ortho - the international C.E. magazine of orthodontics

ortho1_2013 I 41 industry_ Sesame Communications I By paying attention to what patients say about you on social me- dia,andparticipatingwhenit’sappropriate,youcanhelpensureyour practice is fairly and positively represented online. _’Claim’ your online business listings Without a complete, accurate and up-to-date listing on web por- tals such as Yelp! and Google+, you’ll miss attracting the attention of many potential patients. After claiming and verifying your practice’s listing on these sites, you can create brand-consistent profiles and monitorthemtoseewhatpatientsaresaying.Havingverified,stand- ardized listings will also net you a number of SEO benefits. _Monitor online conversations relevant to your practice By monitoring social media conversations about your practice, youcandeterminewhatpatientsloveabouttheirexperienceandwhat theydon’t.Usingthisfeedback,youcaninitiatemeaningfulimprove- mentsatyourpractice.Studieshaveshownthatforeverypersonwho complainsonline,26morecouldcomplainbutdon’t,sovirtuallyevery negative comment is worth considering. _Respond appropriately to patient comments whether positive or negative Create a swift and effective response to negative online feedback when appropriate. Be authentic and compassionate: own up to valid complaints,apologizeand,ifnecessary,outlinewhatyou’lldotomake things right. Conversely, don’t be afraid to gently correct patients whose complaints contain information you can verify is incorrect. Most issues should be resolved through private correspondence, not in a public forum such as your practice’s Yelp! or Facebook page._ FriedmanispresidentandchiefexecutiveofficerofSesameCommunications.Shehas a20-yearsuccesstrackrecordinleadingdentalinnovationandmarketing.Throughout her career Friedman served as a recognized practice management consultant, author and speaker. She holds an MA in sociology and an MBA from Arizona State University. AD Managing your practice’s online reputation Author_Diana P. Friedman, MA, MBA