This document provides tips for doctors on using social media to attract new patients and grow their practice. It recommends creating a Facebook page for the practice and posting photos, videos, testimonials, tips and discount offers 1-3 times per day. It also suggests using tools like Groupon to promote offers and monitor online brand mentions to protect the practice's reputation.

1. How Your Patients Can Find YOU!

4. So, are your patients online?

6. 59 Percent of adults who look for health information online 6 Where skin problems rank in medical issues people search for online 44 Percent who use Internet to find information about doctors or other health professionals Pew Internet & American Life Project

7. Who is searching for health info online? Vital Statistics Gender: Female Race: Caucasian Age : 18-29 and 30-49 Education: Some college-grad Income : $50,000-75,000+ ComScore

8. Where are they & what are they doing?

9. What are the benefits? Credibility Awareness Attract new patients Retention Grow your practice!

10. Let’s get started!

11. Before you do anything…

12. Have a session in the office to: Determine who will manage overall presence Decide what you want to start with (Facebook is easy) Who will participate in the office Identify what you want to accomplish! Brainstorm posts Come up with a calendar for the first three months of posts

13. Brand it like you would anything Add website (if appropriate), phone number Be sure to fill out the profile and include your hours and services Include a photo of all doctors and possibly staff Create tabs for: Welcome Offers Reviews Photos

16. Encourage all employees to fan the page and send to their friends and family Include page on appointment cards Leave flyers in the office as well as a sign at registration desk Put posters in appointment rooms Include in your billing statements Put link to Facebook on website (making sure to create an alt tag so it registers in Google) Include on all ads, coupons, etc. Attracting Fans

17. "A Facebook fan has no value. Getting a Facebook fan to do something does."

18. What to Post: Arrange a calendar for posts Use photos, videos, testimonials (reviews) Contests Tips on quality skincare, how to check for moles Discount offers When to Post: One update per day at first, then no more than three per day after the first month. Mix the type of posts. Time of day: 11:15 a.m. and 5 p.m. What & When to Post

19. Tips for effective posts Only 140 characters Use links whenever possible – shorten them by using sites like bit.ly and tinyurl.com Be friendly and personable Give credit, where credit is due! RT@handle What to post Contests News of services, offerings Discounts Retweet other posts Skincare news and tips

22. Two great new ways to grow your practice! Very cost-effective You post an offer and they help you market it. If you don’t reach a certain amount of interest, then you are not charged. You pay nothing up front! When someone in your area goes onto Groupon, gets deals in their mail or on Facebook/Twitter, your ad appears You can tease them on your own pages!

24. Protect your brand and your practice Create a social media policy Clearly communicate offers and messages Do not overstate performance Determine who should respond to criticism (communicate in social media policy) Establish guidelines for responding to social media crises – timing, messages, actions

25. Monitor your brand online Track comments posted on your social networks Run searches of your company name, offerings regularly. Don’t forget about Bing and Yahoo! Set up Google alerts Leverage tools such as compete.com and Website grader.com to monitor traffic Watch closely who is following you on Twitter Great resource: Ohio State Medical Association Social Media Guidelines http://bit.ly/9NqXuf

26. Stacy Wood [email_address] 614.540.5520