If you’ve been reading our recent posts on medical practice marketing, chances are you already know that social media can be a great tool to help grow your medical practice.

But how do you make your presence on Facebook, the biggest social network of them all, work for your business? With 1.11 billion users as of last November– 665 million of whom log on every day- you know that the audience is there, so now it’s time to create a page.

Here are five tips for effectively using Facebook to best market your medical practice.

1. Post regularly. It’s important to post on a regular basis to keep patients engaged with your page. According to Social Bakers, five to ten posts per week is ideal.

Aim to post on Facebook once a day and you’ll hit that number easily. On the flipside, don’t bombard your users with too many posts- going overboard might cause people to “un-like” your page and ignore your posts.

2. Spread the “Like”. It’s important to promote your Facebook page on your website, blog, and any other social networks you have. The more websites that link to your Facebook page, the more often it’ll show up on Google searches- a chart on Search Metrics lists number of backlinks as the third most important factor in ranking of search results. Website visitors and blog readers are already interested in what you have to say- keep them interested by encouraging them to “Like” your Facebook page.

3. Switch it up! When you get in to the rhythm of posting regularly on Facebook, it’s easy to post the same types of things over and over again. But don’t fall in to that trap! If you have a blog (which you should), share a link for each new post. Mix it up by sharing local interest articles and relevant healthcare tips (flu prevention tips in the winter, perhaps), as well as any important updates to your practice itself.

Spiro Plastic Surgery, LLC, above, shares a variety of content on their Facebook page. Recent posts include “Fun Fact Fridays”, a link to their monthly newsletter, and an article about postnatal tummy tucks- with info on how to schedule an appointment. By doing this, they’re educating patients and keeping them engaged.

4. Bring the online world offline. Don’t forget to promote your Facebook page in the offline world as well! Include your Facebook URL on your business cards, and consider having a flyer or poster in your practice encouraging people to “Like” your page.

5. Make it a conversation. Facebook is a “social” network, so be social! Spend some time each day looking over any comments and posts on your page, and respond as necessary (of course, all personal and private details should be kept offline). If a patient has a concern or question, they’ll appreciate a swift response.

According to HealthCare Finance News, when patients asks for an appointment or follow-up via social media, 49%- almost half!- expect to hear back within a few hours.But even a simple “Thank you!” for a positive comment will be appreciated- by making your Facebook feed a conversation, you’re keeping people interested and encouraging them to come back.

Facebook can be a great tool to help grow your medical practice, share your knowledge as a medical professional, and show what makes you unique. But it’s important to stay professional and respect patient confidentiality by never sharing private information. In order to avoid violating HIPAA, medical blogger Kevin MD suggests posting about conditions, treatments, and research rather than patients- even referring to patients in what are seemingly vague terms could get you in trouble. Just as you would anywhere else, keep your personal and professional life separate on Facebook.

It’s easy enough to get started- first sign up for a Facebook account if you don’t have one already, and then set up your page here.