Dr. Ryan McCall grew his Indiana-based dental practice by engaging new and existing patients through Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter. In this series, The Social Dentist, Dr. McCall offers tips on how to market your dental practice using social media.
Collaborate
Collaboration shows willingness to share and promotes community involvement. We frequently tag and recommend other dental offices for specialty services like endodontics. They’re better and faster at it, so I have no hesitation referring patients. This has resulted in countless referrals from other dentists, most of whom are now good friends. Dentistry can get competitive, so we try to differentiate our services and share the benefits.
Be available
You have to be there to answer questions and encourage engagement on your Facebook or Instagram pages, or your social media advertising budget is wasted. Be available and involved in the social media discourse. I talk to new patients on our Instagram account every day, often doing a consultation before they ever set foot in one of our offices. In recent months we have scheduled patients from Florida, New York, and even as far away as Sydney! The Australian patient had no idea where our Indianapolis office was located (LOL).
Weekend availability can be an issue, so mentor your staff and train them to respond to inquiries on social media. The staff sees my interaction with potential patients, and they feel empowered to respond in a similar way.
More Articles by The Social Dentist
- The Social Dentist Tip #1: Be Authentic and Friendly
- The Social Dentist Tip #2: Tell a Story with Compelling Content
- The Social Dentist Tip #4: Stay Engaged and Step It Up
- The Social Dentist Tip #5: Adapt and Stay Grateful
About Dr. Ryan McCall
Dr. Ryan D. McCall was raised in Illinois. He received his BS in Biology and Chemistry from Indiana University and dental degree from the University of Illinois School of Dentistry. He maintains private practices in Indianapolis and Lebanon, Indiana.