The Digital Practitioner: social media strategy
Showing posts with label social media strategy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social media strategy. Show all posts

Wednesday, 8 August 2018

The Two Key Elements To Practice Growth And Business Success

August 08, 2018 0
The Two Key Elements To Practice Growth And Business Success

You often hear people saying, ‘keep it simple’. It’s a phrase that I have heard on numerous occasions throughout my business life. 



It is a concept that I can fully appreciate, however if I’m being honest, is something that I used to have difficulty with. 

My busy mind and imagination always tended to overcomplicate the simple, mainly based on the fact that if it appeared to be so simple I automatically believe there needed to be more to it. 

The same applied when considering the growth of my practice in that I needed to be doing all things and covering all angles in order to achieve success and growth. It turns out that in fact, in order for my practice to grow, I actually needed to step back and do less. 

To simply focus on the essential.

The need for overcomplication and busyness is quite possibly a growing pandemic that is fuelled by our fast-paced lives, connectivity and expectations of things being done instantaneously. 



I feel; however, that this can blindside us into not focusing on the essential aspects that will really influence growth.  

I have discovered two key factors of influence when wanting to specifically grow your optical practice. Indeed, the same principal can apply to any healthcare business. 

Identifying these two key influencing factors has come from 11 years in practice and from my recent training with one of the leading digital and social media marketing experts.

So here it is…in order to grow a successful optical practice or any business for that matter you need:

1.    To differentiate.
2.    An effective social media strategy.

Simple, yes?

It is simple. But the simple fact is that the vast majority of practices are focusing so much on their clinical work and offering that they are blindsided to these two factors. 

And the practice owners that are aware of this need are either too busy to focus time and attention to these areas or are paying an external marketing agency with no actual in practice experience and are frustrated by the results, or lack of!  

Differentiate

You must know what you stand for and you must be in a position to differentiate yourself in a saturated marketplace. 



This applies across all industries but is particularly apt within the optical industry and especially so if you are an independent practice. 

The vast majority of opticians appear to be trapped in a price and brand war with each other that has been caused by a shift in the market, influenced mainly, by the gradual takeover by the larger multiple companies.

In my opinion, us opticians are a confused lot. We are toiling with mixing our clinical service with the retail sale of eyewear along with trying to please anyone and everyone who attends our practice. 

There is no key differentiating factor and we have no clear identity in what we stand for. 

This has to change if you want to grow and thrive. The most effective way to differentiate your practice is through your product offering. This is the one thing that has the biggest influence on your bottom line and one of the easiest things to change. 

Social Media Strategy

In the age of social media driven culture and society the business world has a lot of catching up and re-learning to do when it comes to marketing their businesses. 



There are a few key components that should be adhered to in order to get it right with social. And when I say get it right I’m not meaning the perfect set up or best lighting for your latest Instagram post.

I’m talking social media driven, growing your business, that relates directly to bottom line, results.

The power of an effective social media strategy is still to this day overlooked by the majority of healthcare practices. 

This is crazy when you consider between 65% – 80%+ of your current and potential clients will be present and active on social.

I will go into more depth on each of these aspects in the coming weeks and have an exciting 7-part video series focusing specifically on effectively setting up and optimizing your social media accounts for Healthcare Practice. 



In summary: 

I would advise any Optical or Healthcare Practice owner to take a step back from their current practice and take a long hard look at what exactly it is they are traying to achieve from their business. 

Is it just a job that puts money in your pocket or is it an investment to grow and potentially sell as part of future wealth creation. 

If it’s the former and you are happy with your situation, then keep on going. 


If it’s the latter, then you really need to reassess your market position and your strategy for growth. 

As always, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments. 

Let me know if there is any aspect of your business growth or marketing that I can help you with. Contact me on Instagram: @thedigitalpractitioner, on Facebook: The Digital Practitioner, or email me on support@thedigitalpractitioner.

by: Alan Bryden 



Tuesday, 22 May 2018

Content Marketing Strategy | Joe Pulizzi

May 22, 2018 0
Content Marketing Strategy | Joe Pulizzi


Content marketing is essential for any Healthcare Practice to really stand out from the crowd.

It establishes the practice as the go to place for the patients specific needs.

A regular and consistent schedule will develop trust and bring across the personality type of your business. 






Have you got an effective strategy in place?



Wednesday, 9 May 2018

Grow Your Business With Social Media Methods

May 09, 2018 0
Grow Your Business With Social Media Methods

If you own a business - chances are that you're already using Social Media platforms and methods to get the word out about your business. If you haven't begun using this platforms - you are probably seriously considering it and you should be...

The fact of the matter is that approximately 82 percent of small businesses are using this platforms, such as: LinkedInFacebookTwitterInstagram and Pinterest to support the growth of their businesses. If you are still debating whether or not you should resort to this platforms for the growth of your business then you should end the debate and get started as soon as possible.
This platforms are effective in the growth of your business. In fact, many people find out about different businesses, their products and services via Social Media Networks.
Below You Will Find 6 Reasons Why Social Media Marketing Works!
1. Social Media Gets the Word Out About Your Business.Yes! As a matter of fact, different platforms will support you in getting the word out about your business. It really works!
Your business will gain exposure! Needless to say - this is a very good thing! But more importantly, this will allow you the opportunity to develop relationships with your targeted audience. You'll be able to gain followers, make connections and engage with people who will now know about your company. Furthermore, people who have done business in the past with you will now be more inspired to tell other people about your products and/or services.
2. Social Media Marketing is Extremely Cost Effective! The more algorithms added to different platforms and / or networks - the more likely it is that it'll affect your organic content, as you can get lost in the scuffle. For this reason, we strongly advise you to take advantage of advertising options offered by many networks, which will promote your business, content and special deals and/or offers. Best of all, social media advertising is relatively inexpensive.
3. Social Media Is Super Duper Popular! You don't have to be a devoted reader of blogs on technology or a pro on digital marketing to be aware that this is extremely popular amidst an array of consumers.

Per the Pew Research Center - approximately 65% of American adults are utilizing this platforms and / or networks. This means that this is more likely to reach almost every customer that walks into your business or visits your website.
For the majority of small businesses - Facebook has over 1.5 billion monthly users, which means that FB is the platform where your business will be able to reach more of your targeted audience. We recommend that you get started on your marketing campaign with Facebook.
4. Social Media Marketing Reaches All Demographics & Ages. This doesn't have age barriers. In fact, age barriers are defied in social media networks. A study conducted by the Pew Research Center discovered that 65 percent of adults in The United States are active in these platforms.
Between 2005 through 2015 - people between the ages of 30 through 49 had increased their usage of social media networks. It doesn't make a difference how old your targeted audience may be - it is more than likely that they're already logged into their preferred platforms and are waiting for you and / or your business to become visible.
5. Social Media Inspires Two Way Engagement. This allows you the means and the control to become more informed about your targeted audience. With this you'll have the opportunity to learn all about your audience's interests and you'll be able to acquire feedback.
Engage with your followers and / or customers and ask them to ask you questions and share their thoughts, opinions and ideas on how you should get to know them on a deeper level, so that you can pander to them better. You'll be able to offer quick responses without the usage of a phone or without having to worry that your customer may have missed your reply.

6. Social Media Networks Allow You to Share Loads of Info About Your Business. Different networks have become the place where consumers go to gain more information about your business. The reason for this is because these platforms offer and allow businesses to post up to date info about all their services, products and future events.
Moreover, a lot of the profiles and activity on social media networks can be public, which allows a lot more visibility to users. This also, means that your profiles can be indexed by Google and other search engines. This is just one more way that you can be certain that your business and/or company will come up during searches on search result pages.
As you can see, Social Media Marketing is one cost efficient way that will support you in the journey of making your business known to your targeted audience and other users. Best of all, this will most certainly help you grow your business!
Make sure to check up on Mystic Web Designs Blog for continuous updates on Social Media Marketing, SEO, Web Design and the latest marketing trends.
Rosario Berry is a professional freelance writer, like to introduce Mystic Web Designs. You can see, Social Media Marketing is one of the cost efficient ways that will support you in the journey of making your business known to your targeted audience and other users.

by: Rosario Berry 
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Rosario_Berry/1668823


Monday, 30 April 2018

Online Marketing Overview for the Cash & Membership Chiropractic Office

April 30, 2018 0
Online Marketing Overview for the Cash & Membership Chiropractic Office

Because online marketing is a vast universe of promotional opportunities it can also become an equally huge source of confusion for small business owners.

Most chiropractors are no different.
In a nutshell you should work your online marketing from 3 angles.
  1. Social Media Marketing
  2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Marketing
  3. Advertising (Online Ads such as Google Ads) Marketing
Arguably, all 3 approaches have equal importance in the world of marketing your small business online.
Social Media Marketing
You are no doubt familiar with social media.
It's comprises the faddish world of sites that allow you to keep up with friends, family and celebrities all while telling everyone about everything going on in your own life - should you choose.

Beyond the personal boundaries of social media, the business application can prove quite impactful by simply getting a well-crafted business page set up and driving traffic to it. From there just stay actively engaged with those people and you will accomplish top of mind awareness.
Supply valuable and thought provoking content with an occasion self-serving promotion such as an upcoming Patient Appreciation Day.
Once you are active on the 4 or 5 most popular social media sites, you may consider a platform such as Hootsuite (Hootsuite.com) that will allow you to post from one place and have it populate onto many social media platforms.
SEO Marketing
To break SEO marketing down into its most basic explanation coupled with advice, you want to create links pointing to your website.
That simply means you want to create a ton of original content (just like this article is for my website) and put your website URL (address) somewhere in it so that people can click it and land on your site.

People landing on your website is called your traffic.
The more traffic you get, the cooler the search engines think you are and the more your phone will ring.
Marketing with Paid Ads
Another way to get traffic is to pay for it.
Using Google as the obvious search engine example, you can run what are called Google Ads using their AdWords campaign function.
To do this you simply need a Google account and some time on your hands to learn the basics of how to run ads.

There is an art and science to running effective ads but well worth your time spent. My own Express Chiropractic office gets 40% of new patients from online marketing efforts, a percentage of which is well crafted paid ads.
Another 40% of my patients come from unsolicited patient referrals. Why do I mention this in an online marketing article? Because if you put out all the time and effort it takes to build and maintain an effective online presence just to have those people come in and not have an incredible experience in your office then all that effort was for nothing.
And you are going to need to keep spending money to fill the clinic because your existing patients aren't helping out.
Bottom Line for Cash and Membership Practices
Online marketing is all about having an even split of ads, social media posts and high quality original content floating around on the web. You will never over market online and especially when the bulk of it is proving valuable information verses self-promotion.
This means you and your staff can and should always be marketing during any down time.
Whether writing an article, a press release, a social media post or online ad there is more to get done than you could ever possibly keep up with.
For the Cash/Membership chiropractic office the focus should largely be on your philosophy about health (Salutogenesis vs Pathogenesis, etc.) and the benefits of care and services you offer (No appointment needed, No insurance needed, etc.) along with occasional promotional information (first visit special, etc.).
In other words, how you are different than the typical insurance based chiropractic office. By setting yourself apart, the wellness chiropractic niche in your community can better identify that you are the right chiropractor for them.
Dr. Daron Stegall is founder and COO of Cash Practice Concepts and Express Chiropractic. For more than 15 years he has been coaching chiropractors on the business and marketing of chiropractic offices.
To learn more about Express Chiropractic and franchising opportunities visit the website at http://www.ExpressChiropractic.com.
For free information about transitioning an existing practice to a cash/membership office visit http://www.CashPracticeConcepts.com.


by: Dr. Daron Stegall 
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Dr._Daron_Stegall/312644




Sunday, 29 April 2018

Mistakes That Can Be Prevented When Choosing a Dentist

April 29, 2018 0
Mistakes That Can Be Prevented When Choosing a Dentist

Deciding on a Dentist Because of Price, Availability or Location
When looking for a dentist, people should not give primary importance to the low price being offered, location that is near their home/work, or immediate availability. 

The first step to consider is the training undergone by the dentist and staff, plus the ability to provide high quality preventative dental care, and to treat diseases/decay in the advanced state.
Some of the important qualities to consider are:
Dentist Training
Patients should ask about a dentist's experience and training in terms of the procedures desired or needed.
Comfort
They should inquire about the amenities, and know whether they can make treatment more comfortable - for example with nitrous oxide or similar advanced technology.
Fees and Payment Options
They should find out if dental insurance is accepted, and how much should be paid out of their pocket.
Recommendations
Patients should check out dental office reviews. They could request for a list of dentists within their vicinity, who are members of ADA, other professional associations or a local dental society. They could also read online reviews of other patients.
Consultation
Once patients have a list of potential dentists, they could contact or visit their office prior to making an appointment. They could ask if the dentist is a member of a renowned association like ADA, and find out which of the dental procedures are performed in-office or out. They should know how early they need to schedule checkups and cleanings.
On their first visit, they can inspect the office and see if it is clean, tidy and orderly. Are the staff members friendly? Do they carefully keep a patient's dental and medical history? Is the office child friendly? Does the front desk receptionist attend to patients immediately? Is he/she respectful?
Other Things to Keep in Mind:

Does the dentist and staff have good communication skills?
Do patients feel at ease when asking the dentist questions?
Can the recommendations/referrals of the dentist be trusted?
Is there a Digital radiography that lessens unnecessary radiation exposure in the office?
Does the office have advanced technologies, like a laser, to find cavities, digital radiography and/or intraoral cameras to detect existing problems in the mouth?
Does the office guarantee its services, as well as promote optimum dental health, and not treat patients like customers that come and go?
Selecting a Dentist Because of the Very Low Advertised Price
No one would jump out of an airplane using a cheap parachute. When patients like to maintain their teeth, they should not entrust their health to dentists who have nothing special to offer but discounted services.
3 Reasons why this can backfire:
It is like walking into a trap and being scammed when the dentist offers a very low price without revealing the hidden costs until the patient sits in the dental chair.
Usually, low price means minimal care that can make a patient more prone to decay and disease.
More often than not, patients get poor care from a dentist who lacks experience and training.
Why trust a cheap advertisement that will let patients spend more than usual for services desired or needed, when they can go for trained and experienced dentists who think about what is best for their patients.
Not satisfied with your downtown Cleveland dentist and looking for a new one? Or perhaps you are moving and searching for an Avon dentist? Either way, come and visit our website - we can help!


by: Karina Popa
Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Karina_Popa/1432444


Monday, 16 April 2018

CONTENT CALENDAR | How to Organise your Content Schedule

April 16, 2018 0
CONTENT CALENDAR | How to Organise your Content Schedule


Time is Money! So get organised with a proper content schedule.


On social the consistency of your content is vital to develop trust with your followers.




Are you dependable with your content?


Monday, 9 April 2018

Social Media Is Changing - Facebook's Update and Its Impact on Brands, Businesses and Media

April 09, 2018 0
Social Media Is Changing - Facebook's Update and Its Impact on Brands, Businesses and Media

In the last few years, Facebook became the main social media platform in the world and we became completely dependent on it. 

From information that affects our buying habits, through links to news and events in the country and beyond, to debates about political and social issues - everything can be found in one place and people became digitally lazy.
Mark Zuckerberg - Facebook's CEO announced major changes to the Facebook's News Feed a month ago. He said that its 2 billion users will see less public content from brands, businesses and media. The goal is to bring people together through meaningful posts from friends and family. This is a second major update that Facebook is making since last year when they have been working on reducing the fake news and clickbait.
In 2018, Facebook will prioritize three features:
• News that community rates as trustworthy
• News that people find informative
• Local news that are relevant to where people live.
However, what does this mean for brand and businesses and what are the impacts?
With these updates, brand and businesses will notice that the reach, video watch time and referral traffic on their pages will decrease. The impact will vary from page to page, depending on the type of content they produce and how people will interact with it. Pages with the biggest decrease will be those who publish posts on which people don't react to or comment on.

Businesses are no longer considering the "organic reach" because fewer people are seeing their content. They have already sponsored their posts for bigger visibility and reach. The advertising will become more expensive despite the fact that an ad algorithm will remain the same. You will have to focus more on quality vs quantity of the posts, on campaigns instead of daily communication and on paid rather than organic reach. Now is the time to focus on Google and your website, as well to activate other channels of communication. We especially emphasize Instagram as social media platform that is constantly growing and behaving as Facebook behaved in the golden age. Let's not forget that Instagram is owned by Facebook and it's not known how it will take place in the future.
According to Facebook, the groups will have bigger role due to the possibility of encouraging debates and discussions. But through groups you will not be able to generate visits to your website. It still needs to be seen how things will take place in these regards.
Our opinion is that brands and businesses will adapt this update very quickly, while the media will go through a process of turbulence because they are much more dependent on Facebook. It is easier for brands because they can develop a strategy that will include other channels of communication, despite Facebook. The situation is different with media. Facebook published new filtering systems where users will determine which media is relevant.
Conclusion is that Facebook, as a social media platform will require quality content rather that inflated designs aimed to generate sales. Even we, as an individual users need to get a better Facebook in terms to spend more quality time there.

BY: Maria Williams