How to create a social proof account to attract patients

The opportunity to create growth in your dental practice is real. But how we grow and market is so different now than it was even just a year ago. Today there are better ways to generate new patient inquiries than what has traditionally worked to grow your business in the past. One way is to have a social proof account – not just have social media accounts.

Social Proof Is the New Opportunity

We are going through a transition where your online identity is critical, but it’s not centered on your website anymore. Websites are getting less useful to drive business; social media – or rather social proof content on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram – is the new opportunity. Social media platforms are powerful communication channels because they can be all about your personal brand, they are current, the content is constantly changing and they show people who you are and specifically what you do. Today, many practices use social media as a way to build community. But that doesn’t necessarily help build your practice. So instead of flossing memes, tips, team pictures and those types of posts, which are great for culture, invest your time and energy building a social proof account, which is focused on who you are as a person, the type of people you treat and examples of what you do that makes you the expert in your area. Patients trust what they see and on your social proof site, you want them to see examples of your work, examples of patients who are like them or they aspire to be and see what you did today, not years ago. A social proof site is like a highlight reel of your best work that is forever changing and clearly demonstrates what you do within seconds.

Purposefully Create Your Personal Brand

People want to do business with people, especially when it comes to something as important as the health and appearance of their smile. You have a professional brand, which is often represented on your website. It is the experience patients should expect when they interact with your practice and team. But you also need a personal brand which is communicated through social media. The key is to be thoughtful and purposeful about the personal brand you create.

Start by determining:

Your personal brand should be as individual as you are. My personal brand is very different from the brands of my brother and father, who are both dentists. This is the foundational work that needs to be done before you can begin creating your social proof site because it will define all the content you post.

Social Proof Content

Pictures are still worth a thousand – or more – words. What you put on your social proof social media sites should represent your personal brand and be appealing to your ideal patient. Think about a patient you’ve treated, someone who you’d like to have, if you could, hundreds more patients just like them. Who is that person? For me it is Monica. So if you want to attract more of your Monicas – whoever that might be – your social media/social proof site should specifically target that person.

YOUR SOCIAL PROOF SITE COULD INCLUDE:

•  Pictures of patients “just like Monica” with a testimonial and their smile transformations – whether it’s aesthetic or functional
•  Pictures or videos of cases you recently did that would appeal to your ideal patient and that showcase your clinical expertise
•  Personal photos that give patients a sense of what you are about and why they should trust you
•  Offers that are attractive to your ideal patient

The more focused and deliberate you are in posting and placing content and photos that attract your ideal patient, in creating a social proof site where they can see who you are and that you’re an expert in what they want for their smile, and in developing a personal brand that people can access and trust, the more successful you will be at creating growth in your practice.