Dr. Jason Lipscomb, a Virginia general dentist, has become one of the leading authorities on the use of social media by dentists. Social media refers to Facebook, Twitter and other Web-based applications that often employ user-generated content to attract the attention of consumers—in this case dental patients.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media Web sites provide a wealth of opportunity for dental practitioners to reach out to new and existing patients. But no matter how savvy or high-tech your online strategies are, without successful word of mouth, social media marketing will fail. If you expect an immediate flood of new patients from Facebook or pay attention to social media only when you have extra time, you will be quickly disappointed. The following traditional “word-of-mouth” tips can help you make the most of your social networking efforts:

The August 11 edition of the Wall Street Journal contains “Dentists Set Up Marketing as Patients Skip Their Visits.”  The central message is that dentists have had to ramp up their marketing efforts in response to the current recession. Some of the dental marketing techniques mentioned include: newsletters, deferred payment schedules, twitter, email recall appointment [...]