When using social media marketing for your business, the first and most important element is your website.

Your website or landing page is the first contact your potential customer has with you after finding you through your social marketing campaign. To reduce your visitors clicking off the page, use these three guidelines:

First- Think simple and free of clutter

Just like your desk, if your website is packed pull of unorganized and random elements… clean it up quickly.

Most of the time visitors to your site will judge your page within 3 seconds and either decide to stay or leave. Having a cluttered site makes it hard for your visitor to find out if you have what they are looking for. Always make it easier for your web visitor to find exactly the information you are providing without having to click all over the place.

Also, make sure to guide your web visitor in the direction they need to be going. For instance if there is information about different types of information, give them a choice like “If you are looking for dental insurance, click here… for motorcycle insurance, click here.” Making it simple helps them find what they need quickly and reduces the chance of them leaving early.

Second – Avoid big filed graphics and animations

Your web visitors will be coming to your site from various different platforms, computers, and internet speeds. If you load up your site with large graphic files or processor heavy animations, you limit the amount of people that can view your site.

These days, many people use their phone and other mobile devices to quickly find information or a merchant and you don’t want to restrict their access. Flashy sites are for winning agency awards, not for doing business. Keep it simple and light.

If you need help building a site, don’t worry about having to learn HTML, CSS or Java. Use simple but powerful web building software like Weebly or WordPress and you’ll have a very a nice looking site that will do more than you need for running a business.

Third – Tell your visitor what to do

The call to action is the most important step you need to have in your website or any other marketing piece you have. It tells your reader, “Look, to get your cavity fixed, pick up your phone, call 555-1234 right now and end the pain immediately!” While that might sound simple or obvious, you would be surprised the difference having a line like that makes.

Be sure to have clear, simple directions on what to do to contact you or how to request more information at the end of every page you have online or in print. You will quickly see a jump in your response.

Having a website for your social media marketing is vital. But don’t let it overwhelm you, it can be as simple as clicking a few buttons and writing some basic descriptions if you use the resources mentioned above. If you already have a website for your small business, go through it and make sure you’re keeping it simple and clean as discussed in the first steps.

Social media seems to be the hot topic on just about every blog and every article I read, but I know why; it’s because social media marketing is probably the most underused type of marketing around; which is ironic because it’s virtually free. It’s apparent that everyone seems to be aware of social marketing sites and just about everyone you know probably has a Facebook profile page, a fan page, a Twitter page and a LinkedIn profile, maybe one of those or all of them; but for marketing purposes they are underutilized and I’m not sure why. My hope is that you’ve taken advantage of all of these platforms and more. Dentists; as a business owner you should think of every social media site as an important set of tools needed for your dental marketing toolbox and use them liberally.

As a dentist, you have tools for various procedures performed in the dental office and although I’m not a fan of dental tools I am very appreciative that modern dentistry is accessible to me and my family. In the past dentists have gotten a bum rap; not everyone is excited about their dental appointments. Hopefully with the right mix of social media and some attractive dental marketing ideas the public will have a more positive outlook about their dental care.

I took three of the most popular social platforms in the networking world today. There are more and only one of these three is ranked in the top three according to Alexa.com, but they are my “go to” sites for networking. One is less used by the masses; however it pulls its weight in performance if used correctly and consistently. Let’s begin with that one;

LinkedIn – Ranked #25 on Alexa.com. I know it seems strange with others rank higher but; LinkedIn is on a more “profession oriented” level of social media, not so mainstream but very effective in communicating and networking with other professions linked with dentistry. The tricks here are getting the profile page filled out in its entirety. LinkedIn gives you step by step guides as you fill out your information; however what it doesn’t give you is some beefy information about using keywords in your current job titles and descriptions. Even using keywords in the area provided for websites. Instead of just adding your URL, name your site with keywords. Example; Your Town Dentist, if you blog then add that URL too but also use keywords to name it on your profile, ie; Dental Marketing Tools Blog. There is even a place to add your Twitter URL. Once you have completed your profile, go find some groups that are compatible with your profession, like other dentists, orthodontists and dental surgeons, comment frequently in the discussions, add discussions, be active in the groups you belong to. If you have a blog, LinkedIn offers the capability of feeding your blog posts to your profile page or if the blog post is on a specific hot topic that warrants some feedback, post that to the discussions with in a group.

Facebook -Ranked at #2 on Alexa.com of [the]top sites on the web; what you don’t know can hurt you in this social platform. For instance did you know that you do not necessarily need a personal Facebook profile page to create a Facebook fan page? To create a Facebook fan page one needs only a title for that page and within a few minutes you’re ready to begin posting status updates and finding connections. Facebook even gives you tips on how to effectively promote your page with Facebook advertising. Something to note when setting up your page, think about the title carefully because you won’t be able to change it. Do some research to find out what keywords works best for your practice; most likely you would use your practice name and the town in the title. Example: “Your Town Your Dental Practice Name” or “Your Dental Practice Name in Your Town”. From there the sky is the limit as you can set up RSS feeds from you blog or website when you add new content. Even send updates from your phone.

Twitter- Ranked at #11 on Alexa.com; a very efficient tool for dental marketing. Every dentist/dental practice should be utilizing this free social platform. It’s quick, easy and now that Twitter has implemented some changes by redesigning their web interface, it now becomes a multimedia arsenal for your social networking. Very soon you will be able to embed photos and videos directly on twitter. Set up your page with a title just like you would your Facebook page. Personalize and customize your background with literally thousands of background choices on the web or design and create your own. Google the words “customize your twitter page tutorials” to find out how to make your twitter page reflect your dental practice.

Of course all of these tips are only useful if you use them along with a little research to help optimize the steps you’ve already taken. Something to note; these tasks can be thieves of your time so it is recommended to do one at a time and in little bites if that is all you can do. Asking a staff member to assist you might be an option or maybe a college student in the graphic design department. College students always need the money and you can dictate what you want done now that you have some basic knowledge.

If you have not had the chance to see what the social platforms look like or how they work, take some time to lurk around Twitter, read up on LinkedIn. Facebook is pretty much a closed door unless you have a profile or fan page, but look for information via Google searches. Like I said earlier, almost every marketing blogger has written on this subject it shouldn’t be too tough finding a DIY article on social media.

One last nugget of information; profile pictures, don’t neglect this area. You should aspire to have a consistent profile photo or avatar on each one of these sites. This makes you recognizable and gives you and your practice; status and credibility. Think of it as a brand for your practice’s social badge. A personal photo of you is fine; this puts a face with the name. A logo is fine too; as long as it is web ready. Achieve a more polished and professional look with a profile picture that complements any backgrounds or banners on your existing website or blog.