Are You Using Social Media To Listen?

31 August 2016 | | Blog

Lots of dental practices are now in the habit of posting regularly on social media which is fantastic news- but are they listening? Listening can be a key way for dental practices to distinguish themselves from the competition.

So what is social listening? “Social listening” is the process by which a business gathers feedback from its audience, considers that feedback, and uses it to inform future action. It’s a two-way street: Effective social listening means that a business takes in feedback with an open mind and a willingness to adapt its practices as a result.

Unfortunately, “Most people don’t listen with the intent to understand,” wrote Stephen Covey, author of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Rather, “most listen with the intent to reply.” It’s fitting, then, that there’s no shortage of wisdom from great thinkers about listening. Hemingway urged people to “listen completely,” and Susan Cain cautioned that we should listen twice as much as we talk – we have two ears, after all, and one mouth.

The key take away from this is to not automate content and rarely check your profiles. It’s important that social media stays social and that you are regularly replying to comments, taking note of any feedback and using this feedback to improve your social media presence and even your internal practices. For example, if patients are commenting that you have very long waiting times, perhaps allow more time in between appointments and express that you have made this change through listening to feedback on social media.

Listening can also help you with thinking of content ideas. Go “back to basics” – listen to your target audience and create social media content that drives engagement. If a particular post gets lots of likes, post something similar in a few weeks’ time.

If your audience feels heard, then they will return the courtesy.

If you would like further advice on social media for your dental practice, speak to a member of our team today on 01202 677 277 who will be happy to help you.

Thanks to Social Media Today for the inspiration for this post

More posts from our team


Previous Post:
Next Post:

Back to all news

Reviews2024
Five Star
Reviewed Marketing
5 gold stars
google review logofacebook review with 5 stars
"Excellent service from James at Dental Design, thank you very much for your prompt attention whenever I get in touch! Would definitely recommend to a friend" Alison Tarmey View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Would definitely recommend to a friend"
5 gold stars
"As a dental practice manager I cannot recommend Dental Design highly enough. They are just brilliant at what they do. Lucy and her colleagues are just an email or a phone call away...." Emma Smith View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "I cannot recommend Dental Design highly enough"
5 gold stars
"Really great company to deal with. They always respond quickly and are truly reliable. I would 100% recommend, the staff are so friendly and helpful." Michelle Molloy View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Really great company to deal with"
5 gold stars
"I got increased traffic and new patients applying to my surgery, once Dental Design upgraded my website. They are very professional, efficient & adaptive to new situations..." Joanna Gallop View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Very professional, efficient & adaptive to new situations"
5 gold stars
"Lucy has been a star, responding to and acting upon our requests in a prompt, efficient and professional manner, as well as the rest of the Dental Design team..." Abhay Shah View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "I cannot recommend them highly enough"
5 gold stars
"...Since the website has been up and running Lucy Mander has been our point of contact. She has been invaluable and gone out of her way to help us, especially during COVID-19 lockdown... " Lucy Jones View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Has been invaluable and gone out of her way to help us"
5 gold stars
"Thank you for all your help and support, and the provision of valuable learning aids for our patients and staff alike in these difficult times. We love the look of our practice website. Very professional!" Sandra Luck View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "We love the look of our practice website. Very professional!"
5 gold stars
"Dental Design stood out both in their knowledge of the industry and their professionalism and can-do attitude. All of their staff are exceptionally competent and knowledgeable..." Harvey Rook View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Dental Design stood out both in their knowledge of the industry and their professionalism"
5 gold stars
"Having done extensive research into all the dental website companies, the team and package offered at dental design was unrivalled..." Neil Shah View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "The team and package offered at dental design was unrivalled"
5 gold stars
"The team at dental design (especially Rosie) are absolutely fantastic and are always on hand to help. They are professional, friendly and extremely efficient. Rosie always gets back..." KiKi Wilmot View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "absolutely fantastic and are always on hand to help"
5 gold stars
"Dental Design are fantastic to work with, our website is amazing and the support they provide is second to none. Our account manager Rosie L is a fabulous point..." Luke Lucas View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "Dental Design are fantastic to work with"
5 gold stars
"Having worked with the Dental Design team for the last six months, I've found them not only helpful, but friendly and approachable too. I bombard Marcus with regular..." Sophie Harper View Full Testimonial
Google reviews logo "always met with a swift and professional response"
5 gold stars
desk with branded documents