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Target small number of sites in your social media efforts
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LAS VEGAS – A panelist here at a mobile technology seminar advised concentrating your practice’s resources on three social media sites as opposed to a “machine gun approach.”
Ryan C. Wineinger, OD, of Kansas City, said when he first got his practice involved in social media several years ago, he tried to be “on every site; be everywhere.” However, he soon discovered, “the key is not just having a presence. You have to drive content and capture data.”
He told Vision Expo West attendees to focus on three sites and create content that drives data. His practice concentrates on Yelp, Facebook and Google Places and cross-references them.
“Be the administrator on Yelp, so behind the scenes you can see what potential patients are clicking on,” Wineinger said. “See what photos they are clicking on, what they are sharing.
“Every day I send a status update,” he continued. “One week I concentrate on computer vision syndrome, the next week I focus on floaters – just 100 characters to send to your patients daily. Choose a site and do it right. Matchable.com helps you find all the sites. It’s worth hiring an employee now to run that site for you because of the traffic and business it can drive.”
Wineinger said he sends patients a questionnaire after their exam and asks them to go to Yelp.com to review him. “I’m thinking about posting positive comments as a status update,” he said.
“Be sure you respond to both positive and negative comments,” Wineinger said “People may not choose an office that has 100% five-star ratings. It will help you create a better practice and shows potential patients you are touching base with existing patients.
Steve Baker, moderator and president of Eyefinity, sponsor of the seminar, added: “It’s not a beauty contest. The key is interactivity. The general consumer is looking for authentic dialog. If you see five great reviews, you assume it’s relatives or neighbors posting them. They want to see that a problem is being addressed.”