PT Classroom - How To Engage Your Existing & Potential Patients On Facebook ׀ by Samuel Awosolu, PT

Facebook has over 1 billion users and is the social network of choice your patients will use to engage family and friends. When it comes to marketing your physical therapy practice, are you using Facebook to properly engage your existing and potential patients?

This is a common problem most physical therapy practitioners in private practice have when using social media. Most are unsure of how to communicate and build better relationships with their existing Facebook community.

Below I will share with you some tips for engaging your existing and potential patients on Facebook so they become raving fans and will also spread the word about your physical therapy practice.

1. Engage Patients That Leave Comments On Your Timeline - When someone leaves a comment or question on your Timeline wall, this is where you will need to virtually shake hands and introduce yourself. Your Facebook Timeline is where you will connect with new and existing patients through discussions and by answering general questions.
2. Post Videos & Photos – Get the attention of your Facebook audience by uploading photos or videos of your staff, do’s and don’ts of specific functional related tasks, or show tours of your facility and equipment area. Photos and videos get shared often on Facebook and can potentially bring more traffic to your Facebook Timeline or website.
3. Share Informative Content That Provides Value – Write valuable content or share links your patients will find interesting. Providing information on injury prevention, warning signs and symptoms usually works well this crowd. If your existing or potential patients like your content enough expect them to share with their family and friends. This can bring more exposure to your private practice with the potential for new patient referrals.
4. Ask For Feedback- Use polls, discussion forums or surveys to get feedback from your community on Facebook. Find out what patients like or don’t like about your clinic. Ask if there is anything you can do to make their experience with you better. Getting feedback from your patients shows you care about their opinions and that you're always looking for ways to be of better service to them.

Building good relationships and making deep connections with your patients on Facebook can happen when you engage your community regularly and make your presence felt. Hopefully, you can see the benefits of leveraging your interactions consistently on Facebook. Doing so can help establish a new source of patient referrals and have your existing patients refer your private practice to their friends and family members.