It’s a great time to be a dentist and on Facebook. Or is it? Social media is the most popular way dentists are staying connected - worldwide. Among the different platforms, Facebook is the overwhelming favorite. The Dental Groups created on Facebook are designed to offer, you know, some worldwide feedback or solutions to help your dental practice; it has become the new frontier for information. The problem is it seems everyone is an expert. How do you sort out the right information from the wrong information? No, really, how? I don’t have the answer.
Engagement, engagement, engagement…..that’s what Facebook is all about.The more engaged, the more addicted... errr.. the more informed you are. Dentists are seeking new ways to stay connected while physically distanced due to COVID-19. There is a reason Facebook is the leading social media platform - Groups. Groups allow users to customize their social media experience. Whatever you rock, there is likely a Group for it. Groups not only draw you in, they keep you in and keep you coming back.
According to Social Media Today, “Facebook is adding some new ways to engage within groups”. Chats will offset more real time discussions within groups. They are launching Prompts as a post type and Q&A sessions. For those of you who are more visual, Prompts ask people to share a photo as a response. Then, these Prompts can be available as a slide show. So responses to questions like, “How do you organize your supplies?” will be in photos. If there is a photo you might want to learn a little more about, you will be able to dive a little deeper in discussions with more Q&A sessions - and be able to keep track.
Admittedly, I’m a bit of a “social butterfly”. I have been very active on social media for a lot of years, from my own personal page to, now, a moderator/admin on Design Ergonomics, Ergonomic Products and Reboot Practice Productivity Solutions company pages. I can tell you one thing for sure, I learn a whole lot about the industry from these ‘Groups’. Seems everyone is a consultant these days. Sorting through this information is daunting. For every question, there are 25 different responses.
I have often wondered what dentists do with the answers to their questions within these Facebook Groups. Do you take the advice of one, many... or go out on your own? Whether you are a dentist seeking Facebook Groups for the guy selling Cavicide and gloves from the back of his pickup truck, or a dental student planning for the future, you’ve probably come to the right place. If you are seeking Dental Facebook Groups for clear cut, black and white answers, you will have your work cut out for you.
While social media communities can help lead you in the right direction, there is still nothing better than a little hand holding - that’s hard to do with both hands on the keyboard.
