(This article was originally posted on January 6, 2014, and has been updated with even more great info!)You may have an awesome practice, but if your Facebook Page sucks, you could be pushing away potential clients without even realizing it. Your Facebook Page may be one of the first impressions you make to prospective clients, so it’s important that it’s a good one.
If you’re not sure what kind of an impression you’re giving, or if you’re worried that your Facebook Page isn’t the best, here’s how to officially unsuck your Facebook Page in 10 simple steps:
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Create an actual business page, not a personal account that acts as one.
Using a personal account for anything other than an individual person is a violation of Facebook’s terms, and they can delete your account at any time if they find out your personal account is being used for business. If you’re using a personal account for business, learn how to convert it to a true Facebook business Page…before it’s too late.
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Tell people what you’re all about.
The About section of your Page is one of the first places potential clients will look to learn more about you. Include a brief description about your practice and your team, and make sure to fill in all the sections on this Page, especially your contact and website information, so that prospects know how to reach you.
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Pick a profile pic that represents your company.
Your profile picture will be seen with every post you make, so make sure it’s easily recognizable. Company logos make great profile pics and bring consistency between your Facebook page and your website. If you want to get more creative, you could feature a Patient of the Month and get permission to make their photo your profile picture.
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Make use of prime real estate – choose a cover photo that gets people to stay on your page!
There are many ways to capture attention. You could use this space to share a humorous photo, highlight your staff, show off your facility, introduce your patients, or share whatever image you feel best represents your practice and the type of content you share on Facebook. The key here is to include a quality image that will attract your current and potential fans and entice them to scroll down for more engaging info. For example, we would check out the Facebook Page of the Veterinary Hospital of Davidson based on this image. After all, who doesn’t want to see more cute puppies!
PRO TIP: Drive more traffic to your website by adding a description, including a link to your site, to your profile picture and cover photo. Simply click on the image and click on “Add a description.” -
Organize and customize your tabs.
Tabs are displayed below your cover photo – these are the apps associated with your page. Photos will always display first, but the remaining tabs can be arranged in the priority you want visitors to see. Remember that only 4 tabs automatically display – so be picky about your order. You can create and customize new tabs that might showcase your products, services, clients, events, etc. and there are several free applications to help you do this.
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Set your message options.
You can choose whether or not visitors are able to send you private messages. If you disable this feature in Settings, the Message button will not appear on your page. Keeping the button on your page makes it easier for fans to connect with you if they have questions, so we recommend keeping this feature enabled, as long as you’re prepared to monitor your inbox.
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Let’s get visual, visual!
Get pictures up on your wall! We’ve already mentioned the Photos tab is the first visible tab on your page, so make sure there are actually photos to see if people click there. Photos are also highly engaging and are proven to generate more likes and shares than the average text post.
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Switch it up.
Like most things in life, moderation is key. Not only is it a good idea to switch up the type of posts – photos, video, links – but make sure the messages you share also change. Don’t make all of your posts about business and booking appointments. Instead, show your personality with some funny posts, interesting links, or videos/pictures of your practice. Use these to build up your engagement first, and then lead in with the odd post on services, etc. Keep in mind that Facebook is about connections and being social – it’s not about being sold to. And Facebook is just as important as a tool for retaining clients and creating loyalty as it is for attracting new prospects, so make an emotional connection with your clients over social.
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Understand your followers.
Do you know when your fans are using Facebook? Go to the “See Insights” tab of your Facebook business Page (there’s a tab near the top of your screen), click on Posts, and you can actually see which days and times your fans are most active. Try posting your content during these hours to get the most reach.
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Switch it up again.
Keep an eye on your Insights and look for trends. If you’re noticing a drop in engagement (likes/shares), switch it up and try to replicate the types of posts that had success in the past. These analytics are incredibly valuable for figuring out what works and what doesn’t with your followers.
There you have it. In 10 steps, you’ve just unsucked your Facebook Page. Now that you have a Page as awesome as your practice, you can feel better about promoting it. It’s just one more way to connect with your clients and turn new customers into lasting and loyal ones.
