August 2015
3 Ways to Deliver Value Through Your Dental Marketing Content to the Masses Searching for Your Services
“You add about as much value as the ‘g’ in lasagna.” – @BillMurray (not the actor) via Twitter
I chuckled while scanning my Twitter timeline as the above quote got my attention. It’s blunt but there’s a principle you shouldn’t ignore.
Whatever you do, don’t be a “g.”
It’s vital to your dental marketing success that you avoid being the “g.” As quoted, the “g” adds no value.
In the language context it occupies a necessary space, a keystroke, within a yummy word. But it’s silent and holds no value beyond the word’s spelling.
I’m not going to debate the nuances of the English language here. That’s not my point.
Here’s the principle: Your dental marketing content – especially online – should add value to your readers and dental website visitors.
There’s two reasons I’ve been beating this “drum” on recent posts.
One, is because the volume of dentists, dental professionals, and dental marketers who are “getting-it” is increasing as we speak. If that’s you, you’re dialed-in to the digital marketing reality that having a dental website is ONLY the beginning.
There’s more and you know it.
You’ve adopted the content marketing mantra that valuable, useful content, consistently published, and distributed via a blog/article page, a podcast, social media, etc is how you build a trusting audience – an audience of readers who will gladly use your services because they trust your expert content.
The second reason for beating the “content-drum?”
A significant number (I’m sad to say) still rely on high-word count, feature-heavy, technical web pages full of dental-speak that colleagues understand but the general public quickly click away from. Not because they’re “dumb” but because the content is “numb” (typical, expected, overdone, and over-used).
How to Deliver Value Through Your Online Dental Marketing Content to the Masses Searching for Your Services
1-Publish Tight, Accessible Content
“Tight” content is readable. Copy and content readability involves a conversational flow.
Write and publish content that your readers can easily scan and understand. Keep in mind that most are reading your content (and viewing your website) on a smartphone or mobile device like an iPad or tablet.
Accessibility is vital to your digital marketing success. The tighter and less wordy your copy/content is the better for how your reader commonly accesses it.
2-Deliver Useful Content Consistently
I’m often asked, “How frequently should I publish or distribute my content?” Opinions vary.
At a minimum I encourage dental professionals to publish every other week or two times per month – minimum! Weekly is best (four times per month on average).
Consistency builds momentum. And the quicker you build momentum with valuable, useful content via a blog, podcast, or social media channels the more trusted you and your expertise become.
Brainstorm and write down the questions your patients or clients are asking. What topics emerge that you could answer through a 400 to 500 word article/blog post?
Create and update an editorial calendar. List topics that apply to certain dental “seasons” (Late summer: back-to-school, Fall/Holiday: end of year insurance benefits, Spring/Early Summer: teeth whitening and cosmetic dentistry for wedding and prom season, Etc.).
Hire/contract with a skilled copywriter or blog content writer who understands the dental “landscape.”
3-Compel with an Easy, Clear Call-to-Action
Inform your readers what the next step is. Compel them to take it.
Use “action” words like “Schedule,” “Contact Us,” “Request,” “Click here,” Etc.
Remove the passive language from your website content. Words like “Welcome to…,” “We’re proud to announce…,” “We would like to…,” “Please…,” imply passivity and permission.
Tell readers about the benefits of your services and ask them to do something specific to access them.
Deliver value through every piece of content you publish. It’s how you build trust, gain attention…and avoid being a “g.”
What a Back-Handed Criticism Taught Me About Watching My Language and How It Can Improve Your Dental Website Content
A criticism recently got under my skin. I prefer to roll with push-back but this one irritated me given my experience and expertise.
It involved a discussion about a website’s language, tone, and readability. By the way, each are vital on your dental website and in your dental marketing.
Let’s make one thing clear – I speak English as my first and only (for now) language.
I’ll explain why I’m sharing that bit of trivia in a moment.
My first words as a child were in English.
I’ve sat through boring English classes (no offense teachers or professors) at a high school, university, and post-graduate level. And as a professional copywriter and content marketing strategist I’ve had to unlearn a portion of what I was taught (some rules of grammar DO NOT APPLY).
I’ve learned about “word-economy” (how to say the most with the least amount of words) from some of the world’s best communicators and communication coaching settings.
Plus…
I have over three decades of experience using the English language to persuade, compel, inspire, motivate, celebrate, and comfort.
I have tens of thousands of hours writing and delivering presentations as a public speaker in a variety of venues using (Bingo!) the English language.
And I have close to an equal number of hours as a trained, professional writer/copywriter commanding the English language on behalf of my own and my client’s services.
So when I was questioned by a client (trying to make a point) whether English was my first language, understand why I was ticked. To clarify, the whole issue wasn’t about my alleged “butchering” of the English language.
The issue surrounded the voice, tone, and general design of the language that’s effective on a dental website. Dental practices and dental marketers often hire me to rewrite their content because what’s there lacks all the above – compelling voice, tone, and readable design.
What’s the deal?
The default on many websites (dentistry is no exception) is high word count (that lacks flow or purpose), wordiness (fluff and bloat that doesn’t offer solutions), and feature-heavy (”Hey, look how state-of-the-art equipped and educated we are…” with few if any stated benefits to the reader/site visitor).
Too strong?
Is it too strong a criticism if your readers aren’t compelled to read past your Home page graphics and headline? Or if your copy/content reads like a chapter out of the most recent CE course you took on osseointegration (i.e. it’s full of dental-speak that only dental professionals use and understand).
I’m not implying that your dental website copy or your dental marketing content should be “dumbed-down.” Frankly, that’s an insulting way to describe copy and content that should, above all, compel people to use your services to improve their health.
But for goodness sake make it easy for them to read and know what action to take next!
How to Create and Deliver Dental Content that People Can Understand and are Compelled to Act On
Watch your language.
Language is about being understood. It makes sense that if you need an interpreter or if your reader must Google the definition of a particular word or words used in your content – it’s not connecting!
Your readers connect with you word to word, line to line, and page to page IF they understand what you’re saying.
- Write your dental content for the general public. The education level of your target audience isn’t the benchmark. The benchmark is speaking clearly and compellingly about your services in a way that leads to a specific, intended action like a scheduled appointment, client contract, etc.
- Know your readers. Listen to their pains, concerns, and goals. The late, writer and leadership consultant, Stephen Covey, said it best, “Seek to understand then to be understood.” There is no connection without knowing. Knowledge of your readers leads to understanding what they lay awake at night thinking about, feeling, etc., that compelled them to land on your website or read your content in the first place. Write to that!
Take-that-tone.
Language is about understanding. Tone is about being heard.
Our grandson will ask, “Are you mad at me…?” It surprises me when he asks that because in the moment I’m not “angry” with him at all.
In reality, he’s perceiving my mood by the “tone” he’s hearing in my voice. If I answer a question somewhat “short” or abruptly he hears anger when I’m simply being brief and to the point.
- Write in a conversational tone. Use this tone more than 95% of the time in your dental marketing content. Why? It works because writing how you talk is how you’ll best be heard and get your point across.
- Keep the tone casual, crisp, and to-the-point. Punchy, short sentences compel better than long, rambling, wordy sentences. Remember, with content, being heard starts with being easy to read and follow.
Raise your voice.
This isn’t about volume. Voice is about being relevant.
I’m talking relevance to your audience. Okay, to soothe your occasional need to feel all intellectual and academic – if your audience is other dental professionals or colleagues go ahead and unload all the dental-speak you want.
That’s fine. They get-it.
But…
That’s not your audience on your dental practice website.
- Again, know your audience. Most of the time it’s everyday, ordinary people who have the need to visit your dental web pages because of mouth pain or some other oral health related issue. Period.
- Know how to use your voice. Internal web pages (Home page, About Us page, Services/Procedures pages) are for quick-scanning, easy-to-read, call-to-action content about the basics of your dental services. Your blog/article pages are for more detailed, educational, albeit easy-to-read and informative content that compels them to trust your expertise.
Now, was that so difficult to understand? I’m a bit tongue-in-cheek with that question.
I’m also biased about the language, tone, and voice you use on your dental website and in your dental marketing content.
Keep it real. And whatever you do, keep it readable. Or…your site visitors and readers are gone with a “click.”
That should really get-under-your-skin.
How to Create Dental Website Content That Guides Readers to Solutions with Compass-like Precision
Where I recently hiked is not for the directionally challenged. And I quickly discovered something about maps that has helped me find my way more than once.
The same could be said of your current location on the dental marketing grid. Marketing your dental services has value relative to what you know and understand about the new marketing landscape.
Hiking or driving, I can typically find my way around. Once I’ve learned the lay-of-the-land I can move about with few, if any, navigational problems.
And I’ve discovered something about maps. They’re most valuable when you know where you are relative to where you began (e.g. my recent hiking experience) and, of course, where you’re going.
“If you don’t know where you’re going…
You probably think I’ll finish the sentence by saying, “…you’ll probably end up someplace else…,” right? And you’d be partially correct.
The bigger challenge related to your dental marketing strategy is – “If you don’t know where you’re going, you…aren’t listening to your dental patients or dental clients.”
This might seem a bit presumptuous or harsh. But the truth is, you might be making too many assumptions and not enough asks.
Asked and answered is the-new-black
It’s easy to assume that your dental website is all you need. Set-it-and-forget-it seems to be the common strategy I find in my consultations these days.
Here’s the deal:
A dental website is a platform not a stand-alone marketing strategy.
The true value of your dental website is how you leverage it with useful information by listening to your “audience.” Not all information is necessary or useful – know the difference.
Evaluate the information you’re sharing on your website. Your “Home,” “About Us,” and “Services” pages are not the most effective place to provide value to your readers.
Why? These are quick-scan, credibility enhancing pages.
Most of your site visitors are quick to click away from them unless you’re doing something fresh and different with a strategic portion of the content (I’ll talk about that in a moment).
Think like your site visitors
It’s easy for educated professionals and providers to believe that website visitors/readers are as enamored with your latest-and-greatest whatever as you are. They (like you, perhaps) can sniff hype, fluff, and feature-focused web content that does nothing more than enjoy the sound of it’s own voice.
Ask yourself why someone is visiting your website. Why would you visit and stick around to read content on your website if you were them?
How easy is it to find an answer to a common dental question (e.g. mouth pain, cosmetic dental treatment, straight teeth, etc.)?
On a map or compass “north” is a common reference point. As my recent hiking experience revealed, “true-north” has value if I knew where I started and where I needed to arrive when my hike was finished.
True-North: What it pays to know about your dental website content that will help you answer more questions and guide readers to the solutions they’re looking for.
1-Design your dental website to be a digital marketing platform.
These days two things will be obvious about your website. It’s either a digital (electronic) brochure or it’s a digital media platform (content delivery system).
People scan and toss brochures. On the other hand, people read, digest, search, bookmark, tag, share, revisit, and bottom-line, give you their trust as result of useful, valuable content delivered via an informative website (platform).
The choice is yours!
Create informative dental blog posts that answer the questions you’re hearing from your patient’s/client’s comments via reviews, post-appointment surveys, chair side consults, etc.
2-Make your dental blog/article page the front-door of your dental website platform.
Replace bloated, fluff Home, About Us, Services/Procedures page content with brief (250-400 words), crisp, benefit-focused, call-to-action content that links to your blog/article page (for starters).
3-Allow your dental marketing to evolve and revolve around content that informs and educates more than content that hypes and promotes.
There’s only so much you can say about “Improving Your Smile…” and all the overused, numbing dental marketing-speak that’s saturating today’s mailboxes and in-boxes. Enough, already!
Dig for more emotional-gold in your patient or client’s questions and comments. Ask them to explain “attractive smile.” What does that mean to them – more dates, greater confidence at work, feeling beautiful on their wedding day, etc?
Write content that taps into emotion. Inform with benefits more than you highlight your practice amenities or business success (Hint: if you use state-of-the-art, cutting edge or some other overused, numbing phrase to promote it).
Landmarks matter whether you’re hiking or marketing dental services. You’ll reach your desired destination if you follow the right reference points on an updated map.
The Better Strategy for Compelling People and Building Trust Through Your Dental Marketing
I spend a lot of intentional time with our six year old grandson. Our interactions are full of insights that I’ve frequently shared.
He said something recently that opened my eyes. It’s a compelling strategy you might be failing to use to your advantage in your dental marketing.
For example, he has a preset against naps these days. Hey, he’s moving from the world of Pre-K (where naps are required) to the new territory of Kindergarten (where naps aren’t part of the daily routine).
He couldn’t be more thrilled. I, on the other hand, make good use of the daily power nap to stay productive and healthy.
The grandson and I were hanging out recently. Following lunch seemed like a good time to re-introduce him to the power of napping.
I knew I couldn’t just charge in with my “promotional agenda” (“Naps are a good thing – we should take one now,”). So, I crafted my “headline” and “lead” like all marketing strategist G-Pa’s do – I promoted the dull, numbing term “nap,” by calling it “Power-Spa Time.”
My “market research” discovered that he had been curious about my wife and I’s yoga mats. As long as he knew them as yoga mats I believed he’d be none the wiser to my subtle use of them as a “nap mat.”
We rolled them out. I coached him in the fine art of laying back, taking a few deep cleansing breaths, and slowly closing our eyes to fully embrace “power spa time.”
A couple of minutes in, the gig was up!
My restful silence was quickly interrupted by his words, “G-Pa, this is just a nap!”
Busted!
The common failure in marketing is believing that people can be “sold” before they understand or have been intentionally informed about the underlying benefits.
I could go a few different directions with my grandson’s comment and with the previous statement I just made.
And yet the deeper truth within that statement is realizing that even before you arrive at a benefit driven buying decision you must authentically prove yourself trustworthy.
And these days trust-in-marketing is best built on a foundation of usefulness.
How content can improve the trust that patients and clients place in you and your dental services.
Content is up-front with information that builds trust over time.
Back to the grandson – I’m wise enough to know that if I had said to him, “Get the nap mats buddy…throw some pillows down…it’s nap time,” he would have been outta there.
And even though I attempted to promote the “nap” using compelling words like “power” and “spa,” he was not informed enough to grasp the pure value of napping to his health, etc. In fact, that’s probably a stretch for anyone in his age demographic (Bonus tip: Know your market).
- Strategically choose the words you use in your dental marketing. It’s easy to believe that everyone understands the newest industry-speak (when in reality they don’t and perhaps don’t care).
- Listen to your patients and clients. What emotional clues are they giving you in their conversations at an appointment, through reviews, or survey feedback?
- Track and log the “power words” they’re actually using that tip you to their pain, values, emotions, and don’t miss this – their questions!
- Create blog posts, articles, e-newsletters, podcasts, social media posts, etc around answers to those questions and insights.
Valuable information that shows you know them and that you’re listening leads to trust.
Content is useful, sharable, and portable.
I can nap anywhere. Sure, I have my fave locations and positions.
Our grandson? Again, he has a preset bias against naps at this phase of his life.
It doesn’t matter how I packaged it or promoted it – he’s not “buying.” At least, not now…in this season of his life.
There will come a day…
- Be patient with your content marketing strategy. Not everyone is ready to “take a nap” or even believe it’s necessary at the moment. What’s the “nap” your patient or client is ready to embrace? Know this and create content that informs then step by step.
- Show up on your patient’s and client’s radar when they’re ready. Create content now – searchable (keywords), useful (listen), and readable (share-worthy) content.
- Have a bias for usefulness and accessibility. Value your dental website blog or article page more than you do your traditional web pages (Home, About Us, Services).
Information is more portable when it’s informative, available, and worthy of sharing.
Content is unbiased.
My appreciation for naps is lost on our grandson. He would benefit but he has other ways to invest his time.
Your patients and clients are no different.
- Create a higher percentage of content that helps before you create another “special-promotion-deal-of-the-month.” This will only scare you (or turn you off) if you still hold to the marketing mindset that – “Hype backed up by fine-print keeps the practice or business afloat.” Like our grandson and naps – people ain’t buyin’ it!
- Persuade and compel through valuable, conversationally toned, informative content. Produce marketing content that gives readers answers to their questions and concerns.
- Evaluate your blog posts, articles, and social media by it’s educational value more than its promotional creativity. Eye-candy graphics and wording gets attention – no doubt – but it fades in numbing-fashion if it fails to open their eyes to something of value…something readers can use.
There will come a day when our grandson relaxes his bias against naps. In the meantime, I’ll be content to subtly inform him through my re-energized health and productivity.