Successfully using social media to grow your clinic doesn't require perfection—in fact, quite the opposite. Our founder, Joel, sat down with Dave James, podiatrist-turned-business-coach, to answer your questions about how to make your practice stand out online with social media marketing.
Michelle Geslewitz·
Social media marketing is unique because it's all about starting a conversation with your prospective or existing clients. Unlike paying for an ad in a directory or on Google, most successful posting strategies for channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all about the long game. It can take months of consistent work to see a return on your efforts, but the rewards can be enormous!
The good news is that in many ways, the hardest part of it all is getting started. There is no need to be perfect or invest in fancy equipment from day one. You'll naturally improve your social media skills the more you use the platforms.
That was certainly the case for our guest, Dave James. Dave started getting into social media about ten years ago. After a career in care and then podiatry, he sold his practice to focus more on helping other clinicians stand out online. And he's never looked back!
In our chat, Dave covered most of what healthcare professionals need to know for getting started with social media, including how to choose which channels are right for your business, how to turn followers into clients, and the tools he recommends.
This video replay has a little something everyone—regardless of your experience level. Here are some of the highlights:
How do you research the best hashtags to use on Instagram?
Individual hashtags vary a lot in terms of how commonly they are used. As you search for your keywords on Instagram, you'll see the platform will automatically suggest hashtags that may be relevant and how many posts have been made with each one.
Some hashtags, like #podiatrystories, have less than a hundred posts, and some, like #catsofinstagram, have millions. Those figures reflect the number of people on Instagram using those hashtags. Dave says the sweet spot for getting started is to layer up more popular (but not the most popular) hashtags with less (but not the least) popular ones, so you increase the odds of being seen by your target audience. (Dave's explanation starts at 28:11 and he goes into much more detail on this. It helps to know what trifle is. Trust me, it makes sense when you watch!)
What is the best way to find content to post every day?
If this is your goal, Dave recommends you start with something as simple as answering the last question a patient asked you. Sometimes common questions seem obvious to practitioners, but ultimately they may be useful to your audience. Great social media content is all about solving your patients' problems! (This question starts at 51:54.)
What if I get negative comments, criticism, or haters on my social posts?
Embrace it! You may well get some negative comments on social media, but don't panic. If you feel you can engage with the person leaving the comments, then that may be worth a try.
Dave explained that he usually thanks people for taking the time to comment as sometimes this can help pivot the conversation into something more positive. However, if the comment is offensive or something you don't want to be shown on your account, then you can always delete it. Someone being extremely harmful is not your ideal client. (This question starts at 59:54.)
What are links to some of the tools Dave recommends?
Dave makes some great recommendations throughout the recording, but some of the big ones include:
Canva - a freemium graphic design tool for marketing
Hootsuite - a scheduling tool for all social media platforms
Creator Studio - a free post and analytics platform offered by Facebook that can also be used for Instagram
How can I connect with Dave on social media?
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/positivepod/
Twitter - @davethepod
Instagram - @davethepod
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dave-james-coach/
You can also get in touch with him on his business website Positive Pod.
Where can I connect with Cliniko on social media?
Find us on our Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
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