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