Is TikTok right for your practice?

​​Do you have any idea how many people are on TikTok worldwide each month? If you guessed over a billion, you'd be in the ballpark. TikTok is not only the most downloaded app in 2021 but one of the fastest-growing apps in history. In comparison, Facebook and Instagram took twice as long to reach the same billion-user milestone. Some might say it is a fad, but what if it isn't? If you aren't promoting your practice on TikTok, should you be? And how?

Many classify TikTok as a social media platform, but that definition can be misleading. A social media platform often requires people to "like" or "follow" you to see your content. TikTok's mission statement isn't about connecting people. It defines its mission this way: "To capture and present the world's creativity, knowledge, and precious life moments.... TikTok enables everyone to be a creator and encourages users to share their passion and creative expression through their videos." At its core, TikTok is an entertainment platform full of content creators. It isn't necessarily based on who you know but what you like.

@jera.bean

3 Reasons Why TikTok is a MARKETING MACHINE ⚡️ #tiktokforbusiness #tiktokforbrands #tiktoktips #learnontiktok #tiktokpartner

♬ original sound - Jera Foster-Fell

If you're new to TikTok, start here. If not, skip ahead!

If you're new to TikTok, here is how it works. When you initially open an account, TikTok will ask about your interests. The TikTok algorithm will then curate content and show videos it believes you'll enjoy. As you like and share videos or start following other users, the algorithm adapts and improves its curation abilities. The advantage of TikTok from a marketing perspective is that it is not your responsibility to earn followers. Considering only 74% of users are following specific brands today, the likelihood of you earning followers based upon your brand name alone is relatively low. If you produce engaging content (based upon likes, shares, and comments), TikTok will do the work for you and start showing your video to more users, organically generating followers. This can rapidly increase your base. For that reason, many successful creators have millions of followers.

But isn't it just for kids?

While many people still think of TikTok as a young person's platform, two-thirds of TikTok's current users are over the age of 19, meaning most of them make their own medical and purchasing decisions. TikTok users also tend to be in a higher income bracket, with 53% living in households that make over 75k a year.

OK, so my patients may be on TikTok, but should I participate as a practice? Will it hurt my brand?

From a marketing perspective, the consensus among experts is that you should do it, and do it now because being first to market can give you quite an advantage later on.

"It's almost imperative for brands to be on it because now is the time to capture that organic growth," says Aliza Licht, founder and president of consultancy firm Leave Your Mark. "TikTok is ripe for the taking."

Neil Patel, co-founder of NP Digital, says, "The low business competition presents a massive opportunity because you can reach many people at a relatively low cost."

TikTok can also maximize your reach, especially for smaller practices with limited budgets. Bradford Manning, who promotes his clothing, Two Blind Brothers (@twoblindbrothers), on the platform, comments, "I don't think the largest brands will see the same type of outperformance that a smaller brand can find." Unlike Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, where you are actively competing with the Walmarts, Amazons, and Apples of the world, TikTok favors smaller "breakout" creators, and your practice could easily be the next one to go viral as you are on the same playing field as the largest brands in the world.

Who is using it now?

If you search for any elective procedure, treatment, or service on TikTok, you will quickly find others who have jumped on the TikTok bandwagon. One such doctor is Dr. Daniel Barrett, whom the practice has dubbed "The Natural Plastic Surgeon" for his scar management protocols and closure techniques. However, his medical expertise is only part of the equation of the practice's success. Barrett Plastic Surgery purposefully uses social media to inform, educate, and promote procedures and treatments to potential patients.

"When it really started to ramp up was March or April last year during the lockdowns. I like to keep busy! I started making a few TikToks, and it took off from there," says Dr. Daniel Barrett of Barrett Plastic Surgery.

Today, Dr. Barrett has 1.7 million followers on TikTok, 18 times their number of Instagram followers, and an incredible 458 times their number of Twitter and Facebook followers combined!

Dr. Barrett's TikToks regularly surpass multiple millions of views and are fun and educational. Videos of Dr. Barrett performing surgery also receive high view counts:

@barrettplasticsurgery

Reply to @bumbandy Wtf just happened behind me? 😂💀 #plasticsurgery #implants #notaperfectperson #wintermagic #plantparent #fyp

♬ original sound - Dr Daniel Barrett

His videos are often evocative to people not used to seeing what surgery looks like. While this experience can make viewers squeamish, it can also destigmatize surgery and reduce fear as patients are more educated about the procedures or treatments they are considering. This video shows a liposuction procedure. Warning: If you're squeamish, you may want to skip

@barrettplasticsurgery

I N S A N E Results at the end! 🤯 #transformation #sosatisfying #plasticsurgery #tummytuck #fyp #foryou

♬ original sound - Dr Daniel Barrett

Dr. Barrett's team posts multiple times nearly every day. Many videos are quick tidbits, including his ongoing series "Plastic Surgery Secrets," with over 100 episodes.

@barrettplasticsurgery

What do you guys think about #gwenstefani 🧐 #greenscreenvideo #botox #rhinoplasty #nodoubt #plasticsurgery #plasticsurgerysecrets

♬ original sound - Dr Daniel Barrett

Many TikTok accounts swear by this method, as the platform rewards users who generate a lot of quickly produced content. The algorithm will pick up some videos, but many won't gain traction; it can be difficult to predict or tell why afterward.

@barrettplasticsurgery

Hmm, Plastic surgery or weight gain? 🤔😱 #earthday #zacefron #filler #weightgain #neontwin #springoutfit #oscars #promszn #vaccinatedfor #songfacts

♬ ghost town voice memo (full version out now) - chloe george

"TikTok is this enigma," asserts Dr. Barret. "There are definitely some things we know to do that help the algorithm pick us up. We know there are some things that are our niche or the wider audience will find interesting, but I would love to meet the person who has TikTok figured out!"

Dr. Barrett's efforts on TikTok have paid off for him and his team. Not only are users on the platform more aware of him (and thinking more about plastic surgery generally), but media outlets often start citing him as an expert in the field. His efforts on social media have increased his popularity both in the media and with potential patients.

Crossposting

Creating video for a single platform can feel daunting. But if your practice has previously invested in building your Facebook and Instagram audiences, there's no reason why you shouldn't take advantage of those.

Crossposting (creating content and posting it on multiple platforms) is a perfectly acceptable way of making sure your potential patients hear what you have to say. You can easily create the videos on a smartphone, then save and post them to multiple social media networks.

Dr. Barrett told us that they still see new patients who found their practice through TikTok: "It features in a patient's research process, in the same way, a patient may look at Facebook or Instagram, for example. It's more light-hearted….Even now, I’ll meet with patients who found us on their 'For You' Page."

Is it safe?

There have been valid concerns regarding TikTok's data mining and sharing tactics. However, security experts point out that, aside from being a Chinese company, their methods are no more intrusive than any other social media platform.

"Of all the serious cyber risks facing the average consumer, TikTok isn't on the top of the list. Most Americans ought to be way more concerned about credit card fraud and password protection than TikTok," Monica Eaton-Cardone, co-founder and chief operating officer of Chargebacks911, said.

Chester Wisniewski, principal research scientist at Sophos, agreed: "TikTok doesn't pose any more risk to a user than any other social media sharing application. That isn't to say that there isn't risk, but it's not really different from Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram."

What should I post about?

In a recent article in the Journal of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, "Is TikTok the New Instagram? Analysis of Plastic Surgeons on Social Media," the researchers sorted common posts on Instagram and TikTok into the following categories:

• Patient or surgery related

• Personal post

• Self-promotional

• Product advertisement

• Educational

• Other

The "other" category consisted of viral content such as discussions of celebrities, funny and engaging posts, and inspirational content.

If you are just starting, you may want to create a video in each category and see what hits. Trial and error is highly recommended as you find your niche on TikTok. Even after you figure out what works, you may become frustrated as videos that you were sure would be well-liked don't take off, and those that were the easiest to make become viral sensations.

In the other category, Dr. Ben Winters, an orthodontist in Plano, Texas who is known as “The Bentist”, gained 8 million followers on the platform by showing off his dance moves.

@thebentist

Sometimes I wonder why I went to school for 15 years and paid 500,000 in student loans 😂🙌🏻 almost to 9 MIL! 🎉

♬ Into The Thick Of It! - The Backyardigans

@doctorgao

Are you using the right amount of toothpaste? #dentist #dental #dentistry #tiktokguru #youngcreators #learnontiktok #edutok #teeth #foryou

♬ Mad at Disney - salem ilese

TikTok has also been the source of many misconceptions and myths about oral health, which is why it's important for authoritative voices to set the record straight. For example, Magic Erasers became an at-home method of teeth whitening thanks to users on the site. 

It took dentists on the platform to remind everyone that while it might technically work, it's certainly ill-advised, and there are much better ways to whiten teeth. Once again, the Bentist was there to correct the misinformation:

@thebentist

Did she really just say she uses a magic eraser to clean her teeth… 😳 please don’t make this a trend 😂 #learnontiktok #tiktokpartner #teeth

♬ original sound - The Bentist

Don't forget to get others to post for you too, if possible.

Considering that 81% of consumers trust a message that comes from a friend more than a message that comes from a business and that more than half of all active TikTokers post content, you should consider encouraging your patients to post too.

They can post about their procedures and treatments, before, during, and afterward, if they are willing and it is appropriate. With TikTok, if the content is engaging, it may spread beyond the patient's immediate social circle. In addition, when patients post about their procedures and treatments, you may be raising awareness beyond your geographic reach and helping your peers in other markets.

@sarah.calvillo

Documenting my experience before I become ungrateful #comedy #lasik #lasikeyesurgery #millennial #wfhlife

♬ Blue Blood - Heinz Kiessling & Various Artists

@thebeccamurray

Reply to @lockstockandspoonies suffice to say, i’m obsessed #lasik #lasikeyesurgery #scienceismagic

♬ SUNNY DAY - Matteo Rossanese

Once they post, be sure to Duet or Stitch their video to generate unique content for your own followers.  (Duet allows you to have your video playing side by side with someone else's, and Stitch lets you incorporate up to five seconds of someone else's video into your own.)

I might try it. What else do I need to know?

Tik Tok Best Practices

1. Be Yourself. It may sound cliché, but TikTok creators have found the best performing videos are those in which they are authentic. TikTok allows your patients to get to know you and your practice better. This is an opportunity to showcase the personalities within your practice.


2. Share What You Know. Do you have "insider" information for the average person? Share it. If you see something is trending on TikTok that you know is untrue or needs additional clarification, Duet or Stitch it.


3. Be Prepared to Reply. You can become "TikTok Famous" literally overnight, and if you do, you may have thousands of comments. By replying to comments, you can earn more followers. It can also be a great source of inspiration for your next TikTok, as you can reply to a comment or question with a brand new video. Often questions about cost will come up, so be prepared to reply with a link to Alphaeon Credit's pre-qual page for those interested in finding out if they are likely to be approved without impacting their credit.

   @tiktokforbusiness

   Reply to @teejayhughes Looking for ways to increase engagement? Try replying to comments with video 🎥#learnontiktok #tiktoktips #marketingtips

   ♬ FEEL THE GROOVE - Queens Road, Fabian Graetz

4. Don't Worry about Production. Leave the filters for Instagram, unless you are having fun showing how crazy the filters are on TikTok. Once you get started on TikTok, you'll find overproduced videos tend to get fewer likes than those with minimal production. TikTok users, who spend an average of almost an hour on the app daily, have trained themselves to ascertain in seconds if they want to watch more. A slick video can scream "sales pitch" and cause users to swipe up instantly. A smartphone with a decent camera is all you need to get started.
   
   If you want to get fancy, you can try to create some videos with high-quality transitions as users will watch your video repeatedly to try to figure out: "How did they do that?" Also, consider using the auto caption feature. It makes your video more accessible, and videos with captions tend to have longer view times, which can help increase the likelihood that your video will be shown on the platform.


5. Participate in Trends. Over half of all content on TikTok is trend videos. A trend is simply when multiple TikTok users take a video and recreate it putting their spin on it. It might be a dance, song, or just a statement, like this one where you tell a cringe-worthy story:

@nikkithechameleon

Leonard was a bit confused #wakingupinthemorning #fyp #trending

♬ original sound - Amir Yass

Participating in trends and challenges is a great way to reach the "For You" page and develop new content when you aren't feeling creative. If you are active on TikTok, you'll quickly spot trends as you'll see several similar videos. If you aren't as active, head over to the TikTok discover page to find trending videos.

 Is TikTok right for you?

It may be as long as patients' privacy is maintained and you aren't running afoul of any regulations with third parties, like a hospital system, which may soon have rules regarding TikTok videos.

We strongly urge that practices get written permission from patients before sharing anything on social media. Barrett Plastic Surgery explains how they manage: "We're very clear with our patients on what level they would like us to tell their story, and our team is very sensitive to that...Some patients are very happy to tell their whole journey, including interviews; we work closely with them, based on their comfort levels."

Many state and national associations offer useful guidelines for social media use to their associated practices. Jessica Lauria, Communications and Media Coordinator for the Florida Dental Association, notes, "You don't have to join every social media network to reach your audience. It's important to pick the social media platforms that best fit your organization and post consistent, compelling content that makes sense for your audiences and for that platform.

"Industry professional associations, like the Florida Dental Association, are great resources for social media guidelines, best practices, and engaging content that you can share on your social media channels."

If you go viral, you will likely be invited by TikTok to become an official creator and will be paid—albeit a very small amount—for future videos. If this happens, you will have access to analytics showing your reach.

Until that time, you may want to upgrade to a free business account.

“With a business account, you have access to real-time metrics on your content performance so you can understand what’s working well and make the most of it. You’ll get insights into your follower base so you can better understand who’s watching the content you create. And you’ll also be able to add basic information about your business.”

— Ashley Pham, Product Marketing Lead

Money Talks

How Your View of Financing Could be Hurting (or Helping) Your Practice

When was the last time someone asked you to sign up for a credit card? Last week, yesterday, or maybe even today? As consumers, we're asked about financing at nearly every store we shop at, from Home Depot to Home Goods and from Best Buy to Banana Republic. Everyone asks, "Do you have our credit card? Have you joined our loyalty program? You can save 20% by financing today!" No matter if it is a $20 purchase or $2000, the refrain is the same.

Surprisingly, most medical practices fail to offer financing nearly as often and as proactively as these big box stores, even when the purchase amount is significantly higher. When asked "why," coordinators, counselors, and schedulers often share:

"I don't feel comfortable talking about money; it's just too salesy in a medical setting."

"Our patients are wealthy (or we practice in an affluent area), and they don't need financing."

"We tell them about financing. It is on our website, in our patient information packets, and we have brochures in the waiting rooms. If they're interested, they let us know."

At Alphaeon Credit, we've heard these responses hundreds, if not thousands of times, and we know practices that think this way tend to experience slower growth year over year compared to their peers in the same market. If you're interested in growing your practice and have ever found yourself repeating the statements above, please read on to maximize your growth potential!

"I don't feel comfortable talking about money; it's too salesy."

Remind yourself that you offer procedures and treatments that benefit the patient and are life-changing in many cases. By talking about finances, you're only helping patients get what they want and what you recommend. Talking about cost and the patient's financial situation is a positive; it is simply helping them.

If you're not mentioning the total cost until the end of the conversation, consider talking about it earlier and the availability of financing options. Patients know that procedures and treatments come with a price tag and start an internal dialogue regarding their finances from the start. They wonder, "How much is it? or "How am I going to pay for it?" As they have these thoughts, they tune out and may miss crucial information. How many times has a patient forgotten something you said? There’s a good chance they may have been thinking about the price instead of listening. By addressing cost early, you can ensure your patients can focus on what you are saying.

One of the best ways to get comfortable talking about money is by writing a script. You can adjust depending on the situation, but a well-written script provides the framework to help you discuss costs confidently. You may also incorporate elements of your script into the paperwork you share with patients so that you can read off your script without the patient even noticing. After writing your script, rehearse with some team members. Practice makes better! You can also email teamcredit@alphaeon.com to rehearse with a Business Development Manager or for help drafting your script.

"Our patients are wealthy (or we practice in an affluent area), and they don't need financing."

Over a decade ago, a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills made a similar statement to an Alphaeon Credit team member. He advised the doctor, "Humor me. Just put out some brochures and see what happens". The doctor agreed and two months later called to share his surprise at finding out several wealthy patients were very interested in financing and eagerly applied and used their cards to pay for their procedures. We’ve had the same conversation and seen similar results hundreds of times since then.

When it comes to financing, many presume that financing is only for those with no other way to pay. In fact, financing, especially no-interest plans, is incredibly attractive to those who have cash in the bank. We’ve even had a patient who earns $900,000 a year apply for Alphaeon Credit! With no interest plans, the patient can borrow money at 0% while their money remains invested, earning interest. Utilizing no interest plans can be a wise financial move as long as the patient pays off the balance before their promotional plan period expires. Plus, making a large purchase, regardless of an individual's income, can create anxiety - financially and/or emotionally. Breaking down a large expenditure into smaller monthly payments can reduce this stress as the figures are more manageable.

"We tell them about financing. It is on our website, and we have brochures in the waiting rooms. If they are interested, they'll let us know."

When a patient is considering a procedure or treatment, often there is a tremendous amount of information to absorb. Most websites don't place financing in a prominent position or make it easy to find. Usually, financing is under "patient resources" or "insurance," so while financing pages tend to rank high in viewership, there is a good chance your patient didn't see it. And if the patient is in the waiting room, they are likely looking at their phone and not at the brochures scattered throughout. That is why we recommend always mentioning financing verbally, at multiple steps throughout the patient's journey - from the initial phone call, to consultations, to scheduling. The phrasing is simple, "Are you familiar with how financing works?" or "Did you know we offer financing?"

It is also helpful to personalize the patient's financing message by using the Alphaeon Credit payment calculator and estimate how much the exact procedure or treatment will cost with financing. If you don't know the precise amount, offer a range of monthly payment amounts. "Usually, these procedures cost between $70-125 a month if you choose to finance it, or $3,000-$5,000 if you want to pay in full".

Another way to educate patients about financing is to send them a pre-qualification link before their consultation via email or text. Plus, patients who have financing secured usually show up for their appointments and often schedule on the same day.

In conclusion, if you ever caught yourself in one of these mindsets, we encourage you to consider an alternate view. We are confident that by doing so, you will likely find more patients will be able to move forward, and they will be happier because you helped make it happen!

3 expert suggestions to Make Sure Your Entire Team is on the Bus

You’ve probably thought about your practice goals for  the next few years. Maybe it’s offering additional services. Perhaps it’s regional recognition. Or you simply want to help more patients.

You may have taken steps personally to move towards those goals. But no matter how much effort you put in, improving your practice isn’t something done alone. It takes a team that share your goals.

So where do you start? How do you get your team on-board? 

1) SCHEDULE TIME, SET COMPELLING GOALS, AND REPEAT

In the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen Covey starts with the first two principals, “Be Proactive” and “Begin with the End in Mind.” These are essential for individual leadership. Combined, they offer a road map on how to communicate with your team. 

Be Proactive and Begin with the End in Mind

The first principle, “Be Proactive” requires scheduling time with your team to discuss goals. 

Dr. Rich Castellano, a Plastic Surgeon in Tampa, FL  and CEO of PracticeProfitabilityMD.com, shared, “The best way to set clear expectations and group priorities is to schedule regular meetings or trainings with your team, at least 30 minutes per week. Many offices offer little or no training to their staff and often expect the team to figure things out. Email training and hallway conversations will not get the message across. When you commit to scheduling this time, magically your team will more easily internalize expectations and priorities.”

Gloria Faulkner, Administrator at Aloha Laser Vision, agrees. “Monday morning staff meetings are essential. It’s a time to get together, iron out problems, go over the week. In Monday morning meetings, everyone has a voice; everyone has an opinion, which I think is valuable.”

The second principle, “Begin with the End in Mind” requires you to “develop a clear vision of your desired direction and destination” for your team. 

You probably have a ranked list of goals for your practice: outstanding patient care, exceptional service, and friendly interactions that put patients at ease, just to name a few possibilities. If you asked every member of your team for those goals , would they produce the same list and same rank order?

If not, perhaps it is because your practice’s goals haven’t been crystalized and repeated. If the goals are not easy to understand and are not a part of your regular conversations they will be forgotten. 

One organization that is routinely applauded for its employees' commitment to the organization’s goals is Walt Disney World Parks. They created a set of standards (or goals)  for all employees over sixty-five years ago that are still being used today. They call these goals the “4 Keys to the Kingdom”: Safety, Courtesy, Show, and Efficiency. The “4 Keys” work because they are simple to understand and ever-present. 

It’s no different for your team. Clarifying your priorities and repeating them not only helps your team members, but it may help you in making executive decisions and staying on track.

2) CAST A COMPELLING STORY

Roger D. Schank, a cognitive scientist and entrepreneur, once said “Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories.” Without a narrative of what you’re aiming for, it’s harder for your employees to understand your vision. 

Humans are not ideally set up to understand logic; they are ideally set up to understand stories.

A team story has three steps:

1. Where we are now 

2. Where we want to go

3. How we are getting there

Having open discussions about where you are and where you want to go  can clarify the journey and can motivate your employees to participate in the process. 

Think about your favorite film: at one point early in the movie, the hero tells someone what they want. Now for the rest of the film, the audience is rooting for the hero to achieve his or her goal. It’s human nature. When we see someone with a goal, we want to help them achieve it. 

“Once I got my team on board with our training and our story, the greatest thing happened in my life,” Castellano shares. “My team started telling ME what to do. And they were right, because they were so well trained and in tune with what we do, they often knew better than I how to create even more value for our patients.” 

Sharing where you are now and where you want to go is relatively easy. Defining how you get there can be more difficult. 

One way to communicate this part of the story is with a company mantra. A mantra distills your practice’s goals even further into a short, pithy statement that guides decision making and behavior. 

Many top companies use them, including Google’s “Don’t Be Evil” and Apple’s “Think Different.” Neither of them describes what the company does, but tries to illustrate how the company acts. 

Shane Snow writes about this for FastCompany: “Unlike mission statements, mantras are pivot-proof. They transcend current target markets and quarterly quotas. Google’s ‘Don’t be evil’ says nothing about search, social, or self-driving cars. It’s a banner under which augmented reality glasses and payment systems can thrive alongside pay-per-click ads, and it doesn’t conflict with any particular product’s mission of moment (say, organizing the world’s information). The mantra is the guiding star, not the operating manual….Cheesy? Who cares. Everyone remembers it. And in a startup where the soil of culture is fertile, a meaningful mantra can be one of the greatest seeds you plant.”

Claudine Anz, Office Manager of Smile Design Dentistry and former consultant to medical practices across multiple specialties, says that the phrase she uses in every office is ‘red-carpet service’. “I tell [all the employees] here when someone comes in, from the moment that they walk in that door, that they receive ‘red-carpet service’.

Organizing a practice’s ethos around a phrase gives employees a tool to measure their work decisions against. According to Anz, emphasizing ‘red-carpet service’ ensures all team members understand creating an exceptional patient experience is paramount. 

3) MAKE THEM PART OF YOUR MISSION

Once you’ve established your practice’s goals and shared  your story, it’s your team’s turn. Invite your team to be part of the process and come up with innovative ways for how they will implement the company’s vision. 

When employees feel their innovations are being implemented, or at least fairly evaluated, they feel more invested in the mission of the practice. Employers in all sectors, including medical, often underestimate the power of your employees feeling that they are part of a team, working towards a common goal. Psychology Today reports that peer motivation is the number one factor in what encourages employees to “go the extra mile.” Writing for Entrepreneur Magazine, John Rampton writes, “To show an employee that you truly trust and respect his opinions, let him make decisions that will impact your company’s culture and future.”

“To show an employee that you truly trust and respect his opinions, let him make decisions that will impact your company’s culture and future.”

This doesn’t mean you have to surrender control of your organization, just that you intentionally make yourself open to implementing ideas that fit your priorities, and that comes from your employees.

Many company-changing innovations came from the most unlikely sources. For example, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos were invented by a janitor who called up the PepsiCo CEO with an idea for a new flavor of the product. Not only was this a success for the company and the janitor, but also for the CEO who was willing to listen to a new idea that resulted in a multi-million dollar innovation. 

“People say patients come first, but for us, our employees do.  They have to feel valued” says Faulkner. “Our employees have contributed ideas from our workflow to even our furniture arrangement.  They really do have a pulse on what patients are saying.”

Marie Norgaard, Administrator of Boxer Wachler Vision says, “We empower our staff to make decisions to help patients. For example, if a patient has had a delay in a driver picking them up, a staff member might buy them lunch while they wait or pay for an Uber ride for the patient.  A patient is struggling financially; they can provide them a reduced rate.”

Everyone ends up benefiting when the team is part of the mission: the practice, the team, and the patients. 

IN THE END

Making sure your employees are “on the bus” is a process that starts with management. Your team is looking towards administrators, office managers and doctors for leadership and inspiration.

No one wants to get on a bus that’s sitting in a parking lot. Have a vision for your practice and goals to move towards. Communicate those with your team and give them opportunities for input. 

These are the ways that you can get your team excited and motivated about the priorities you have for your practice to keep moving forward. 

4 Reasons Your Team May Be the Secret to Social Media Success

Social media experts recommend you keep your audience engaged by posting on Facebook every day, on Instagram three times per day, and on Twitter fifteen times per day. That is a tremendous amount of content to generate on a regular basis to attract potential patients and to stay top of mind with your current patient base. 

Posts featuring your doctor(s), educating patients about procedures or treatments you offer, and before-and-after patient photos are commonplace. However, one area that is often overlooked, are posts highlighting your team. 

Creating posts that showcase specific members of your team is an excellent way to keep content fresh and to extend your social media presence. 

Here are just a few reasons why you should consider featuring your team on social media and some examples from practices we think are doing it well.

1 - Recognizing Your Team Can Increase Employee Satisfaction AND Patient Satisfaction

According to Entrepreneur magazine, employee recognition lowers turnover, increases employee happiness, increases employee engagement, and increases trust.

With social media, recognizing your team and sharing accolades is easy. 

You can highlight a specific team member, maybe on his or her work anniversary, birthday, on a day that celebrates their contributions like National Doctors Day (March 30) or National Nurses Day (May 12). 

Austin Weston, The Center for Cosmetic Surgery in Reston, Virginia commemorated National Nurses Day, with Instagram posts profiling all of their nurses. 

View this post on Instagram

Happy #NationalNursesDay! A big shout out to all the amazing nurses here at the Austin-Weston Center. We are so thankful for everything you do 💕 Not pictured: Cat Bahumian & Erin Germain⁣ ⁣ ▫️ austin-weston.com⁣ ▫️ 1825 Samuel Morse Drive, Reston, VA⁣ ▫️ Board-certified by the #americanboardofplasticsurgery

A post shared by Austin-Weston Cosmetic Surgery (@austinwestoncenter) on May 6, 2019 at 10:35am PDT

Not only will your team appreciate being recognized, but when you highlight the talented people working with you, you might find your patient satisfaction scores rising as well. 

According to Mark Somol, founder of Zeal and an expert in employee metrics, “Employees who are passionate about their workplace are typically much more highly engaged. Passionate and engaged employees are your best customer advocates. Research shows that companies with very high levels of employee engagement can have 3x higher customer satisfaction ratings.”

You might worry about remembering every team member’s birthday. Luckily, social media platforms have scheduling either built-in or available as a third-party app like Hootsuite. Edgard Izaguirre, brand manager for Austin-Weston, The Center for Cosmetic Surgery, plans their social media campaigns for the entire quarter. “Things can be tweaked, but it’s better to be planned in advance,” he says. With these tools, employee appreciation posts can easily be scheduled for the entire year all at once.

2 - Posts Featuring Your Staff Almost Always Garner Higher Engagement

Posts highlighting team members consistently have a higher level of engagement on social media platforms. 

Compare these two Facebook posts by Brinton Vision, in St. Louis, Missouri. 

The first is a classic social media post that advertises their services in a creative way:

The second shares a childhood photo of one of their team members on her birthday.

The post highlighting a team member not only received more comments, it also received a much higher level of engagement with more “social reactions” (emoticons) as compared to simple “likes”, which translates into a higher ranking within Facebook’s news feed algorithm.

Other posts that garner a high number of “social reactions” include promotions, achievement, or life events. Take a look at this post from Belcara Health in Baltimore, Maryland:

Beyond “social reactions” and “likes”, posts like these are more likely to be shared beyond your social media feed and on your employee’s own personal feeds. According to the MSL Group, your employees are already networked to more than 10x the number of people on social media than your organization can ever hope to on its own. By spreading the message, you increase overall brand awareness and can reach more current and potential patients.

 

3 - Showcasing Your Team Alongside Doctors Can Make Potential Patients Feel More at Ease

As the saying goes, people buy from people they trust. 

Patients need to feel comfortable with their doctor, of course, but some patients have difficulty connecting with their doctors. They might see an education difference, a class difference, a racial difference, or a gender difference, and these differences can be invisible barriers to building a trusting relationship.

However, there are likely many similarities between your team members and your patient base.

Highlighting members of your team in your social media is one way you can help build trust since patients may relate to your team more easily.

Plus, according to the Edelman Trust Barometer, employees are judged to be more credible than their bosses. There’s an average of a 16 point gap between how much a consumer trusts an employee of a company and how much they trust the head of that company.”

All practices are very proud of their doctors, but highlighting other team members can make patients who look and feel different than the doctors themselves, more open to your team. Brand manager for Austin-Weston, Edgard Izaguirre says, “It’s always important to know the surrounding market and develop a campaign that they are receptive to.” 

Izaguirre also notes that managing a brand is about connecting with the “human element.”

Photos and videos of your team put an approachable human face on your entire practice. Allie Watson-Fowler, Relationship Management Specialist at Belcara Health add “While doctors are the recognizable names and faces of a practice, our patients are primarily in contact with the other members of our staff, like nurses, patient advisors, and administrators. By featuring these team members on social media in addition to the doctors, patients can quickly and easily see exactly who it is they will spend their time with while in our office. Our existing patients love seeing the ‘behind the scenes’ staff like anesthesiologists and post-operative nurses who helped them after their procedure; we always get a good deal of comments on these types of posts, which also helps prospective patients to feel comfortable with the care they will receive at our center.”

4 - Build a Social Media Army by Turning Your Employees Loose 

Satisfied patients are fantastic evangelists, but even the most satisfied patients will be thinking about your practice only occasionally. On the other hand, your staff members are thinking about the practice’s success (hopefully) every day. 

FastCompany advises “Simply encouraging employees to share their company’s social media updates–when done properly–can dramatically expand a company’s total following, extending the reach and impact of its messages.” 

Every “social reaction”, “like” and “share” on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn promotes the social media post in the respective system’s algorithm, resulting in higher rankings and more current and potential patients seeing your messaging.

High-profile brands like Starbucks, Zappos, and Southwest Airlines even train their employees to constantly share their work on social media, with rewards for who can get the most likes, views, and engagement. 

This is not mandatory, of course. FastCompany continues: “To be clear, any employee social media program has to be voluntary. I’d even go a step further than that, however. For this process to work, employees have to actually want to share company news.”

However, it is an easy program to incentivize. You’re not asking for additional time, any more than the five minutes it takes to craft a status update. The occasional $5 Starbucks gift card for the team member with the most liked post this week goes a long way towards incentivizing the kind of behavior that will have immediate tangible effects in generating new prospective patients. 

Word-of-mouth messages from friends and colleagues are widely seen as more relevant and trustworthy than social media blasts from corporate accounts; according to the MSL Group, “Brand messages are shared 24x more frequently when distributed by employees vs brand.”

Think about it yourself: Which car dealership are you more likely to trust? The one running slick Facebook ads in your feed? Or the one where your cousin Debbie works, that she’s always talking about (positively) online? Naturally, you’d lean to the second choice.

Final Thoughts

You’ve always known that your team is the most indispensable asset By showcasing them in your social media posts, you are inviting potential patients to preview an integral part of their experience with your practice. You’re overcoming mental barriers to treatment by presenting relatable people. And you’re allowing your team to speak directly with more credibility than your official pages ever could have.

How Offering A Cash Discount Could Boost Your Bottom Line

If you're like most practices, there is a good chance that you have encountered at least one patient who asked for a discount. You also likely have met the patient who wants a longer term no interest plan that you don't offer.  What if could make both of these patients happy and improve conversion ratios overall, without costing you a penny more? 

To start, you'll need to transition your practice to a Cash Incentive Model. The goal of a Cash Incentive Model is to provide an incentive for those who can pay in cash to do so and for those who can't pay in cash to be offered the most attractive patient financing options.

So, how does it work? 

STEP 1: CALCULATE YOUR COST

Let's presume you're comfortable paying 5.8% for ALPHAEON CREDIT”s 6 month No Interest if Paid in Full, but your patients want the 12 month No Interest if Paid in Full (or your competitors are offering it and you're worried it is swaying some patients).

The cost for the 12 month No Interest if Paid in Full plan is 8.9% to you. So your additional cost to offer this plan is: 8.9% - 5.8% = 3.1%

STEP 2: ADJUST PRICING

Once you know how much offering the longer term plan will cost, you will add that cost to your overall prices. Most practices choose to round up to make the next step - offering a cash discount - easier to explain. 

So in this scenario, it costs you 3% more to offer the 12 month no interest plan, so you raise your prices across the board 5%. This raise will help cover the cost of patients who choose to finance, but should also save you money as you will see in the next step. 

STEP 3: OFFER A CASH DISCOUNT

Now comes the best part - not only can you offer 12 month no interest to all patients, but you can also offer all patients who choose to pay cash a 5% discount.

This 5% discount may also save you money by converting those who would have elected to finance, but had the cash, to pay in full. Plus, it standardizes your discount policy and ensures patients who routinely ask for discounts, still feel like they are getting a deal without impacting your bottom line while those that prefer to finance can do so without impacting your profitability. 

Three Times, Three Ways

In surveys, patients were asked if they were aware of financing options.

Amazingly, many patients said "no" even when there was irrefutable proof via recorded calls, pre-prepared patient packet inserts, emails, and witnesses to consult conversations.

Why? The answer is simple.

They were distracted. Even though the practices shared information, they didn't absorb it. Often patients have many questions during a call or consult and focus on what they are going to say or ask next, versus the shared details.

That is why we always promote the "Three Times, Three Ways" method. If you want the patient to understand the procedure is affordable, you must present financing options, "Three Times, Three Ways."

The easiest way to accomplish this, is to focus on the senses. Let them hear, see, and feel the options. 

Hearing is easy. Repeatedly verbalize your financing options to the patient, especially anytime price is mentioned. 

For sight and touch, rely on ALPHAEON marketing materials to do the work for you. Place the brochures and brochure holders throughout the office in your waiting room, checkin/out locations, consult rooms/stations, and exam lanes so patients can touch and feel the brochures. Use the ALPHAEON tabletop signs to visually remind patients of the options as well. These can be placed in areas that are seen by patients, but not necessarily within arms reach like a bookshelf or credenza in a consult room. 

As always, all materials are free, so order as many as you'd like and help more patients walk away knowing they have financing options with your practice!

Order My Free Marketing Materials

PS: If you have ever thought, "I wish ALPHAEON had a (insert name of amazing marketing tool)," we want to hear your suggestion and create it! Please email teamcredit@alphaeon.com with any idea no matter how "out-there" you think it is! The more we can promote affordability, the more patients we can help together.

TO REACH A MEMBER OF THE ALPHAEON TEAM - ANYTIME

CALL 920-306-1794 OR EMAIL TEAMCREDIT@ALPHAEON.COM