10 Jan Dr. Brown's Social Experiment

I was referred to Dr. Celia Brown at Skin-Renaissance because I was interested in getting botox (don’t judge me…I live in Los Angeles).  I liked Dr. Brown’s no nonsense style and her attention to detail in ensuring her clients wouldn’t walk away looking like a blowfish.  Dr. Brown and I quickly connected on a social level.  I asked if she had any online presence for her services and I was shocked to hear that she did not (aside from a very pretty, but old website).  Like many small businesses, Dr. Brown had been successful strictly through word of mouth and no advertising.  After a brief consultation, we determined that we needed to experiment with different forms of Social media to determine which platform would be most successful.
First things First – Website Facelift Required!
When I first meet with a client we go over several components to their business.  For the majority of businesses, their website is their hub.  There is no point in setting up social media platforms if a website isn’t updated, optimized and easy to use.  The goal for any business is usually two things: Traffic and conversions ($$).  If social media platforms are set up to direct people to a website that won’t keep the visitor interested (and eventually take action), then it’s a waste of time.
Other action items necessary before social media should be considered:

• What is your message?
• Who is your audience?
• Who are your competitors?
• What is your goal through social media? 

Facebook Marketing – Does it work for Everyone?
There are some businesses where becoming a Fan or even a Super Fan (someone who not only engages in your content but is an actual paying customer as well), may not be for every business platform.  Is that possible?
Facebook
I decided to create a unique Facebook page  that provided the look and feel of Dr. Brown’s office (a beautifully decorated living room).  Getting “likes” on a Fan Page can be challenging but what’s even more challenging is keeping those fans who “liked” you engaged.   For example, although we were getting the “likes” on Dr. Brown’s Facebook Page, we weren’t getting engagement.  A Facebook page can have 1,000 fans but if no one is talking about them or engaging with their posts, it’s a waste of time.  Each business is different, and for Dr. Brown, we quickly realized that the majority of her fans are her patients and/or future patients.  That being said, there was clearly a privacy issue.   So while I know we’re “reaching” people through interesting posts, most of her fans did not want to respond for fear of everyone knowing who they were.
Other Options
On the flipside, creating a professional Newsletter that had interesting content as well consistent promotions had excellent “open rates” (number of people who actually opened up the email) and “click through rates” (number of people who clicked through to Dr. Brown’s website).  This told me immediately that while her patients weren’t too keen on Facebook, they still wanted a platform where they could participate and get the information they wanted.
The first Newsletter was sent out in November, 2011 and had a record breaking open rate of 40%!  Even better was the click through rate to Dr. Brown’s website of 26%.  The reason that this is phenomenal is that the industry click through average is 10%.
Quick Review

• Open Rate of first Newsletter – 40% (industry average is 16%).
• Click Through Rate (to website) – 26% (industry average is 10%)

Since that first Newsletter in 2011, Dr. Brown’s open rates and increased subscription rates have far surpassed the industry average.  Her clients now count on her Monthly Newsletters which almost always include promotions and discounts for her services.