More social apps are springing up on Facebook.  Over 60 companies will allow users to share their activities with friends via the timeline on their personal Facebook profiles.  Since last year Facebook started to give us a glimpse of the apps but now they have gone full stream by integrating with sites like the Wall Street Journal, Netflix, etc.  So, by simply logging into these sites with your Facebook ID, you are able to automatically post your activities on these websites directly in your Facebook profile — without the need for you to manually copy and paste the link to your facebook.com.

Here is what Facebook says on their app site:

Apps Bring Your Timeline to Life. Add apps to your timeline to express who you are — a runner, foodie, traveler, music fan, movie buff and more.

It is true that most doctors do not have a software development team like the Wall Street Journal.  You may not need one — yet. Short of creating an app for directly engaging your patients, how could you use Facebook for marketing your practice?  Consider Facebook as a place where your patients share their experience about your office and even recommend your services to others.   This is very similar to word-of-mouth referral. We also know that the best marketing is done by your patients -– not by yourself on your own page that few potential new patients will ever see.  We are in no way devaluing your Facebook page.  While it is still important to hold on to your business page, we suggest that the new way of reaching out to new patients is to have your existing patients telling their friends about you.  As more and more sites are integrated with Facebook, it just becomes simpler for your patients to make these genuine word-of-mouth referrals online. Self-promoting on your business page was also the reason why Facebook removed the ‘review’ tab from the business pages.  In essence, these new social apps are another step away from businesses doing their own self-promotion.  Instead, have your patients do the work of referring their friends on Facebook, just like in the real world.

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