Social media used to be much simpler. You could sign up for a Facebook business page and get it polished off in a matter of minutes. All you needed was a logo and a bio. Every few days, you’d type out a sentence of text and click the publish button.
This used to be all it took to have a social media presence.
These days, social media users have much higher expectations. They are drawn to visual content more than ever before. A generic Facebook profile isn’t going to cut it. Text-only updates that say “Schedule an appointment!” will get scrolled past within a fraction of a second.
Visual content receives 94 percent more views than content without an image. To keep your patients engaged, it’s essential to use a visual social media marketing strategy.
Keep Your Online Presence Consistent
To optimize your chiropractic social media accounts, it’s important to keep your branding consistent. The look and feel of your practice should be cohesive across all channels. Each network has a different layout, so make sure your bio, profile images, and cover photos are appropriate for each one.
Your social profiles should also match the branding of your website. If they don’t, you might be sending mixed signals. A consistent tone and image increases brand recall, which refers to the ability of patients to correctly keep your practice in their memory.
First, you must ensure that the dimensions of your images follow each social platform’s guidelines. Every platform has their own set of rules. That’s why we compiled this cheat sheet for four of the top social media networks.
1. Facebook
Whether it’s showcasing a staff member’s birthday or creating an inspirational graphic, you can create meaningful Facebook conversations with great visual content. Facebook is an excellent way to show off your practice’s personality.
Image dimensions:
- Cover Photo: 828 x 315 px
- Profile Image: 400 x 400 px
- Shared Images: 1200 x 900 px
2. Twitter
Your patients use Twitter to discover what’s happening in the world right now. Posting regularly on Twitter helps you connect with existing and prospective patients. Share an interesting fun fact or one of your blog articles to keep people engaged.
Image dimensions:
- Header Photo: 1500 x 500 px
- Profile Image: 400 x 400 px
- Shared Images: 440 x 220 px
3. Google+
Your Google+ profile is automatically created when you set up a Google My Business page (something we do for our clients when creating a new website). On this social platform you can share content, post messages, and engage with other users.
Image dimensions:
- Cover Photo: 1080 x 608 px
- Profile Image: 250 x 250 px
- Shared Images: 497 x 279 px
4. YouTube
Your YouTube channel can provide valuable patient information while painting a clear picture of your practice. For example, you can post patient testimonials, educational content, and a video that showcases your staff and office.
Image dimensions:
- Cover Photo: 2560 x 1440 px
- Video Uploads: 1280 x 760 px
Tip: Take advantage of free tools such as Canva to create graphics for your status updates. And be sure to only use photos you have the rights to. You can find great free stock photography at sites like Unsplash and PicJumbo, but actual photos of you and your office staff are always best!
Creating a consistent brand identity requires consistent posting habits. If you haven’t posted on your Facebook page in over a month, why should patients bother following you? You have to break through the social media clutter by maintaining an active and engaging presence.