Orthotown April 2013 - (Page 58)

marketing // feature by Diana Friedman • More than four billion videos are watched on YouTube every day.1 • Twitter reports more than 100 million log-ins each month.2 • Facebook has more than one billion active users.3 To say that social media is popular is quite the understatement. But sheer user volume doesn’t tell the whole story of its popularity. Consumers – including your current and prospective patients – are spending increasing amounts of time on social media channels. About 23 percent of Facebook users, for example, check their account five or more times a day.4 Social media is part of our daily lives and are go-to resources for buying decisions. In fact, 89 percent of all U.S. Internet users do an online search before making a purchase, even if that purchase is made at a local business.5 Why is that relevant to your orthodontic practice? Each year 80 percent of adult Internet users look for health information online.6 The combination of popularity and frequency of use spells enormous business growth opportunity for orthodontic practices that cultivate an active and varied social media pres1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 58 YouTube blog. YouTube. January 2012 Pring, Cara. “100 social media statistics for 2012.” The Social Skinny. January 2012 Facebook Newsroom Fact Sheet, Facebook, October 2012. “100 social media statistics for 2012.” The social Skinny. January 2012. Vaughan, Pamela. “42 Tweetable Facts to Squash Marketing Fantasies” Hubspot, August 2011 “Health Topics.” Pew Internet and American Life Project. February 2011 APRIL 2013 // orthotown.com ence. Let’s take a closer look at six popular social media channels we believe are the keys to building successful online relationships with current and prospective patients. In discussing each channel, I will share a specific tactic to leveraging that channel to engage with patients and grow your practice. Facebook: What It Is Facebook has come a long way from its origin as a networking platform for Harvard students. Today, Facebook is perhaps the most business-friendly social media site. Businesses can create gorgeous Facebook pages with customized branded cover pages; drive traffic to their pages using inexpensive, targeted ads; post a wide variety of multimedia content to engage current and potential customers; and much more. Facebook’s Page Insights analytics feature allows you to measure your page’s reach, engagement and other key data. Let’s not forget Facebook Graph Search, which allows users looking for an orthodontist to perform a search that displays all of the orthodontists that have been “liked” by their friends. Why It’s Worth Your Time Your competitors are there. A recent study by Sesame Communications7 polled 88 dental and orthodontic practices and found that 99 percent of these practices use Facebook. Your patients are there. One billion users is nearly onesixth the world’s population! But more to the point, a staggering 93 percent of all U.S. adult Internet users are on Facebook.8 7. 8. Sesame Communications, September 25, 2012. Proprietary Data on file “Teen and Young Adult Internet Use.” Pew Research Center. February 2010 http://www.orthotown.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Orthotown April 2013

Orthotown.com Highlights
Wired for Success: Big Brother is Listening
Industry News
Some Suggestions Would Be Great
Poll: Bracket Systems
Fun Class III Two-Jaw Case
You Should Know: Motion View Software, LLC
A Protocol for Creating Images from CBVI for the Practicing Orthodontist, Part II
AAO Annual Session Product Showcase 2013
Office Visit: A Community Pillar
New Products
AAO Feature AAO Membership – What’s in it for me?
Smile Assist
You Should Know: Gaidge Practice Metrics
The Combined Value of the Frontal Analysis and Growth Prediction
Getting Social Media to Grow Your Practice: A Primer for Successful Orthodontic Social Media Engagement
Get Patients to Rave About Your Practice
Ad Index

Orthotown April 2013