content marketing

September 12, 2019 Content marketing, Dental blog, Dental content, Dental Industry, Dental marketing strategies, Digital marketing, problem solution content, Uncategorized No Comments

How a Dental Content Strategy Can Give You an Advantage Over the Competition

Ah, the competition. That nagging reality that you must face as a dentist and how you apply a dental content strategy to solve it.

But does the dental-practice-on-every-corner really matter to YOUR production? And what about corporate dentistry practices and their lower overhead due to their buying power?

Those and a number of competitor related questions can keep you awake at night.

Competition is overemphasized and here’s why a dental content strategy matters

Let’s start with marketing strategy. It’s a knee jerk reaction to diss the competition.

  • To point out their flaws.
  • How they’re different than you.
  • How they operate. Etc.

The problem, if that applies, is that your focus is in the wrong place relative to your competitors.

What if you’ve met the competition…and it isn’t them?

Stick with me…

What if you’ve met the competition…and it’s YOU?!

The more you focus on “them” out there…the less you’re focused on your dental patients and your influence on them.

Again, it’s natural to lay awake thinking about the newest dental center opening up a few miles away or blocks away. You’ve seen their mailers, their fancy promotion spotlighting their state-of-the-art new technology, and their new patient promotions.

But think about something for a moment. They aren’t going away and your focus on them isn’t going to change that.

What can change is your decision to embrace the competition and use it to your advantage.

What if the competition could actually help build your dental practice as you improve your dental content strategy?

Start with transparency.

The art of being transparent has huge benefits to your practice growth. Transparency should not be equated with weakness or giving-away-the-farm so to speak.

In fact, when you’re transparent – authentically so – your patients and growing base of site visitors will begin to trust you.

And that’s the first thing that transparency does…

Being transparent builds trust.

Once trust is established you can speak openly, honestly, and even glowingly (is that a word?) about your competition.

Why?

Because you’ve lightened up and stopped being concerned about your competitors impact on you. Instead, you’re recognizing that you can use their position to your advantage.

Transparency enables you to speak the truth about what anyone could find out on their own about your competition.

Remove the mystery and you’ll stop concerning yourself with every ad, promotion, and competitor move.

What does transparency look like?

Good question.

Think of it like being yourself.

  • Know your skills, expertise, and influence.
  • Focus on the unique value you deliver to your patients via your services, your team, your practice brand, your history…and your dental marketing content.
  • Be comfortable in-your-skin. In essence, be so in tune with your grasp of your patient’s and the dental seeking public’s unique questions that you’re doing them a disservice if you don’t answer them with relevant content.

Think like a teacher

“But I’m a dentist,” you say. That fact doesn’t change your role as an influencer.

You must think like a teacher…not only a dental practice owner.

Level up your role as a dental professional. And I’m not talking a CE based, colleague driven dentist.

I’m talking about your ability to influence your patient’s “buying decision” via intuitive, organic content.

By intuitive I mean the kind of dental content that isn’t focused on your latest, greatest, state of the art-ness (like your competition). Rather content that’s focused on their burning questions about a dental procedure, related costs, fears, emotions…basically anything your patients or the dental seeking public is asking about.

You differentiate yourself from your competition (and stop worrying about them) when you focus on content that solves the problems and answers the questions the dental seeking public (including your patients) are seeking and asking.

  • Ramp up your listening strategies. Tune into every available source of questions, problems, and goals that your patients and site visitors provide.
  • Create content that addresses the questions, problems, and desires of your patients and the dental seeking public.
  • Monitor and share your fresh content. This lifts you to a place of influence and expertise rather than merely a promo-of-the-month service provider (something your competition is probably focused on).

Your ability to listen and leverage information on behalf of your patients and potential patients will differentiate you from every other dental practice you fear as competition.

Practice dentistry out of abundance instead of scarcity

Make this your new reality (when you’re not obsessing over your competitors):

There’s more than enough dentistry to go around.

Focus on your influence rather than how to out-promo your competition down the street. Doing this enables you to always be in a position of strength.

Why?

No one else is doing this…and they’re not likely to start. The reasons vary but it’s always easier to follow the crowd.

In this instance the crowd of dental competitors are quite content (successful or not) to throw marketing dollars at patient attraction like everyone has always done it.

The sales mindset is difficult to shake.

And the patient focused content driven strategy is perceived too risky or ineffective for most.

Stay the course and you’ll never be lacking for patients. Because every patient or potential patient will reflexively search online for answers and solutions.

When they do…you have the advantage when your website is a solutions platform rather than a digital brochure.

The competition isn’t likely to go away. Why lose sleep over it and try to game your way past them?

Instead, accept them, befriend them…but mostly stop worrying about them. There are more important things to do…like answering your patients questions and solving their problems.

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June 14, 2019 Content marketing, Copywriting, Dental blog, Dental blogging, Dental content, Dental web content that works, problem solution content, Uncategorized No Comments

How to Create a Better Path to Your Services Using Informative Dental Content

Though I can’t remember the source or a few details – the story is still practical. Especially as it relates to establishing your authority and influence via well-timed, informative dental copywriting and dental content.

Here’s the story as I remember it…

A developer built a multi-story office complex on several acres. The general structure was in place. Now came time for sidewalks and landscaping.

His contractor was quick to plot out the location of various greenbelt and water features and sidewalks throughout the pristine acreage. The location of sidewalks would follow the predictable layout leading to all points of entry from an expansive multi-story parking facility.

The developer placed a pause on the sidewalk construction. He asked the contractor to delay for a few weeks.

The perplexed contractor pushed-back asking why, knowing that sidewalks are standard for such a facility. And noted that any delays would create problems for the already beautiful landscaping being placed.

The developer held his ground while offering his somewhat outside-the-box wisdom.

Being practical, it made more sense to him that the people using the facility on a daily basis determine where the sidewalks should be placed.

He noted that people predictably walk where they have the easiest and most convenient access to the facility. In his experience, sidewalks are best placed where the highest percentage of foot traffic travels to and from the facility.

His wisdom: let the people create the path then place the sidewalk where they routinely to walk.

Are you building “sidewalks” with your dental content that no one’s using?

Traffic is everything to your online presence as a dental practice or dental service provider. Patients and/or clients arrive, stay, and then exit your dental website for a variety of reasons.

As important as navigation and trendy eye-candy graphics are to many – they matter less to your target audience than you might think.

Why?

Everyone’s doing it or done it…countless times. What was once trendy is now numbing and a distraction to what site visitors come to your site looking for.

Investing thousands in a flashy, trendy, or otherwise templated website is like placing a sidewalk where no one’s walking – simply because it’s where you think a “sidewalk” should for all practical purposes be placed.

Your dental website visitors are looking for one thing!

Dental services? Yes, but something more.

State-of-the-art technology? A nice feature if you have it…but no!

Amenities like coffee and tea in the waiting area? Again, a nice touch…but again, no!

Contests, give-aways, a chance to be your 1000th “Like” or “Follower” on Facebook or Instagram? Really…?!

I think you get the picture (and if not, you will or your website will continue to be a “sidewalk” that few use).

So, what are your website visitors looking for?

Solutions!

Why?

Because they have a particular problem they believe or at least hope you can solve.

And they’ll find your website and stay on your website to the point of making contact with you if…and only if…you provide solutions to their problems and/or answers to their questions.

Gone are the days when you can throw up a templated, looks-like-every-other-dental-website up on the web, fill it with feature-heavy, industry-speak, technical, self-aggrandizing, flashy content and wait for the phone to ring or the contact forms to pour in.

How to create a path that generates more patient or client leads (without doing what everyone else does)

Know your audience…who’s your avatar?

“A dental patient,” you say.

Right, but who are they?

  • What are their health goals?
  • How do they view dentistry?
  • When was their last examination and cleaning?
  • Why haven’t they scheduled treatment that’s been planned?

Those are all dental related questions. But go a bit deeper.

  • What embarrasses them about their smile?
  • How will they finance treatment they know they need?
  • When is their next big social event (e.g. wedding, reunion, interview, etc) that they want to look and feel confident attending?

The latter questions probe a bit deeper. You’re getting to an emotional core when you ask and seek answers to these questions.

Transform your dental website from an “online brochure” to an information platform

This might “sting” a little.

Without consistent, informative published content (e.g. a blog, articles) your dental website is nothing more than an easily discarded online “brochure.”

To step away from you crowd it’s essential that you share your expertise as it directly relates to the “pains” and “desires” of your “audience.”

Realize, the dental seeking public search for your services for basically two reasons:

  • They’re in pain and want relief.
  • They have an emotional or physical motivation to repair or restore something about their smile.

Sure, there are more reasons but those are fundamentally what compels your “audience” or “avatar” to seek your services.

It’s essential that you position yourself as the “expert.”

How?

Through publishing (weekly is best, bi-weekly at a minimum) informative content that compels a person seeking dentistry (for whatever reason) to schedule.

So, you must “pour your sidewalk” where they’re walking…

  • Probe for questions and problems during every opportunity you have with a patient. Your current patients will provide clues to what the dental seeking public desire.
  • Keep a running list (spreadsheet, etc) of every seed thought, seed question, or verbatim question or problem you encounter from patients. This is a goldmine for content and copy themes.
  • Write conversational content that answers questions and solves problems. Few (really) are doing this. And you’ll grow your influence (and production) when you position yourself as a problem-solver.

Remember, sidewalks provide convenient access to a facility or they’re simply a place to go for a stroll. The easier the access the better.

The same applies to your dental website. Create an informative platform and you’ll make accessing your services easier.

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March 21, 2019 Content marketing, Copywriting, Dental content, Dental Copywriter, Dental Copywriting, Social Media, Uncategorized No Comments

One Thing That Will Make Your Dental Marketing Content Different (and Better) Than Most

It happens a lot when consulting with a dental practice or dental business about their webpage copy or other related content. They share a favorite site link or two with me and say, “We want our copy/content and/or website to look and “sound” like this…!”

My review often reveals what’s common with not just dental industry copy, but most:

  • Heavy feature focus (“Latest…greatest…best…”) less emphasis on benefits
  • Full of industry-speak
  • Written to a crowd instead of one person (lack of “you…”)

It takes courage

You must step away from the crowd. Connecting and then compelling your audience requires a new kind of fearless content.

Play it safe.

Sound like everyone else.

And you’ll be another face in the crowd!

Same sounding copy and content produces the same results. It will require more marketing dollars to get attention.

And why?

The online world is somewhat dominated by pay-to-play strategies. Create and fund a strategic enough funnel and you’ll “capture” more leads and potentially more patients and thus increase production.

Sound easy?

It is (in a way) if you have time and cash-flow to invest in it. And we’ve not even talked about the differentiating yourself from the competition and noise they’re creating.

Being different isn’t about being creative

There’s more to standing out from the crowd with your dental marketing than creative, indulgent eye-candy on your website or social media channels.

Being different has more to do with being yourself. Nick Usborne (whose content inspired this post by the way) says,

”You have to find a way to step out from behind the curtain and show yourself. Even when the services you offer are very similar to those of your competition, there is one point of real difference you can turn to.

And that point of difference is YOU.” 1

Filling your copy and content with features and professional sounding language isn’t enough…and frankly, it’s not even close to effective by comparison.

Rising above the dental marketing noise requires being unafraid to let your patients or clients see the real you.

And to see the real you your content has to sound like you!

  • Can they relate to you through your content?
  • Is it apparent that they can trust you through your content?
  • Are they put at ease enough to schedule with you through your content?

And a theme covered a lot on this blog…

If you’re hiding behind someone else’s style, voice, website design, and general content theme you’re missing a most valuable marketing asset – relatability.

Step away from the crowd with more compelling dental marketing copy and content

Write and share content in your own voice

This is the essence of writing like you talk. To do this you must get out of your head.

And to get out of your head requires that you get into the mindset of a patient or client.

  • What do they fear?
  • What’s their desired goal?
  • What’s their motivation?
  • What are their questions?

Your audience searches for you based on your expertise. But they will listen to you and stay with your copy/content when you share your expertise in conversational tone.

Why?

Because online communication these days (and I don’t suspect it will change soon) is everyday, somewhat chatty, and certainly brief and to the point.

Jargon alienates. Industry-speak confuses.

So why waste precious dollars and your audience’s time by numbing them with it?

  • Stop writing like a marketer!
  • Stop writing like a dental professional!
  • Stop writing like an educator!

Instead…

Write like you! Or hire a professional copywriter or content strategist who can tap into your voice and write accordingly.

The results?

Sure, it’s scary and feels like uncharted territory. But you will stand out from everyone else not because it’s easier but because it’s courageous, it works, and it potentially has a better return on your investment.

  1. https://conversationalcopywriting.com/your-own-voice/ ↩
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November 9, 2018 Content marketing, Dental content No Comments

What’s More Important to Your Dental Content Marketing Success Than “Going Viral”

Everyone wants their “30-seconds-of-fame.” But a brief moment in the spotlight doesn’t necessarily equate with longterm success in content marketing.

Vanity…Vanity…All’s Vanity!

Obsession with metrics can be your undoing. Focus too much on them and you’ll miss the most important thing.

But…what could be more important than numbers?

Playing the numbers game in social media, online in general, and with your blog in particular will overwhelm you.

It’s essential that you step away from the crowd clamoring for “Likes” or “Follows.” Leverage your expertise into something that’s more sustainable and valuable…over the long-haul.

Thinking Longterm and Not About Virality

Content marketing for dentists (and everyone else) is a long game. It’s such because the longer you stay at it the smaller the number of those willing to do so will remain in competition with you. That translates into a greater opportunity for influence by sheer perseverance.

But you must persevere at the right things. Consistently uninformative or non-useful content will not keep you in the game.

Content marketing demands more than that.

“Going viral isn’t a strategy. It’s not something you can ever plan for, or even work toward. It’s not a goal, strategy, or plan. If you want to own your space, start by thinking about how you can become a true voice in that space. Give me some real value, something that enhances the lives of your audience, and I will be more inclined to click “Like” on your page and retweet your tweets. Multiply that by a million people and you’ll get your viral hit–but your focus should be value, not virality.” 1

Your Biggest Competition Isn’t Your Competitor

Frankly, not everyone is willing to invest time, resources, or energy into content creation. And if you did it wouldn’t necessarily mean you’re reaching your audience.

What keeps your audience engaged with you is your ability to compete for the one thing they have in short supply.

Attention!

Vanity metrics, if anything, reveal captured attention spans for a brief moment. Enough to get a click, a “Like,” a one-time share.

It’s intoxicating because the ticker-total increases and it appears audience engagement is growing.

But what about five minutes later, an hour later, a day, week, or month later?

”The problem with high page views – People live for the immediate, the now. But here’s the deal: people also want substance. They want solid solutions to their problems.”

Your ability to strategically and consistently capture their attention is what’s worth measuring. Listen, research, curate, and create content that informs, intuitively connects, and instills trust. Then you’ll accomplish something way more valuable than a high follower count.

Content Creation Strategies That Work Instead of Obsessing Over Going Viral

Listen to your intuition

This is your ability to dial-in to your audience. Intuitive listening begins from a common sense position.

Content creation can easily lose its “humanity.” This happens when strategic thinking replaces emotional connection.

Intuitive listening gives you the pause to turn an ear to what’s driving your audience in the moment. It starts with trends but it goes beyond that.

  • Know your audience well enough to create content that speaks their language.
  • Apply the “golden rule” to your content creation. Simply communicate with them as you would want to be communicated with.
  • Feel their “pain” before you assume how to solve their problem. This is empathy at a content level.

Research to curate and create

Epic content starts with research. The initial goal of research is curation.

To curate is to find, evaluate, extract, and expand.

Finding, evaluating, extracting, and expanding useful and engaging content energizes your own content creation. It’s an essential step in the process of audience engagement.

  • Find your go-to content sources and routinely read with your audience in mind.
  • File your research for easy access when you need content ideas or content to share.
  • Focus your research on what you intuitively understand to be relevant and useful to your audience.

Create content to inform

Again the primary goal of dental content creation is to inform before it compels and/or promotes. Informative content is rich in solutions to problems and answers to questions your audience is experiencing.

  • Informative content shows you’re listening. Content that reflects the real issues your audience is facing will improve your engagement.
  • Informative content gives you an advantage over otherwise salesy, overly technical, or self-serving content.
  • Informative content sets you up as a go-to thought leader. Your audience will invest their resources as they trust your expertise.

Publish and share content to build longterm trust (not momentary fame)

This gets back to the essence of content marketing for dentists and others.

Focus on going-viral and you’ll feel the pressure to impress, one-up, and stay in the spotlight. Focus on content that resonates with your audience and you’ll build longterm trust – something that’s not sustainable where mere vanity is concerned.

  • Build longterm trust by consistently curating, sharing, and creating content that serves your audience. Take the focus off you and place it on the “story” your audience is experiencing.
  • Give before you take. In fact, view content creation as a give-give-give endeavor. What you give will return when it’s perceived that your motivation is to be useful.

There has to be more to content creation than your 30-seconds-of-fame. The glory of that half-minute in the spotlight will fade…but taking the road-less-traveled will make all the difference for your audience…and you!

  1. https://www.inc.com/hillel-fuld/4-phrases-every-entrepreneur-has-to-remove-from-their-vocabulary-immediately.html?cid=sf01001 ↩
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August 16, 2018 Content marketing, Dental content, Dental marketing strategies, Digital marketing No Comments

3 Simple and Strategic Steps That Improve Your Dental Content Marketing

“A carpenter or a wheelwright can give another his compass or T-square, but he cannot make another skillful.” Mengzi

Words are neutral. What’s not (neutral) is their use when it comes to your dental content marketing strategy.

The word “strategy” implies that there’s a necessary element for connecting with your patients or clients.

Brian Clark shares this simple definition of strategy:

”A plan of action designed to achieve a major or overall aim.”

No doubt, you’d agree that a strategy is vital to your dental marketing success.

But here’s a question…

Is everyone a content strategist?

The short answer to question is – “No!” According to Mengzi (quoted above) not everyone who holds the “compass” or “T-square” (for example) of content creation is a strategist.

  • Strategy takes time.
  • Strategy involves listening.
  • Strategy solves problems.
  • Strategy answers questions.
  • Strategy compels a response.

Each indicates a planned and documented approach. Content Marketing Institute (CMI) research confirms the results of documenting your strategy:

”You’ll be far more likely to consider yourself effective at content marketing.

You’ll feel significantly less challenged by every aspect of content marketing.

You’ll generally consider yourself more effective in your use of all content marketing tactics and social media channels.

You’ll be able to justify spending a higher percentage of your marketing budget on content marketing.”

Still, you might not consider yourself a “strategist” and that’s okay.

Help’s available…because face it…you’re busy enough as it is – seeing patients, nurturing client leads, managing a practice or an organization, etc.

Simple Steps to a More Strategic Approach for Using Content in Your Dental Marketing

  1. Take “Time” to Get Acquainted

“Scheduling” or “selling” requires knowing who you’re attempting to connect with. We’ve talked about buyer personas before and for good reason.

According to Brian Clark,

“Your first step is to do the research that allows you to create a fictional, generalized representation of your ideal customer (patient).”

Put their problems, questions, and motivations first. It’s time well-invested getting to know WHO you’re trying to reach.

  1. Invest Your Energy in “Listening”

Once you know “who” you’re talking to the “what” will naturally follow. The content you share is shaped by how well you intentioned you are to listen.

  • What’s concerning them?
  • What’s causing them “pain” or problems?
  • What’s it like to walk-in-their-shoes?

A big part of the “what” also involves influential touchpoints. 1

  1. Compel a Response by Solving Problems and Answering Questions

Creativity for creativity’s sake misses a ton of opportunity. It’s easy to relegate marketing to some catchy, cool-sounding slogan…but you will often fail to achieve the goal – compelling a response.

”The “what” tells you how to craft an overall narrative with a through line that ties directly into the prospect’s (patient’s/client’s) motivation for change.

“Instead of guessing blindly, you’ll deliver the perfect analogies, anecdotes, and metaphors that make your ideal prospect view you as the only reasonable choice. 2

That’s a “choice” you can bank on…right!? And it comes as the result of you choosing them first. This naturally leads to a much more authentic dental content marketing strategy.

  1. https://www.copyblogger.com/content-marketing-strategy/ ↩
  2. https://www.copyblogger.com/content-marketing-strategy/ ↩
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