer/patientengaging site.
3. Pinterest
Many chiropractors still explore how to make Pinterest work for their practice. But it’s pointless for one simple reason: Pinterest is like window shopping — one-way photo-viewing interaction until the shopper decides to call you or visit your web site. Your profession as a chiropractor doesn’t lend itself to many photo-ops
that Pinterest users would enjoy and share.
Like Myspace and LinkedIn, Pinterest serves a very specific purpose: sharing inspirational thoughts, elegant photos, do-it-yourself projects, and creative at-home
alternatives. Pinterest is a wonderful, useful site, but not for a chiro practice, because pinning a photo of Quasimoto neither inspires nor solves an at-home
crisis, unless you treated Quasimoto and somehow cured his hunchback. Creating a Pinterest page for your practice will gain small success in follower numbers and Google search rankings, but conversational interaction does not happen on Pinterest, and that’s how you build engagement and loyalty.
Have Maximum Activity On These
1. Facebook
The King of Social Patient Engagement. It’s impossible to overdo your practice’s involvement on Facebook. Create your practice’s page as a “place” where patients can “check-in”, thus automatically adding a map that highlights your location. Make it a public page so anyone can “Like” it. Put your Facebook page address on business cards, in text messages and emails to patients, at the top of bills and stationery. Your Facebook page should be your online home alongside your business web site.
Post all sorts of stuff on your practice’s Facebook page. You can even delegate the company Facebook page to a staff member. Browse online for insightful chiro articles and follow other DCs to see what they’re posting, then share those posts with your followers. Don’t be shy; post twice a day! You can even employ an application on your Facebook page that automatically schedules patients. It’s simple, free, and incredibly effective. Plus, potential new patients often search for local chiros on Facebook, and now you’ll show up! In fact, several thousands of folks believe Facebook IS the internet. Try telling my near 100-year-old grandma that her “Facebook” is really called an iPad and she’ll swat you in the face with it and say “Face … book”.
2. Twitter
Twitter is another great forum to share ideas and pertinent news. Don’t be afraid to share your personal views on your business’s Twitter page, it will only provide a more personal connection with your patients.
Twitter works great as a communication and education tool for your practice. Followers can quickly see educational tips and news you Tweet. Plus, they can react directly to you in a conversational manner that’s seen by everyone else.
3. Google Plus
Google Plus bombed in the social networking realm when it launched in 2011. Essentially a hybrid of Twitter and Facebook with a video chatting feature, Google+
underachieved. Now G+ demands your attention because Google directly ties your G+ activity to your search result rankings. You must have a Google+ page for your
practice. Without it, your practice does not exist online.
However, and I pray the Google assassins don’t hear this, Google+ won’t build your patient engagement any more than Myspace simply because so few use it daily.
Unfortunately, the more connections you add to your circles on G+, the higher your ranking. So get on Google+ and start building your social media empire!
Zach Zavoral is a marketing expert and chiropractics explorer, helping DCs enhance their practice revenue. Contact him at zachz@solutionreach.com.
