Last Updated Oct 2012
Facebook is now a platform that gives you an opportunity to promote your brand. By promoting regular content and engaging in conversation with users, your private therapy practice can grow wonders. Invest your time with these six ways on how to increase the number of your fans on your facebook page.
1. Tell Your Friends, Colleagues, Current Patients That You’re on Facebook
When you first get going, make sure that you tell everyone you know to “like” your page. When new people come to a Facebook page with only a handful of likes, it doesn’t look good. It’s weird – it’s almost better to not have a page at all than have three likes.
Send out an e-mail or Facebook message to everyone with a link to your Facebook page. Ask them if you can help you get started in growing your page.
2. Your E-Mail Signature Should Have Social Media Links
Most people have an e-mail signature that includes their name, title as a therapy professional and perhaps a business address. This is a prime area to include links to your social media accounts!
Take a look:
My Current E-Mail Signature
When you click on: “Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn” you’re directed to a page where people can follow all three of these accounts. I use FullyFollow.me to put all of my links in one place. It has worked well for me. Give it a try!
This is a really nice, subtle way to advertise without feeling pushy!
3. Social Media Links on Your Private Practice Website AND Marketing Materials
If you have a therapy website, make sure that you include easy to see and access buttons to each of your social media. This is especially good if you aren’t collecting e-mail addresses for two reasons. One, it gives them an opportunity to get to know more about you and your private therapy practice. Two, it gives you a way to connect with and contact interested referral sources, which will help build your caseload.
Here are some great places to get nice-looking images/buttons to use.
4. Ask Your Fans to Recommend Your Private Practice via Facebook
Your network of friends, family and colleagues know people who might benefit from knowing you. Every now and then, but not too often, ask your followers to recommend you to others. Word of mouth advertising, even online, is the best!
Facebook Screenshot from 1/30/12 - my Birthday!
5. Cross Promote Your Private Practice Social Media Links
Are you on Twitter or Google Plus? Make sure that your audience knows that! Check out this Tweet that I sent a few weeks ago:
Cross Promote Across Social Networks
Make sure that you add a clickable link –> use http:// in front of the www.
For example: http://www.Facebook.com/IndependentClinician
6. Use Facebook Ads to Market Your Private Practice
Yes, you have to pay for Facebook ads, unless you follow these recommendations. Nevertheless, it is an effective way to build your audience. When designing your ad campaign, you can be extremely targeted. For example, you can choose to show your ad to:
- People of a certain age range (ex. parents or grandparents)
- Who live within 25 miles
- Who are interested in issues/causes (ex. autism, brain injury, special needs)
Members of certain groups (ex. Autism Speaks, The Brain Injury Association of Massachusetts, etc.)
You can choose to have people who click on your ad be sent to your homepage or your Facebook page. Directing them to your Facebook page is a much better way to grow your audience and it’s cheaper.
Do you have any ideas for improving your facebook page growth for your private therapy practice? Do share them with us by leaving a comment below!
About the Author: Jena H. Casbon, MS CCC-SLP spends her days treating adults with cognitive-communication disorders and her nights helping fellow speech, occupational and physical therapy providers start and grow their own private practices. Her company, The Independent Clinician, seeks to provide information, community and a confidence boost to those who want to get started treating privately but don’t know how.
Jena’s first book is available now: The Independent Clinician Guide to Private Patients. She is also finishing her second (yet untitled) book for SLP/OT/PT therapists on building a web presence (websites, social media and more) to grow their private practices.
Click here to read more about Jena Casbon, MS-CCC-SLP
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