Tag: dental marketing

Honey, Don’t You Notice Anything Different About Me Today?!

Has MDPM lost weight? New haircut? Nope. We’ve added the Google +1 widget to our sidebar!

Everyone seems interested in Google+ since its launch a few weeks ago. In fact, just yesterday, MedMonthly asked me to write an article on the new social network. (Stay tuned for the article with all the juicy details.)

Just this morning, I read a Google Webmaster News blog post that reminded me, it’s time to add the +1 widget to the website. So, over in the right sidebar, you’ll see a little white box with the Google colors. If you’re already on +1 (you have to be invited, can’t just sign up), click the +1 icon as a special favor to me, your marketing diva. If you’ve not signed up for Google+, but you want to stick  your head in the room and look around a bit, email me, and I’ll add you to my MDPM circle.

Don’t know what a circle is? Circles, IMHO, are what set Google+ apart from Facebook. I’m not insinuating that one is better than the other (we don’t want FB to start pulling G1’s hair), but there differences that make them each special in their own way. Circles are groups that allow you to organize your G+ friends. I have a family circle, MDPM pals circle, friends circle, and an oft untapped circle of cheerleader moms (yikes). These circles let me show certain people what goes on inside my G+ page. If I don’t want my parents to know I’m headed to the lake after work to have a few beers with my old high school friends, I simply don’t let the family circle see that post.

That’s all for today, folks. More to come, I ‘m sure. If you like the tips we share here, subscribe to the blog in the right sidebar. Then you’ll get emails every time this digital diva pens a post. Until next time, peace, love, and good ROI to all of you. Tata.

Top 10 Blog Ideas for Dentists

This morning, Hubspot sent me an email with a guide to spotting bad SEO. In it, buyers were told to beware of ten specific tactics, three of which relate to writing. I strongly agree with all three. So, to blogging dentists, I want to reiterate these points before going into blog topics.

Now, as for blog fodder, blogs should be kept short and sweet. Along that vein, here are 10 effective concepts magazine and blog writers often use for creating great content. You can incorporate these same ideas into your dental blogs.

  1. Top Ten – Everyone wants a quick, worthwhile read. The Top Ten format makes life easier for both blogger and reader. Coming up with 10 reasons, tricks, or tips on the same topic is not difficult. The list you’re reading is a prime example. Listing is also quick for the writer. To the reader, a list can be scanned quickly, digested easily, and lists appeal to busy people. Here are a few Top Tens to get you started: Top Ten Whitening Systems; Top Ten Reasons People Choose Veneers; Top Ten Ways to Improve Heart Health.
  2. The Secret – Want to know a secret? Everyone does! Leverage that to your benefit when blogging. For example: The Secret to Lifelong Teeth Whitening; The Secret to Fresh Breath; The Secret to Keeping Teeth for Life.
  3. Real Stories – People love real stories — it’s like gossip, but without the guilt. Whether you use your own little anecdotes or patient testimonials, real stories are awesome. I remember reading one by a dental hygienist who talked about a little boy she treated and how he loved baseball. I remember that! In writing, we call this resonance. So, try to create blogs that resonate.
  4. Simple Information – What may seem obvious to you isn’t so clear to your potential readers. For instance, you know that crowns can be ceramic — and that porcelain and ceramic are synonyms. Your potential patients may not! Likewise, you know that mall kiosks that offer instant teeth whitening are not run by a dentist. Your potential patients may not! As you see patients today, ask if they knew these things. Read More

Focus on ROI: Internet Marketing that Works… and Doesn’t

Just like you keep up with dental technology, research, and techniques by reading industry journals, I make a point to read the latest information about Internet marketing, dental marketing, and marketing trends. For a long time now, I’ve blogged about social networking having poor return on investment (ROI). Sure, subscriptions and participation are free, but time is money, and to build a successful social networking presence, you must invest time. By successful, I mean a presence that has a following – not financial ROI.

In Entrepreneur Magazine online, an article titled “Finding Customers” tells us that social media is not bringing retailers many customers. A report by Forrester Research, “The State of Retailing Online 2011: Marketing, Social & Mobile” shows that retailers are not happy with the results of investing in social marketing, like Facebook and Twitter. Now I know dentists aren’t online retailers, but there is something to learn here. The benefits to social marketing are wrapped around improving brand awareness.

Just this week, I advised a wonderful client of mine that a custom Facebook page will look great, but it will not improve ROI. It may not bring any new patients to the practice. This does not mean that a custom Facebook page is a poor investment. You have to consider your goals. For a high-end cosmetic dental spa, brand awareness and perceived value of services is essential to maintaining high profits. In this case, a custom Facebook page may be well worth the monetary investment.

But if you’re looking for hard, cold cash as a return on your marketing investment, according to the aforementioned report, “A whopping 90 percent of online retailers said search-engine marketing was the most effective source used to acquire customers last year…” Well, that’s great news for dentists! Read More

Dentists as Experts In the Media

Does your dental practice website have a page that features published articles, news clips, and books published by your doctors and team members? If not, it should! We are in the process of compiling archives for our own “Media & Publications” page here on the MDPM website. See our new page here. Along with patient testimonials, a webpage touting your published works is a great adjunct to any online dental marketing strategy.

Do you dream of being the Dr. Oz of dentistry? One of the advantages of Internet marketing is that you can quickly position yourself (and your team members) as an expert in your field of expertise. Adding a page to your website is just one way to start sculpting your expert status.

In addition to sharing a sampling of your published works on your dental website, blogging can give you expert status. Whether the purpose of your dental practice blog is marketing through SEO or providing information to potential and current patients, there’s not any reason in the world that you can’t also leverage your blog to promote yourself as an expert. MDPM writes and posts optimized blogs for our clients. As an adjunct to our SEO-focused strategy, we encourage dentists to send us their own posts. We can then translate the submission into an optimized blog, as well as an article to submit to online distribution sources. The blog post may be picked up by a large publication, local newspaper, or (at the least) read by your potential patients.

To add more power to your post, MDPM can send the text in an email blast to current clients (you provide the email list). We can further enhance your exposure by developing a press release about your expertise and submit it to local news stations and publications.

Don’t be shy about your accolades. In the professional world, those accolades can build your future — only if they’re marketed properly.

For more information, call Jill at 972-781-8861 or email info@moderndentalmarketing.com.

5 Social Networking Tasks Dentists Can Hire a Teenager to Do

In a Biznik article, Sue Cartwright, Social Media Marketing Expert, tells us: “With 78% of consumers trusting peer reviews when only 14% trust advertisements, it is essential to be involved in your online community, to build a good reputation and know what people are saying about you. To do this effectively you need to engage in conversations, monitor the outcomes, join the debate, help others and show customers you care as a means to building a loyal network.”

Having been in dental marketing for years, I know that most dentists don’t have the staff or time to invest in an all-out social media marketing campaign. I do think, however, there are a few things your front office person can do to get your office engaged on Facebook. You can even hire your teenage daughter to do these things. Seriously, $10 an hour, 5 hours a week – not much of an investment. The return will show up, most likely, in patients being more loyal to you, giving you free word-of-mouth referrals, and remembering to keep up with recall visits and follow up with treatment. Why? Because you’ll be engaged, showing that you care!

You’ll need a human page and a fan page to make this work. Here’s how to do it: Read More

Investing in People is Investing in Business

What’s more precious, money or time? The correct answer is both. When Jill and I founded Modern Dental Practice Marketing, we decided that we would invest in people as part of our business. First, I’ll tell you what we’re doing and what we’ve learned, then I’ll give you some practical ways to get involved with– and get new patients from– your community.

MDPM is a proud sponsor of the North Texas Hispanic Dental Association, a local branch of the Hispanic Dental Association. We built and maintain the NTHDA blog, Facebook page, and newsletter. In addition, we volunteered at the NTHDA’s booth at the Southwest Dental Conference, and just last weekend, we lent a hand at Give Kids a Smile. The NTHDA is made up of a wonderful, dedicated, and very generous group of dental professionals who value people above all else.

MDPM is also involved with the North Texas Dental Association. Throughout 2011, we will publish the NTDA quarterly newsletters. We work with the North Texas Latin American Physicians Association and will soon become active in the American Academy Oral Systemic Health. Jill is looking forward to being on the board and membership committees of various philanthropic dental organizations this year, as well.

Sure, being a part of these organizations makes us feel great. We love helping people! It’s also a great investment in our business. We’re networking and building relationships with like-minded professionals who also value philanthropy.

What does this have to do with YOU? Well, let me ask you, how involved are you with your community? Sponsoring a sports team is great, but unless you go to the games and let the team (and fans) know who you are, it’s not a great investment. In this way, time is just as important as money.

There are essential marketing services you need, and your time is not required for these: website, blog, newsletter, print ads, radio, TV, etc. However, we are in Generation G, and you need to get on board. Gone are the days of writing a donation check and getting a good return in the office. Today, you have to engage, get involved, show your generosity in more ways than offering cold, hard cash.

I’ve spoken to many dentists who take on a charity dental case, but don’t advertise it. They’re afraid they’ll be inundated with people wanting free dentistry. And it can happen! Some dentists are involved in their church, but don’t allow that side of their life to cross over into their dental office. Letting people know about your generosity and volunteering should be done deliberately, but in the right way. It takes a seasoned dental marketing professional to spin it in the right way.

There is nothing wrong with being involved in the community in the name of your business. Generation G is defined by a generation of consumers who want to do business with companies that are giving and generous. If your nature is to be giving and generous, you’re one step ahead.

I want to give you a few examples of engaging with your community through giving. Read More

How to Design a Profitable Dental Practice Marketing Strategy & Effective Campaigns

You know you need a blog, a website, a Facebook page; and you probably know that you should have a newsletter and email blast campaigns, host local events, and participate in local sponsorship opportunities. You might also advertise in the newspaper or in magazines, submit press releases, or send direct mail.

Question is, which of these is profitable?
What’s the key to getting new patients,
closing bigger cases, and earning more profit?

First of all, determine what’s lucrative. Don’t keep investing in marketing projects that have little or no return. And, don’t let anyone tell you that something does not work. While I truly believe that phone book advertising is useless for most dentists, some practitioners in small communities may still see new business from a yellow pages advertisement. Likewise, newspapers across the country are filing bankruptcy, yet I still see quite a few dentists, usually those that cater to people 55 and older, who see new patients as a direct result of regular newspaper advertising.

Measuring return on investment, or ROI, can be difficult unless you ask all new patients how they heard about you, then log the information for future reference. The best way to accomplish this is by giving your front office team the tools and training to ask for and accurately record “How did you hear about us?” responses. Your records must reflect ALL new patients, and they must be maintained year after year to truly measure responses. I’ve seen new clients call businesses as a direct response to an ad that was placed over a year before. Read More

The Essential Art of Self Branding for Dentists

What is self branding? Well, it’s just what it sounds like: branding yourself.

Why do I need to brand myself? That completely depends on what you want out of your future. Some common reasons for self branding are:

  • You’re an associate dentist or partner who will go into private practice at some point.
  • You hope to become a speaker, consultant, author, or celebrity.
  • You want a personal following in case you move your practice to a new location.
  • You are a dental student who will practice with a group, as an assistant, or independently.
  • You are a professional and deserve a professional identity. Your skills are transferable, but make sure that your name is transferable, as well.

All too often, we see partnerships dissolve. Dentists who worked under a practice name move on to establish a private practice of a new name, and they have no history of publicity. No one knows who they are. Imagine being in this situation, but having 400 Facebook fans and 1000 hits on your blog each month. Now that would give you a great place to start.

It’s about being smart and staying ahead of the game. Read More

Educating the Dental Team for Patient Retention

I’m a mom, and moms talk. The very best marketing you could ever hope to have is word of mouth. So I want to share with you a dental visit I had and two reasons that I did not give the practice a good word-of-mouth referral. My review, when asked (and I was asked), was that it wasn’t the right place for my family.

A few years ago, I made an appointment at a very well publicized dental center that had opened a new location in my neighborhood. When the assistant was taking me back for X-rays, I asked if the center used digital X-rays. She asked me what that meant. Hmmmm. All that fancy decor in the lobby, and the assistant doesn’t know what a digital X-ray is. As I explained it to her, she seemed completely disinterested. It really made me see where the priority was in that office. All appearances pointed to just that — appearances.

Please do not let your team wander around your beautiful office with no idea what a digital X-ray is.

Another instance that was quite a put off happened during the same visit. I was told that I needed my wisdom teeth removed. Now I don’t mind getting a filling, but oral surgery is another story. I asked the associate doctor if he did extractions in the office. He said maybe… Read More