‘Timely’ communication can enhance social media strategy

January 2012 – You’ve heard it before, but it doesn’t hurt to hear it again — social media is here to stay. The shift to interacting with friends, family, colleagues and patients through social networking sites isn’t a fad; it’s a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. The true ROI of jumping on this social media bandwagon is that your business will still be thriving in five years. Demandforce, a CDA Endorsed Program, knows that keeping up with the newest trends can be daunting, especially when you have a practice to run. So how can Demandforce make all this “Facebooking” and “Tweeting” easy for you while ensuring you stay relevant and in-tune with your patients? In one word: Timely.

Now, a practice can connect its Facebook and Twitter pages directly into the Demandforce portal using Timely by Demandforce. With one click, they can post status updates from the Demandforce D3 Dashboard directly onto the Facebook and Twitter Pages. Timely automatically schedules posts for the optimal time, maximizing impressions as well as the effectiveness of any post. With Timely, a practice is able to enter posts for Facebook and Twitter that can either be scheduled to go out later or be set to post immediately.

The key to using social media successfully as a marketing tool is to engage patients by feeding them fresh and relevant information regularly. A practice can track the performance and see the number of people the post reached and the number of reactions to each post with Timely. In just 30 minutes out of one day a month, the office can write up and schedule all the social media posts for the month. The motto is “Set it and forget it!” The value of using these sites really starts to become clear as you see just how many people your practice is reaching with the right message at the right time.

Tips for using social media effectively

You know you should be on Facebook posting updates and messages, but that’s only half the battle. What should you be communicating and how often? There is definitely an art to using social media sites effectively. Below are a few tips Demandforce says can help you master the art of social media messaging.

• Start with one post a day. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself or your Facebook page with too many posts that aren’t very relevant. Quality over quantity is key. When you’re ready, you can increase. Or not.
• Speaking of quality, not sure what to say? Google key terms about your industry that your patients may find interesting. Post the title of a relevant article or blog and add the link in your post. Or let everyone know about a special promotion or update to your practice. Questions or polls are also great additions — engage your community and make it personal.
• Find your social media rock star. Maybe you don’t want everyone posting, or you have someone on your staff who loves Facebook. Enlist that person to help you get your posts up and scheduled.
• Check in with your Facebook and Twitter pages and continue the conversations with your patients. They don’t just want to hear from you, they want to know you are listening to them as well.