Social media has become an important tool for dentists to connect with patients and prospects. It reaches more people than traditional media outlets and has significant influence in healthcare decisions. To build a successful practice today, dentists need to prioritize social media as patients now expect online engagement. Data shows that patients extensively use social media for health matters and to research providers, and it can impact their choice of dentist and decision to seek second opinions. Regular posting on social platforms is important for dentists to stay top-of-mind with patients and promote their expertise, treatments, and causes.

1. The Power of Social Media
for Dentists
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The Power of Social Media
for Dentists

2. Patient Communications Has
Changed in the 21st Century
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Social media now reaches more
people than any other local media
outlet, and data shows that it has
signi@icant in@luence in the
healthcare decision-making process.
To build a dental practice in today’s
digitally savvy world, social media
needs to be a priority. Patients
expect it as part of the dentist-
patient relationship, and it’s
become a marketing tool that
dentists can’t ignore.
* 7 out of 10 adults 18+ use social media regularly –
including your patients and prospects.
* Facebook has 1 billion users daily and a market
cap greater than GE, and Ford and GM combined.
* Social media’s household penetration, frequency of
use, and “share of mind” in your market far
exceeds other traditional local marketing services.
* Traditional local media is in a slow death spiral –
household penetration of local newspapers is <
25% nationally, local radio ratings are in decline,
Yellow Pages and Penny Savers are now irrelevant.
Google, Facebook, and the mobile revolution are
driving this.
* 89% of U.S. companies with revenues > $10
million use social media for marketing purposes.
There is a reason they do so: It works.

3. 22 Reasons Why Social Media is so
Powerful for Dentists
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4. 1) Social media pro@iles rank very high in search engines like Google -- and sometimes even higher
than a practice’s website. If you don’t have a pro@ile, you’re limiting your exposure. If you have one
but it’s empty or out-of-date, it could appear as if you’re out of business when someone clicks over
to it straight from search.
2) In 2016, Facebook and Twitter will offer more reasons to conduct local “near me” searches directly
on their platforms. You will need to post regularly to appear in those results – if you don’t, you risk
becoming digitally invisible on two of the biggest platforms in the world.
3) When you post useful information on social media, new patients can learn more about you beyond a
list of credentials in a biography on your website, which can only aid in their decision-making
process to see you.
4) Every dentist has an online reputation and footprint whether he/she wants one or not. You can
either ignore it – or take charge of it by conveying the image you want to convey instead of relying
on what others write about you on sites like on Healthgrades or Yelp.
5) It introduces and connects you with prospective patients in a more meaningful way than an
advertisement, and in a much more inexpensive way than direct mail or an advertisement in a local
publication.
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Social Media Makes It Easier for Prospective
Patients to Find and Choose You

5. 6) Patients expect their dentists to be current and up-to-date in their education, treatments, and patient
communication methods. If you’re not on social media, you risk appearing out-of-touch and old-
fashioned.
7) The more frequently you post on social media, the more chances you’ll have that your patients will
share your posts to their own social networks – leading to more exposure for your practice and more
word-of-mouth referrals.
8) When patients’ see useful content from you on social media, they realize that you care about their day-
to-day well-being, and that you understand their needs. If you don’t, it implies an attitude of
indifference.
9) You can improve health outcomes for patients through the tips and content you share on social media.
10) Fewer people are calling friends/family for referrals and recommendations; they’re posting requests
on social media for people in their own networks to answer. In fact, “social media will a major referral
source for healthcare providers,” according to a Jan. 2016 article in Forbes. This is something money
can’t buy.
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Social Media Improves Patient Relationships &
Encourages Word-of-Mouth Referrals

6. 11) 61% of social media users trust social media posts and activity by healthcare professionals over any
other group.1
12) 41% of people say social media would affect their choice of healthcare facility.2
13) More than 40% of consumers say that information found via social media affects the way they deal
with their health. If that information doesn’t come from you, it’ll come from someone else.3
14) Social media is where your patients communicate with each other, especially when it comes to their
health. In fact, recent stats show that 33% of consumers now use social media for health-related
matters, including how they feel about health providers, drugs, treatments, medical devices and
health plans.4
15) 45% of consumers say information from social media would affect their decisions to seek a second
opinion.5
16) 88% of consumers are in@luenced by reviews and comments online and the ability to search on
Facebook will connect people to these comments quickly.6
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Data Shows that Patients Use Social Media
for Healthcare Decisions
1 Price Waterhouse Coopers
2 Demi & Cooper
3 Mediabistro
4 SparkReport
5 Price Waterhouse Coopers
6 LocalVox

7. 17) You can promote new credentials you’ve acquired; new treatments and products you offer; articles
you’ve published; presentations you’ve given; your website; and more.
18) You can gain attention for causes you believe in like National Children’s Dental Health Month and
gum disease prevention.
19) You can spread the word about state-of-the-art treatments that your patients can bene@it from.
20) It gives you an easy and timely way to educate and comment on items in the news to help your
patients discern between hype and truth.
21) Through social networking communities and groups, you can connect with colleagues and other
industry experts.
22) It keeps you top-of-mind. When patients see that you’re posting content that’s useful and relevant
to their lives, they consider you their go-to source for information instead of WebMD or Google --
while reminding them you’re there for them.
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Social Media Exponentially AmpliQies Your
Experience and Expertise

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The more dentists embrace social media,
the more patients and prospects you’ll reach.
But to do social media right that takes time –
something you probably don’t have.
We do.
Contact us today: info@shareable.media
Your social media presence should be as professional as you are
in the of@ice. Let the professionals at Shareable Media help.
The Bo'om Line