Facebook 101 Guide - Bausch & Lomb

1WHY FACEBOOK?Social media as part of the practicemarketing mixSocial media is not — and should not be — the only way you market your practice; sowhere does it fit in?Think of your “marketing mix” as the combination of all elements that you use to promoteyour practice, from newspaper or yellow page ads to local event sponsorships. Thisincludes: Front office interactions Email or newsletter Website Advertising (print, online, or other) Public relations Community supportLet’s dive a little deeper here and take a look at a sample marketing strategy.Eye Care Professional Marketing StrategyFacebook 10112

1WHY FACEBOOK?StrategyFor this exercise, let’s say the main vision or objective for your practice is to “promoteexcellence in eye care for middle-class adults and families.” There is probably a veryclear perception that you want your current and prospective patients to have of youand your business. When people think about your practice, you may want them to thinkabout quality, professional eye care, affordable exams, trusted medical advice, and askilled staff that appreciates their patients.With that in mind, the tactics you use to promote your practice should reflect andreinforce those perceptions. For instance, you might do the following: Print ads in the local newspaper Monthly emails to patients Charity events Community sports sponsorshipsSo where does something like Facebook fit in, or what does it replace? Nothing, actually.It’s additive, and should complement and amplify your current marketing efforts. Forexample, if you have a monthly e-newsletter going out to your patients, including a link toyour Facebook page gives them another channel to connect with you and your practice.If you sponsor a community Little League team, call out their big win in a status updateon your page to let even more people know how proud you are to support them. Takingthe extra step to share a behind-the-scenes moment or useful informationwill go a long way towards retaining existing patients,as well as acquiring new ones.Facebook 1011011313

1WHY FACEBOOK?How Consumers Are Using Social MediaThis is about much more than a popular website or fad –this is a fundamental shift in how consumers receive andshare information.A few reasons why this matters to you:Consumers are spending more time on social media. Americans spend more timeon Facebook than any other website, with a quarter of their online time spent on socialnetworks and blogs. 80% of people 18 – 44 reach for their smartphone within 15minutes of waking up in the morning, and 62% reach for it first thing while continuing torely on connectedness and accessing Facebook throughout the day.Americansspend moretime onFacebookthan any otherwebsite.Consumers are visiting websites less. News and information now comes to themthrough their social “newsfeeds.” Facebook and Twitter are much more than a seriesof status updates about what your friends just had for breakfast – they’re dominantchannels for sharing news, multimedia, and other information. In fact, Facebook nowrefers more website traffic than Google.Consumers increasingly rely on their social graphs — the people they know online— for health care recommendations. Word of mouth is the oldest form of knowledgesharing – it just happens online now. When selecting new primary care physicians, forexample, more than half of all consumers relied on word-of-mouth recommendationsfrom friends and relatives.*** IDC and Facebook, Always Connected Research Report,2013.** http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id 37551Center for Studying Health System ChangeFacebook 10114

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ONFACEBOOKThis is a guide only and intended solely to familiarize the reader with the use of Facebook. It is not intended to provide anylegal advice. The responsibility for using Facebook, or any other form of promotion and advertising in a responsible and legalmanner is that of the reader.

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ON FACEBOOKCreating a Facebook AccountBefore you create a page for your business, you must have a personal Facebookaccount. Don’t worry – setting one up is easy. All you need is an email address.Choosing an email addressYou can use an existing personal email address,or create a separate address to use exclusivelyfor business-related Facebook purposes. If youwant to create a new email address to use just forFacebook, several websites make it easy for you.Gmail (gmail.com), Hotmail (hotmail.com), andYahoo! (yahoo.com) are all good options.Set Up1) Go to www.Facebook.com2) On the home page, click the “Sign Up” button.3) Enter basic information including your name,email, password, gender, and birthday.4) Facebook will ask you if you want to use the Friend Finder. This will find people youknow using the information and email address you provided. This is an optional step.If you want to skip it, just push the “Skip this Step” button.5) Fill out additional profile information if you wish (you can also skip this step).6) Upload a profile picture by choosing an image already on your computer (you canalso skip this step).Creating YourBusiness PageOnce you’ve completedthe steps, you will land onyour personal Facebookprofile. Now, you’re readyto create your practice’sFacebook page. Simplypush the “Create a Page”button along the left handcolumn.Facebook 10116

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ON FACEBOOKNow that we have had a chance to lookat Facebook and how it applies to yourpractice, let’s cover how you actually goabout setting up your Facebook presence.The first thing to note is that you are setting up a completely different type of page thanyour personal profile. Brands and businesses need to have a brand (or business) pageon Facebook. One of the easiest mistakes to make when getting started is to confusepersonal profiles with brand pages. We’ll cover the difference between a personal profilepage and a business page, and why this distinction is so important.Personal profile pagesBusinesseson Facebookhave fans, notfriends. Take a look at the example above. If you think the “Add Friend” button looks a littleoverly friendly for a business page, you would be right. Businesses on Facebook havefans, not friends. The “Add Friend” button is a clear indicator that the page has been setup as a personal profile, which is only designed for individuals.Why does it matter?A few reasons. First, it requires the doctor to approveindividual friend requests in a timely manner. Imagine theperception that might arise if you do not approve a friendrequest from a longtime patient within a day or two.They might think you don’t like them very much.Facebook 10117

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ON FACEBOOKBrand pages Brand pages are created for brands and businesses. Instead of having an “AddFriend” button, they have a “Like” button – because brand pages acquire fans, notfriends. They cannot send or receive friend requests. If a patient decides they want to“Like” your practice’s Facebook page, they’re automatically added to your group offans without requiring any additional action from you. Another important difference is the availability ofanalytics through Facebook Insights. While we’ll coverthese metrics in greater detail later, it’s important to notethat they are very useful in determining what types ofcontent resonate with your fans. They also provide alook at your audience’s demographics, which may helpyou tailor content and promotions. Facebook Ads, which we also cover in this guide, is anotherfeature only accessible via brand pages. These ads appearon the right side of the Facebook screen, and can be heavilytargeted to very specific portions of your current andpotential audience.Discussionsthat take placeon your brandpage will befocused onyour practiceand services,rather thanwhat you didlast weekend. Last, one of the most important benefits of brand pages for eye care providersis privacy. Brand pages allow you to keep your personal life separate from yourprofessional life. Discussions that take place on your brand page will be focused onyour practice and services, rather than what you did last weekend.Facebook 10118

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ON FACEBOOKStep 1 Sign up for FacebookCreating a page Click on the “Pages” linkCreating a page for your practice Click on “Create a Page”When you sign into Facebook, the “Pages” link will appearon the left-hand side of the screen. While the link appearsto be grayed out, clicking on it will take you to the “Pages”screen.Once you are on the “Pages” screen, click on the “Createa Page” button to begin setting up your page. From there,select “Local Business or Place.”When you select your category, you will prompted to enter basic information such asyour street address. Select “Local Businessor Place” Select your businesscategory “Health/Medical/Pharmacy” Enter the name of yourpractice and addressinformation Click on “Get Started”Filling in this information will automatically generate a Google map of the areaimmediately surrounding your practice. This gives current and prospective patientsquick and easy access to everything they need to schedule an appointment and findyour office. Upload your practice’sprofile imageOnce you have entered your location information, you can startbuilding the rest of your page.Facebook 10119

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ON FACEBOOKThe Facebook TimelineYour Facebook Timeline displays the entire “life story” of your practice along a timelinethat runs through the center of the page, allowing you to share events and milestones thatoccurred before joining Facebook. In addition, the Timeline is generally a more visual andcomplete display of your practice’s information.Here’s a brief overview of some of Timeline’s most important features:Cover ImageA large, wide image that acts as a masthead at the top of your timeline. You will still havea profile picture, which is a smaller square displayed in front of the cover image. Theprofile picture is what will appear on fan’s news feeds when they view your activity. Expertsrecommend that your cover should showcase your brand in a visually engaging way, whilethe profile photo should instantly convey your identity (ideally, your logo).According to Facebook, cover images may not be “deceptive, misleading, infringe onanyone else’s copyright,” or include the following information:Cover photos are 851 pixels wide and 315 pixels tall. If you upload an image that’ssmaller than these dimensions, it will be stretched to this larger size. The image youupload must be at least 399 pixels wide and 150 pixels tall.About SectionThe About Section sits along the top of your timeline, making it an ideal place to write aninformative summation of what your practice is all about. Consider using a direct URLto your practice website. Pages have also seen success including a direct call to action,reminding fans of important information like upcoming events, discounts, etc.Highlight PostsAllows you to bring more attention to any particular post on your timeline by stretching itacross both sides of the timeline. Simply mouse over a post, and click the star icon in theupper right hand corner to highlight it.Pin PostsTo pin, mouse over a post, click the pencil icon in the upper right hand corner, and select“pin to top” from the drop down menu. Your pinned post will move to the top of yourPage’s Timeline and will appear in the top-right corner of the post. Your pinned post willstay at the top of your Timeline for 7 days. After that, it’ll return to the date it was posted onyour Page’s Timeline.MilestonesAllows you to post major events that occurred in your practice’s lifetime, exact to the date.This gives you a chance to tell a more complete story of your business. It’s suggested thatyou compliment your Milestones with images as well, to create a more visually engagingexperience for your fans.Targeting PostsAdvanced Post Targetingallows you to control whichof your Fans are able toview certain posts basedon the information they’veshared on Facebook.These categories include: Gender Relationship Status Educational Status Interested In Age Location LanguageFacebook 10120

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ON FACEBOOKStep 2Setting up tabsThere’s a tab for thatYou can manage your tabs by clicking on More below your Page’s cover photo andselecting Manage Tabs option. Simply click and drag a tab or app to move it and thenclick Save. Populate the “About Tab”with basic informationabout your practice Include a Facebook linkon your practice’s websiteThe About TabThe primary area you will need to populate at this stage is the Info tab. The About tabtypically displays basic information such as the founding date, location (which you’vealready taken care of in the previous step), mission statement, and community guidelines.“Community guidelines” refers to the rules and conduct you expect your patientsto adhere to while interacting on your page. For example, most businesses will notallow profanity or spam on their Facebook pages. Clearly explaining how you expectyour community to behave will set expectations and help them to get the most out ofengagements on your page.Other importantinformation toadd on the Abouttab includes: Web address Contact information Hours of operation Products/Specialties Key members ofyour staffFacebook 10121

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ON FACEBOOKThe WallWhile the About tab holdsmost of your practice’svital information, theWall is arguably the mostimportant part of yourpage. This is where yourstatus updates, links, photouploads, videos, andmilestones will appear.This is also where yourfans can post commentsand questions about yourpractice and theservices you provide.Anytime someone takesan action on your wall, thataction has the chance tobe communicated to theirfriends via the News Feed.Since the average user has338 Facebook friends, anyinteraction your patientshave with your page isan opportunity for morepeople to discover yourpractice and services.This is a great example ofhow social media makesword of mouth and peerrecommendations easy.Since theaverage user has338Facebookfriends,any interactionyour patients havewith your pageis an opportunityfor more peopleto discover yourpractice andservices.Facebook 10122

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ON FACEBOOKThe Photo TabPhotos uploaded to yourFacebook page will bedisplayed on the Phototab. You can organizeyour photos by creatingindividual albums fordifferent events andoccasions. Pictures canhelp breathe life intoyour page and allow foradditional explorationand engagement beyondyour Wall. For example,posting a photo of youroffice building could helppatients find your practiceeasier.Photos can also add anelement of fun to yourcontent. For instance, ifyour office staff decoratesfor the holidays orchanging seasons, youcan share those picturesto your wall. Organizethem into a single “OfficeDecorations” albumfor your current andprospective patients tobrowse later.Photos canalso add anelement offun to yourcontent.Of course, you don’t have to do all the postingyourself. Your patients can join in the fun as well.Asking your fans to share photos of their summereyewear, for example, might lead them to postpictures of their own. Something as simple as,“What kind of sunglasses are you wearing thissummer?” could turn into a fun photo contest.Facebook 10123

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ON FACEBOOKStep 3Find your voiceFind your voiceOne of the most important components to your page is your “voice” – or the toneand language you will use to interact on Facebook. Are you asking questions andprovoking thought, or just posting links without encouraging discussion? This is key tothe success and growth of your Facebook presence. Your content needs to be engagingand interesting.So, how do you make sure you are posting quality content?Sometimes it’s as simple as asking yourself the following: Is this something helpful or informative that I would click on? Is this something I would share with my patients?If you still aren’t sure, you can always look to the response from your audience. Are your patients “liking” or commenting on your posts? A re they responding to questions and adding to the discussion?Over time, you will be able to tell what types of content work best foryour patients.DoDon’t Keep updates short and sweet no more than a few sentences! S hare sensitive patient information,or even their names without consent Be personable P ost too frequently Be unique U se too much text Remain authentic U se canned responses Be accessible Force conversation Use proper grammar & spelling U se complicated medical jargonwithout an easy explanationFacebook 10124

2BUILDING A BRAND PAGE ON FACEBOOKWhat to postIf you’re just getting started on Facebook, you may be asking yourself whattypes of content you should post. Ask yourself:What kind of information would my patientsimmediately find useful?A few examples:To review,here are somethings to keep inmind when postingyour content: A ppointment openings - If you had two cancellations during a busy week, let yourpatients know about it. You could say something like, “We have two cancellations onWednesday. Haven’t had your vision checked in awhile? Call today. We can see youbetween 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.” K eep it conversationaland fun P romotions - Do you have any special updates, events or discounts to share withyour patients? If so, this is a great way to get the word out. S hare informationthat is useful andinteresting E ye health tips – Share seasonal or timely suggestions for helping patients keeptheir eyes healthy. You can make this more engaging by posing it as a question, forexample: “Anyone know how often you should change your contact lens case?” Justmake sure you follow up with the right answer, of course! A sk questions thatencourage discussion S hare photos, andask your fans to sharetheirs as well P hotos from around the office – Did one of your staff members just celebrate ananniversary at the company? Share a photo to recognize and congratulate them. N e

media, Facebook can connect you with patients in new and interesting ways. This Facebook 101 Guide will cover why this social media tool is important to your practice, how to build a brand and advertise on Facebook, how Bausch Lomb can support your practice and its Facebook page, as well as several frequently asked Facebook questions and answers.