Facebook Basics for Chiropractors

In the rush to take advantage of social media to enhance their marketing efforts, some chiropractors are feeling like they have been left behind. There are so many choices and decisions to make that it can leave you feeling both bewildered and frustrated.

Just relax and know that with a few simple basics you can get onboard with social media and start building great relationships with your clients. This article will focus on some easy ways to use Facebook in your practice.

The first thing to remember is the purpose of Facebook. It is a place where people connect and interact with their friends. Keeping that in mind will make sure your Facebook efforts have the right style and tone.

Another point to consider is how Facebook compares to other social media. Blog posts are often long and rich with detail, while messages on Twitter seem microscopic by comparison (the standard is 140 characters including spaces). Facebook posts should fall somewhere between these two extremes, leaning towards the briefer end of the spectrum.

Your goal on Facebook is to get your prospects and patients to “like” your page, interact with the content that you post and communicate with other clients.

Here are three simple steps for establishing a presence on Facebook:

1. Create a quality page.

Sloppy pages don’t get “liked,” so make sure yours is appealing from the start. Some of the simplest oversights can lead to people not liking you, such as failing to fill out your profile completely or not including open settings that allow users to post content. Make sure your patients know you have a page on Facebook. Send out an email blast announcing this to your clients and hand out small cards with the same announcement when they come to the office for an appointment.

2. Know your prospects and patients.

Facebook content feels like it’s all about talking, but you also need to listen to your prospects and patients. If your posts don’t match up with what they want to hear, you’ll be wasting your time. You probably already have a sense of what interests them, like updates on new techniques you are using, other tips and guidance for healthy living or offering discounts and special offers. This could encourage sporadic patients to come in more often.

3. Post consistently.

One quality post per day (two at the most) is better than a lot of mediocre posts. Spend time offline writing quality posts that will inspire others to comment. Strike a balance between scheduled content and one-on-one interactions with prospects and patients to suit your availability. Offer discounts and special deals to reward your most loyal fans. Some people will post complaints but if you are able to deal with them quickly and honestly, this will impress people including potential new patients.

You can do as much or as little as you want with the wide variety of social media tools now at your disposal. Following the three simple steps outlined here will get you started with Facebook and help you forge new connections with your clients that will last a lifetime.

Question: Are you using Facebook to connect with prospects and patients?

If so, feel free to share ideas that have worked well to stimulate engagement in the {comments} section below.