Dentists Using Social Networking for Dental Marketing
Post comments about social media for dentists to our blog
Over
half of dentists (57%) are using social networking websites like Facebook,
Twitter and LinkedIn for professional purposes.
Though social media sites aren't central to most dental website marketing strategies, many doctors feel it's an effective way of sharing information about their practices
Here's what our survey revealed about dentists and online social media marketing.
- Dentists love Facebook! Half (49%) use it professionally, and fully 83% use it personally.
- One in three dentists is on Twitter! 31% use it professionally, and 17% personally.
- One in three dentists uses LinkedIn (37%).
- YouTube is used professionally by 17% of dentists.
Is it professional?
- "It seems a little non-professional, but I don't knock those who do. I'm personally annoyed with my chiropractor's posts, so skip over them. I imagine my patients would do the same." (Texas dentist)
Effects on dental marketing
- "I believe they will and have had a great impact on dental marketing. It remains to be seen exactly how this will impact patients actually using these sites to select their dentists." (Florida dentist)
- "Too new...not sure of impact." (Pennsylvania orthodontist)
Thinking of jumping in
- "I want them, but I'm not sure how to totally set that up." (California dentist)
- "Not yet, just getting ready to start." (Kansas dentist)
- "These need to play a greater role in my dental marketing efforts." (Alabama)
So much time...
- "I think all of these sites are a huge time killer!" (Alabama dentist)
- "It does take up a lot of time." (General dentist)
- "Time consuming. Sometimes that's fine, and other times I just don't get to it." (General dentist)
Out of the game
- "No online social networking personally or professionally anymore. Most of it is a waste of time. I'd rather spend the valuable time with my wife and kids who have also decided not to do any of the online social networking anymore." (Ohio prosthodontist)
Using these sites for internet dental marketing
- "I'm sure that the media sites do play into a role in our marketing efforts at the dental office although we have not aimed to have that as a marketing tool. I am 'friends' with a very few, select group of patients who are also social/personal friends. I have begun to use LinkedIn for contacts across the nation for my orofacial myology business." (Nebraska dental hygienist)
It can be nice
- "Great way to get out information ..." (Hawaii dentist)
- "I've had patients 'friend' me, which is nice." (General dentist)
The voice of a new generation
- "Social Networking is FREE. It gives your websites visibility that they would not otherwise have. You need to link all of these sites together. Most everyone under 50 use the internet for everything. Dentists need a personal page on Facebook and a Fan Page. Linkedin and Twitter work together so you can share back and forth and Plaxo and Twitter do the same. You need everything you can do on Google and remember you are only paying someone to do this for you... Print is gone, and the internet social media is free right now, so why not take advantage of this?" (Dental website design and social media marketing consultant)
Online social networking suggestions
- YouTube
- MySpace
- Plaxo
- Zoomin
- Nayzme
- Google Maps
- Google Local Business Center
- Google Profile
- Google Wave
- Google Knol
Note: Survey sample included 38 respondents.
