No practice should neglect social media in their marketing strategy. The number of potential patients connected through social media rises every day. If your practice isn’t connected to your community via social media, you can be sure that your competition is.
Social media is one of the most cost-effective ways of increasing brand awareness. However, social media platforms, and how users engage with them, are always evolving. Just when you think you have it all figured out, it changes. For our team, that is the most frustrating part of social media advertising. Despite the ever-changing algorithms, some things remain consistent, though.
Video-based content is king. When surveyed, 80% of people like to engage with live videos instead of prerecorded ones. Live-streaming videos allow your audience to engage with you, talk about the product, and shop while watching. (ProSingh, 2022)
Some incredible statistics support live video advertising:
• Rather than read social posts, 82% of people prefer a live video from a brand.
• Rather than read a blog post, 80% of people prefer to watch a live stream.
• 81.2% of businesses use Facebook to post video
content.
• Live video will account for 17% of the total internet video traffic share by 2022.
Despite the incredible engagement, many still resist live videos on social media. Discomfort with being on camera is hard enough. Taking away the ability to edit out all the things you see as flaws in the video is the hardest thing for most people. Here are a few reasons to get past that.
• It helps build a more intimate experience with your viewers.
• It can create a powerful emotional human connection with the people watching.
• It allows you to be more authentic and direct.
• It helps your audience have more empathy for you and your business.
• It allows viewers exclusive access to you, and this makes them feel special.
Once you get the tech sorted out, it’s easier to create content quickly. You can be more spontaneous. (Gray, n.d.)
Before you cite tech challenges as a reason to put off going live, let me share a little wisdom from world-famous film director Robert Rodriquez. “When you want to do anything, you have to reduce your ‘I need list’ to very little. The longer that list gets, the further away you get from accomplishing what you want.” The reality is that you only need two things to go live — a decent smartphone (Apple or Android) and good internet speed. That is it.
Before you break out your camera and go for it, let’s chat about content. What message are you trying to convey to your audience? In a webinar earlier this year with podcast host, chiropractor, and social media influencer Dr. Lauren Brunclik, she shared her secret to coming up with relevant content that easily represents you and your practice. She recommended having nine different categories that you can address in your social posts. (ChiroHealthUSA, 2022)
For example, one of your categories should be community, and you could post pictures of you and your team at community events or post a live video stream from one. Depending on your practice, your categories should address the types of patients you serve, the services you provide, and what makes you unique. If your target patients are pregnant women and children, post videos discussing stretches during pregnancy, the benefits of orthotics to help with low back pain through each trimester, and the benefits of chiropractic for newborns. Do you sell nutritional supplements? Post live videos with a new supplement each week and discuss the benefits. One of my friends, Dr. Jay Greenstein, posts weekly videos from his team that show new stretches, how to do them properly, their benefits, etc. They are popular with his patients and frequently shared on social media. Not every video should be about chiropractic. Content should be varied and discuss all aspects of a healthy lifestyle.
Set yourself up for success. Start by reviewing your social media followers for each of your accounts. Your followers should be patients and potential patients in your community. According to Dr. Brunclik, the biggest mistake most chiropractors make is focusing on quantity instead of quality when it comes to followers. She routinely deletes followers (family members, other chiropractors, college friends) on her social accounts to ensure that the people who see her content live in her community. Over time, your confidence in posting videos on social media will grow. Start by posting one video a week and move up to two videos. If you have a CA or associate doctor who enjoys posting videos, let them post this week’s video. Keep trying new things each week, and your engagement will grow over time. Have fun! Stay true to your brand. Don’t give up.
Kristi Hudson is a certified professional compliance officer (CPCO). She serves as the Director of Business Relationships for ChiroHealthUSA where she has helped to educate DCs and CAs on establishing simple and compliant financial policies. You can contact Kristi at [email protected] or 888-719-9990, or you can visit the ChiroHealthUSA website at www.chirohealthusa.com.
1. ChiroHealthUSA. (2022, January 4). Social Media that Converts. Retrieved from ChiroHealthUSA: https: //www.chirohealthiisa.com/webina...
2. Gray, I. A. (n.d.). 7 Steps to Going Live on Face book with Confidence. Retrieved from YOUPRENEUR: https://youpreneur. com/7-steps-to-broadcast-to-facebook-live-with-confidence
3. Petrov, C. (2022, January 4). 33+ Facebook Live Stats to Boost Your Online Presence in 2021. Retrieved from Techjury: https:// techjury. net hlog facehook-live-stats gref
4. ProSingh. (2022, February 1). 9 Marketing Trends You Need to Jump on in 2022. Retrievedfrom Entrepreneur: https://www. entrepreneur com article 411180
