Social media sites are the platforms where people educate themselves about their health through articles, videos and links. and one person recommends a certain chiropractor to someone else, that per-son will follow up on that referral and may, subsequently, tell another person about what a fabulous treatment they experienced. Today, with the overwhelming pres-ence of social media, that one person who had a fabulous experience with the chiropractor will now tell hundreds of their closest Facebook friends instantly about what a great experience they had during their treatment. It’s not a matter of if you start a social media network – it’s a matter of when . From a chiropractor’s perspective, using social media can provide a num-ber of great benefits, including build-ing awareness, creating or encouraging community involvement, and providing enhanced customer service. To shed a professional light on the topic of social media, I interviewed two cultural authorities: Minter Dial, a pro-fessional speaker, coach and consultant on branding and digital marketing, and Jeff Brown, the Founder of Alpha Social Media Inc. grow, experiment and use other means of communication. Businesses that do not embrace newer methods of interacting with their patients will lose their voice. Their marketing message can be lost in communication channels that are not used as frequently.” Dial explains, “In health-related mat-ters, it is obvious that patients are ex-tremely active online, always looking for answers, engaging in conversations with others and, to a lesser degree, test-ing medical services. In this respect, any medical service that wishes to partici-pate in that conversation will, at the very least, understand the needs and concerns of that potential patient.” In my practice, I am driven by the ever-evolving online community. The online presence I’ve created is working for me even during times I am away from my practice. I constantly share new infor-mation and patient testimonials as they become available. At the time of writing this article, my practice has a Facebook following of more than 1,700 fans in ad -dition to about 500 Twitter followers. Both Facebook and Twitter provide my clinic with at least five new patient refer-rals per month. Brown tells his clients that social me-dia enhances what you are already do-ing. Social media can give your business greater visibility and attract new patients. It can also help you keep in touch with your current patients. WHat are tHe GreateSt errorS dCs maKe in SoCial media? The two main errors both Dial and Brown see businesses make in social media are the following: Not knowing why they are doing it. Ideally, you are looking to create a cul-ture among your followers. What is a cul-ture? I like to define it simply as a group of individuals who share a common interest. As a DC, you need to identify the culture of your target patients and appeal to, as well as nurture, that culture. Being too corporate. One of the negative things a business can do in social media is to practise one-way communication. Think of it this way – it’s similar to when someone is talking at you, rather than engaging you in a mutual con-versation. Here the business broadcasts its message out, but fails to listen to its patients. As chiropractors, we need to provide constant opportunities for our online com-munity to be heard. For example, I polled my Facebook fans on the question, “Would you be open to requesting patient appoint-ments over text messaging?” More than 70 per cent of responders thought it was a great idea! Now patients are able to request ap-pointments and receive appointment re-minders via text messaging. It is also important to show your online community that your culture enjoys pro-moting and helping others, including those in your profession. I frequently recommend other local practices through social media. This shows the public you are helpful, while at the same time confident and secure in your own business practice. food for tHouGHt As with anything in practice, social media requires commitment and the results can be rewarding. Based on my experience, mak-ing any social media activity successful re-quires a certain mindset and, more impor-tantly, a consistent approach. If social media is designated as a pro-motional tool in your practice, it will likely struggle to succeed. On the other hand, if social media is viewed as a way to provide valuable, customer-centred interaction, its chances of success are greatly improved. It’s all about finding ways to drive and derive value from your fan base. • Have a question for our experts? Keep the conversation going with Jeff Brown on Twitter @4JeffBrown or Minter Dial @ mdial. www.canadianchiropractor.ca uSinG SoCial media verSuS not uSinG SoCial media I asked both of our experts to answer the question: What would you tell chiroprac-tors and businesses that refuse to, or are hesitant to, embrace social media today? Brown says, “Patients will continue to 18 • CANADIAN CHIROPRACTOR | JUNE 2012
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