The Secrets of a Knock-Out Facebook Live
Most healthcare practitioners know they need to leverage social media to grow their practice. Social platforms, like Facebook, continue to be an excellent way to establish yourself as a trustworthy authority, build a connection with your audience, and grow your reach.
There are a number of ways you can attract new patients within Facebook – but not all of them have the same return on investment.
Buying expensive ads may get you in front of people, but does it get you in front of the patients you most want to serve?
And with Facebook being the black hole it can be, you could easily spend hours searching through groups, liking, commenting, messaging – and trying to find ways to engage with your ideal clients.
But even after all that, you still have nothing to show. No new clients. No increase in sales.
While Facebook has the potential to grow your practice, you may have a ton of questions around how to go about using it:
- What’s the best approach?
- What if I feel nervous or make a mistake?
- Where do I even begin?
- What if I’m already short on time?
- What if I don’t have a ton of money to spend?
Today, we’re going to explore how to use Facebook to transform your clinic. We’ll focus specifically on the power of Facebook Lives. The best part about Lives? Doing them will take you less than 10 minutes a day, and you don’t have to spend a dime.
Setting Expectations for Your Facebook Live
As a healthcare practitioner, especially a chiropractor or acupuncturist, you may think that your only gift is with your hands. It’s tempting to think that maybe Facebook Lives aren’t for you. But as a healthcare practitioner, you do have another gift – another way to serve your patients…
That gift is your voice.
I have some good news that should bring you great relief – when you do Facebook Lives, you don’t have to deliver a perfected and polished script. If you’re worried about whether someone doesn’t like your topic or if your hair isn’t right, that’s okay. You don’t have to be perfect. In fact, it’s better if you aren’t. It shows that you’re human, and people love that authenticity.
Before you begin working on Facebook Lives, set some expectations for yourself.
- Choose a time of day to go Live and stick to it. Think of when your energy is at its best. That may mean you do your Lives first thing in the morning before your day begins or you get distracted.
- Don’t worry about mistakes. At some point, you’ll probably fumble over your words or flub up in another way. When that happens, don’t worry about deleting the entire Live – just keep going. Remember that mistakes show you’re a real human and are relatable.
- Focus on serving. Instead of immediately trying to sell something, consider using your Facebook Lives as a way to offer value to your audience. An almost-guaranteed way to prevent being “sales-y” is to keep your focus on how you can serve your audience well.
Going Live on Facebook each day has the potential to propel your reach and grow your practice. But you have to be consistent with it. The best way to do this is to spend a few minutes planning ahead. Here are some extra tips to start you off strong with your Facebook Lives.
What Should You Talk About in Your Facebook Live?
If going Live each day feels overwhelming, breathe easy. You don’t need to dedicate a full hour or even 30 minutes. A short 5-7 minute daily Live is plenty, and keeping them short helps ensure they’re a more sustainable part of your daily routine.
But what in the world should you speak about? If you’re stuck thinking of ideas, I have great news. Your patients have already given you your topics. Jot down some notes on the following:
- What do you get asked all the time in your practice?
- What conversations are you having regularly?
- What do you end up teaching about very frequently?
Once you have some ideas, the next step is to figure out the shortest, fastest way to answer their questions. For example, if they consistently ask about whether potatoes are OK to eat, think of three things you can say about potatoes and why they are or aren’t the best option.
To take that example a step further, you could do even more Lives about the different types of potatoes, the history of potatoes, your favorite ways to eat potatoes, and how to make a potato gun (just kidding on the last one!). All of this from just one simple question!
Each one of those topics could be your Facebook Live for the day.
To make sure you never run out of ideas, consider creating an idea log in the notes section of your phone. Whenever an idea pops in your head or a patient asks you an intriguing question, write it down. Lean on this idea log whenever you can’t think of anything to speak on.
What Do You Do After Your Live Ends?
Once your Live ends, your job isn’t quite done. Make sure you check back in throughout the day and respond to comments, hit “Like,” “Love” or give a thumbs up.
Your engagement matters for a couple of reasons.
First, simply put, responding shows that you care. It shows your audience that you’re a real person and are available. You don’t have to “be a doctor” to them on Facebook, but you can lead by being genuine, interacting and connecting.
Secondly, strong engagement also helps maximize your reach. When people engage with your Lives, they’re much more likely to share with their followers or tag their friends. This means you reach a wider audience and ultimately attract new potential patients.
A Few Recording Tips and Tricks
Going Live on Facebook doesn’t have to be complicated, and you don’t need fancy equipment. But having the right tools in the right places will help keep you consistent. Here are a few tool options to help you ace your Lives:
- Your phone. You don’t need a high-end camera or clip-on mic. Your iPhone or Android is absolutely sufficient.
- Car cradle or mount. If you plan to do your Lives in your car, it may help to have a cradle or mount for your phone. This will ensure your camera stays still and stable.
- Tripod. For Lives outside of your car, consider having a tripod to keep your phone steady. You can spend up to $200 or $300, or you can get an almost 5-star one for $20 on Amazon.
Keeping your equipment where you do your Lives is key to creating a fool-proof system. It’ll prevent you from finding yourself in a location and thinking, “Oh, my equipment isn’t here. I’ll just do it later.” Because as we all know, later rarely comes.
Commit to Going Live
Going Live on Facebook may feel scary at first, but the more you do it, the easier it becomes. Give it a try, and see for yourself. Commit to going Live at least once this week. Take a few minutes to plan it out – using the tips and tricks above – and get ready to rock your Lives.