Facebook is instituting changes, among them the increase in paid content promotion. If the return on investment (ROI) of your Facebook account seems to be dropping suddenly, it may be time to step up your game and allocate a budget for Facebook post promotion.
Organic reach is still available but harder to achieve. The cost of promoting posts, however, is quite inexpensive compared to traditional advertising costs. Facebook ads offer the lowest cost per 1000 impressions in advertising, with an average of $0.25 per 1000—only 1% of the cost for a television ad. Compared to simple views, paid ads are much more likely to prompt action, such as a call to the practice or an actual dental appointment.
To most effectively use Facebook’s paid post promotion option requires some specific actions. First, it’s important to research your dental niche, your brand, and the topics that are of value to your patient base. Tools such as Buzzsumo will search social media for mentions of your target words and filter directly through Facebook, then you can see what works for your competition and what doesn’t.
Second, the content you create should be engaging and adhere to Facebook guidelines for promotion.
Remember that Facebook isn’t the only social media site you can use. Once you have succeeded with it, move on to other platforms, such as Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and others. Clinical Significance Practice growth requires that you reach the right audience with the right message at the right time. Social media advertising reaches far and wide with minimal investment and can offer you a good return on your investment in terms of new patients and engaged current patients.
Nation K: ‘Paying to play’ on Facebook: Is it right for your practice? Dent Econ issue 10, pp 38, 40, 2015
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