Getting Started on Facebook AKA the Art of THE LURK

Are you just getting started on Facebook? It’s never too late to join the party.

Assuming you already have at least a personal Facebook account, we will start with priority 1:
Perfect the Art of THE LURK.

If you want to see how to play the Facebook game, watch others do it. Don’t say or type a word—just read, watch and listen. If you read and watch enough, you’ll get a good sense for it.

Who to follow? Check out your competitors first. Do they even have Facebook pages? Find out by typing their name in the search field at the top of your Facebook page. You might be surprised.

If you’re having trouble finding your competitors on Facebook, check out your competitor’s website. If they are putting effort into Facebook (and they are smart ☺) they will connect the two. Just look for a Facebook icon on their homepage, click it, and you’re in! Your competitor will never know you’re lurking unless you “like” their page. (Not recommended.)

The more you watch, the more you’ll start to see patterns.

Create an Excel file with the following columns:
1. Links to articles
2. Health Tips
3. Holiday and event oriented posts
4. Jokes / Humor
5. Office photos
6. Office Announcements
7. Contests
8. Promotions
9. Invitations to events
10. Questions or invitations to join conversations

If you see other types of posts, list them as well. In the rows below, copy and paste the actual verbiage being used for each type of post. Also note how much activity each post received. There are 3 types of activity: Likes, Comments and Shares.

Collect this data for at least a week. It’s a great cheat sheet for the next step—staring your own Facebook page. Do you need complete step-by-step details about creating your Facebook page? Check out this post.

Bonus: By creating a Facebook account you’re not only providing another way to interact with patients, you’re also reserving your spot on Facebook which helps you protect the reputation of your practice. More on this topic here.

Parting words of advice:
A reminder that you should not post diagnoses or anything that violates HIPPA on Facebook. This includes posting any photos or details about a specific patient’s condition that might identify him/her. Even in a private message or chat. Facebook is clearly not the place for this sort of exchange.

That said, patients themselves are free to disclose their diagnoses or post photos of themselves on Facebook as much as they like. So don’t be alarmed if that happens. You could even prod patients to share their experiences dealing with X. If they choose to share their private information, that is their prerogative and not for you to be worried about. In fact, many practices encourage this sort of disclosure to create communities of support for families and individuals who are in need. You will see instances of this sort of sharing on Facebook pages like Dana Farber’s.

The name of the game on Facebook is getting people to like your practice. Educate, entertain, show you care, keep your patients’ interest. Get creative and have fun. And, as always, feel free to contact us if you have questions.

Chapguin