A social medium

Much like the Sydney property bubble, many have foretold the end of social media. Declining user engagement, platforms that didn’t move forward with the times (remember MySpace?)… but despite some reports to the contrary, Australians aren’t quite ready quit the little blue thumbs-up just yet.

According to research by social media agency Vivid Social, Facebook clocks in at 16,000,000 users a year in this country. Instagram has a comparatively tiny 5,000,000 monthly active users, while relative-new-kid-on-the-block Snapchat rocking in 4,000,000 daily active Australian users. Needless to say, it’s a powerful way to connect with the world – and current and future patients.

“I think social media is a quick and easy medium to inform the general public about procedures that can be offered, and show them the results first hand,” says Principal Dentist at Sydney Cosmetic Sanctuary, Dr Nidhi Berera. “People like to see the treatment before and after, and even being done if possible. Although it is still good to research and read information about treatment that you may be considering, it becomes more real and personal when a potential patient sees it being done on another patient.”

As with any procedure, there can be a natural wariness and fear of the unknown. Seeing the whole process, oftentimes live, can help mitigate that fear. “I am not sure if it ‘normalises’ a procedure, but it perhaps makes it more obtainable and less scary,” says Dr Berera. “I think it is great for the medical industry to use social media so the public can see what treatment can be offered and see real results. It is a great tool to educate the public rather than just reading information.”