ortho - the international C.E. magazine of orthodontics

ortho1_2012 I 17 practice matters_ social media I _Somewhere along the way, Facebook stopped beingsocial.Oh,youcanstillgothere,chatwithyour friends and plan your weekend. You can still “like” pictures of your neighbor’s new puppy and stay up- to-date with your high school friends. However, you can also go there, chat with sup- pliers and plan your next major purchase. You can “like” that secret sale your favorite store is having and stay up-to-date with the companies your high school friends are now running. Right before our eyes, Facebook grew up. To anyone who’s paying attention, it’s obvious thatFacebookhastranscendedtheconceptof“social media”andhasinrealitybecome“businessessential.” Thefactsbearthisout.Facebooknowhas845mil- lion users1 , including more than 60 percent of active onlineU.S.consumers2 spendinganaverageofseven hours a month on the site.3 This is the type of reach and frequency that mar- keters would have killed for in the past. These figures emphasizethepowerofsocialmediatocreateinter- active dialogue. It’s no secret that running an orthodontic office, and actively engaging with patients on Facebook, can be challenging without support. Nevertheless, the new business landscape and reach of Facebook make it essential. To lend a helpful hand, here are 52 weeks of Facebook orthodontic posts for your practice. You can use these posts to start or enhance the conversation with your patients online. Remember topersonalizeeachFacebookpostandincludealink, photo or video to support the topic. 1) January 24 is Parent’s Day. Dr. [insert name] wouldliketothank[his/her]parentsforalltheyhave done. Tell us why you are thankful for your parents. 2)In-Ovation® Cclearbracesareagreatwaytoget your teen excited about correcting his/her bite and teethalignmentissues.Becausethey’reclear,friends and family won’t even notice they have braces on! Give us a call at [insert telephone number] to learn more. 3)Joinustodayforour4thannual[insertpractice name]blooddrive.Wedonatebecausewebelieveit’s the right thing to do. Why do you give blood? Author_Rachel Mele, Director of Business Development, Sesame Communications 52 weeks of social media posts in less than five minutes