My name is Lindsay, and I am the resident Snapchat Queen here at the Identity Dental Marketing office.
By now, I’m sure you’ve heard of Snapchat. At first glance, investing marketing dollars into the social media platform might not interest you. But hear me out, Snapchat has a significant place in dentistry.
According to recent reports, there are over 100 million daily active Snapchat users. Believe it or not, about 9,000 Snapchats are sent per second! It’s safe to say Snapchat is taking over. So, what is it about the social media platform that’s resonating with so many people? Snapchat allows users to send image and video messages to their friends with a special twist: the message will “self-destruct” once it’s opened. Since its initial development, Snapchat has evolved tremendously. The Snapchat “My Story” feature allows users to publish their images/videos to their network for a 24-hour viewing window before the “My Story” disappears. Snapchat provides a peek into its users everyday lives separating itself from the ultra-curated feeds of Instagram and over-saturated timelines of Facebook. Now boasting a lineup of celebrity users and fun “filters” for users to choose from, Snapchat is a force to be reckoned with and has certainly caught advertisers attention. The app’s new opportunity to create an On-Demand Geofilter for your business provides a huge opportunity for dentists.
So what does all of this mean for your dental practice? At the very least, your practice can create a Snapchat account to be used to document office celebrations, messages from the doctor, and more on the My Story feature. I recommend your practice only use Snapchat’s My Story feature to publish posts–that is, don’t send snaps directly to your patients. You should have a framed “Follow Us On:” handout that informs patients of your social media account handles. Add your Snapchat username to it along with Snapchat’s logo.
The best use of Snapchat for your practice is to create a custom Snapchat On-Demand Geofilter that patients can use when they’re in your office. Your On-Demand Geofilter is geographically-bound and is custom designed to feature your name and logo or any other relevant design you see fit. It increases brand awareness and is a fun way to connect with patients and boost their overall experience. This applies to all dentists, but especially to those who have a large teen/young adult patient-base. If you’re an orthodontist, for instance, imagine a teenager who just got their braces off snapping a photo of their new smile with your geofilter stamped on it. All of their Snapchat friends will see who is responsible for that new, beautiful smile.
Below are a few examples of well-designed Geofilters straight from Snapchat’s website:
Let us help you get started on Snapchat. Our Snapchat Start-up Package includes a framed “Follow Us” sign, as well as the design and submission of a custom Snapchat Geofilter. Call Identity Dental Marketing now and get Snappin’!
