Five Reasons Your Facebook is Flat

We hear from frustrated dentists and office managers all the time. They’re trying to gain some traction on Facebook and it’s just not working. Can you relate? Facebook is an ever-changing platform, but there are some common Facebook faux pas we’ve seen countless times and their solutions have withstood the test of time. Read through our five reasons and see if you and your page fit into any or all of these categories.

Don’t worry; we won’t leave you hanging! After each reason, we’ll give you our tips on how to pump that flat Facebook of yours back up. Spoiler alert: they are easy actions you can start implementing as soon as today.

1) You’re not placing ads

Facebook is a pay-to-play platform. Just like any other marketing medium, if you want eyes on your business, you’ve got to shell out some coin. But unlike many other marketing mediums… Facebook advertising doesn’t have to be expensive. Let me put it this way, posting on Facebook without placing ads is like being in a crowded room and timidly whispering, “Hey, you should check out our dental practice.” You hope someone hears you. Beyond that, you hope that those who do hear you are the types of people you want to see in your practice.

In contrast, posting on Facebook while placing ads is more like standing on a stage with a megaphone in a room full of people who all have some traits and interests of your ideal patient.

Which sounds better to you?

Pump it up: You can start slowly. Placing one to three ads a month can make a world of difference for your Facebook visibility. Navigating Facebook’s Ads Manager tool can be a bit tricky at first. After all, we want you to make sure you’re targeting people in your neighborhood who have the potential to become patients. Lots of likes are great, but if they’re all coming from a different country… that doesn’t do your business much good. We are always happy to help clients dip their toes into the world of Facebook ads. We’ve got some additional resources linked at the end of this article.

2) You’re not posting enough

Another common theme we see is dental practices that only post when a team member has a birthday. That’s a great place to start; keep doing that! But it’s not going to be enough. We’re not expecting you to post every single day (and you probably shouldn’t; see next point) but you’ve got to keep your page fresh to keep eyes on it. Think about it: if a potential patient is searching for a dentist and sees you haven’t posted since January of 2018, he or she may assume you’re not in business anymore and keep the search going. Don’t let that happen!

Pump it up: If the idea of posting more often paralyzes you… you’re not alone. Again, you can start slowly. Begin by posting once a week. Go ahead and include those birthdays, but add in things like specials you’re currently running, activities team members have participated in outside the office, highlighting a procedure you’d like to do more of, the last continuing education event you attended, or even a picture of your pet. (People l.o.v.e. pet photos).  Don’t overthink it. Just get started.

3) You’re posting too much

“Woah, woah, woah. You just told me not to post too little and now you’re telling me not to post too much. How am I supposed to know the right amount?” This may be what’s running through your head when you see these reasons back to back. I know; I get it. But just like sporadic posting may leave people wondering if you’re still in business, constant spamming may push people to ‘hide’ or ‘unfollow’ your page. The twist? These negative interactions raise a red flag to Facebook. They want people to enjoy your content just as much as you do, but if they see that people are not having any of it… they’ll start showing your posts to less people. So crazily, not posting enough and posting too much can negatively affect your page in some of the same ways.

Pump it up: The key here is quality. You can post more often on your page if you’ve got genuine, quality content that your followers are interested in. However, if you are posting generic content, facts about how many teeth a giraffe has, or fuzzy pictures of every comic that relates to dentistry… you may want to hit the brakes. It’s okay for your page to be silent for a little while if you don’t feel like you have anything to share. If you feel like your page has been quiet for too long and still don’t have anything to share… create your own quality content! It doesn’t have to be hard. Take a photo of your front desk person smiling and let patients know how excited you are to see them. Easy peasy.

4) Your content is boring

Don’t take this personally. We know you are not boring, but your content may be. Here’s the thing, you are a unique individual with fun hobbies and so is everyone else on your team. Don’t make your Facebook page look like you are a bunch of people who only care about flossing every day and your own birthdays. Yes, sharing that clinical information is important but remember: your patients aren’t as geeked about dentistry as you are. They want to know you are a capable and knowledgeable team, but they don’t want their newsfeed filled with mirrors, probes, retractors, and extreme mouth close-ups.

Pump it up: Those insanely clinical articles about dental implants? It’s okay for you to love that content, but before you share it on your page, think: “Is this something patients will understand, let alone be interested in?” If the answer is yes, by all means… go for it. If it’s no, just keep that little nugget for yourself. Also, remember that generic stuff I talked about up above? The giraffe teeth? Yeah, that. I hate to break it to you, but that’s not super exciting. Your followers would much rather see a photo of your smiling faces over a generic photo listing some random dental fact. I can promise you that.

5) You’re not being real

This reason goes hand-in-hand with number 4. We know you love dentistry, but what else do you love? If all you honestly do is attend dental conventions and read books about dentistry… awesome! There will be patients out there who appreciate your extreme passion for what you do. But if that’s not you, sharing little bits about your life outside the office can go a long way. Sharing article after article full of words the average person can’t pronounce probably isn’t the best way to attract people to your practice.

Pump it up: We’re not telling you to share more of your life on social media than you are comfortable with, but we may nudge you to share a family photo here and there. Did you do something fun last weekend? Share it! Did something awesome happen for one of your team members (like an engagement)? Share it! These little moments contain so much social media goodness. Your patients will love seeing the real you in their newsfeed. This can build your relationships and set you apart from other dentists in the minds of your followers. We encourage you all to get a little vulnerable; it’s worth it.

Chances are you’ve already got potential Facebook content sitting around in the camera roll on your phone. Now all you have to do is post it! Incorporating these ideas into your social media will not only spice up your online presence, but also help you build relationships with current and prospective patients. You can do it! We believe in you.

Additional Resources:

Rita’s One on One Sessions can help you dive into whatever social media topic you are wanting to explore further: ads, Instagram, or even setting up your Facebook page. https://1on1.ritazamora.com/

Rita’s book, “Get Found. Get Liked. Get Patients – Making the Most of Social Media” takes these topics further and provides you with our very own Facebook Ads formula. https://book.ritazamora.com/