marketing strategies

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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add content value

Two Strategies That Will Keep People Reading Your Dental Content

There’s a reason this adult coloring book trend is catching on. The deeper vibe you can gain from it also applies to how you position yourself in the minds of those who consume your dental marketing content.

A friend and colleague has joined the tribe of adult coloring book publishers. Hers goes beyond the simple act of coloring the stress relieving pages.

Her “Thoughtful Colouring” approach includes the refreshing aspect of coloring designs. It adds a corresponding page with an inspirational quote and blank space to process it however you choose (while you’re coloring).

Cool! I agree.

It’s that small addition to the trend that I believe offers a principle you must consider in the content you curate and create.

You increase your authority with your patients/clients when you implant value in your content.

Words, especially the common, fluff your reader is accustomed to can become numbing and an eventual turn-off.

Your content audience has too much info-noise coming at them minute by minute. It’s your task as content creator and publisher to capture their focus.

This is the precise reason I encourage dental providers to step away from a standard, brochure-like website design. Refresh your design (and with it your authority) by adding an information platform to your site (e.g a blog/article page, a newsletter portal, etc).

Your content gains traction when you list dental implants among your services. It increases in value when that page links to an archived blog post/article that answers a common question about “dental implants.”

In fact, in today’s search rankings, you might discover that the article page ranks higher than your keyword intense services/procedures page. The reason: search engines like Google place a higher priority on your value-providing intention via a blog post than on standard webpage content.

How to Add Some “Color” to Your Dental Content Marketing Strategy

Inspire your reader

How inspiring can dental content be? Appeal to your reader’s curiosity and hunger for solutions to their dental problem and your inspiration-factor increases.

You inspire by compelling your reader through the solutions you offer.

General site content promotes your services. Consistent, fresh content inspires your reader with answers to their questions and solutions to their problems.

You become a source of inspiration to your patients/clients when they get that you’re listening to them. The best proof of listening is to mirror their “pain,” “problem,” or “concern” through relevant content.

  • Listen to every patient/client conversation with content in mind.
  • Ask information-gathering questions: “How can I help you with…,” “What’s your biggest fear about…,” etc.

Simple, right? Inspiration shouldn’t be complicated.

Next…

Import secondary value

Think deeper benefits related to what you provide.

You deliver a primary value as a dental professional or a dental marketing professional. Respectively, you help, heal, or you promote in a way that leads to a buying decision.

Your secondary value to your patients or clients is vital too. This happens when you move from an “I’ll-call-when-I-need-you” relationship to a “Go-to-source-of-useful-shareable-information” relationship.

Secondary value rises as you become a consistent “well” of practical (not technical) information.

  • Invest the time and marketing dollars in a consistent well-spring of content. Again, focus on the needs, wants, desires, questions, and problems of your patients/clients.
  • Create a front-of-mind expectation. The more consistently you appear on their “radar” via a blog post, article, newsletter, social media link, etc the more influence you’ll earn.

Influence has value. Give your patients and/or clients something to value alongside the primary services you provide.

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content marketing influence

How Influence is More Vital Than Ever to Your Dental Content Marketing Strategy

Election season. You love it or hate it.

Wherever you affectionately land there’s more to the process. The same is true for having an online presence for your dental practice or dental industry business.

I don’t blame those who are a bit disinterested or jaded about American politics. And I’m not here to “stump” one way or the other.

My better point: the right to vote (however you feel about the current stable of candidates) is a privilege of citizenship. It’s a right granted you and I as result of our country’s fight for and preservation of freedom.I

What comes with the “territory”

Rights and privileges are worth protecting. Better is their ability to be used or maximized to their fullest potential.

You don’t have to agree with everything or everyone. But you do have a cause to act.

Action is the energy of your online dental marketing efforts. Succeed or fail, “casting-your-vote” is the essence of the privilege associated with having a piece of territory on the internet.

Sure, it’s a massive space. And you’re one among the billion or so.

Daunting. Yes.

But it comes down to one thing

Value. Not everyone who owns a piece of cyberspace uses it deliver value.

You? Me? I count myself among the value-delivery crowd. And hopefully you do as well.

No, not every blog post, Tweet, newsletter, email, or shared article is a world-changer. But I do approach it feeling as though I deliver something my growing “tribe” will read and be helped by.

And frankly, for starters, that’s enough!

Whatever you do online…do this as consistently as possible.

Create, Deliver, and Share Valuable Content

Increase your influence

I have a client whose influence as a consultant is on the rise. Why?

She recognizes the value, scope, and scalability of hers and her organization’s influence. The weekly content I help her create provides value to a segment of her industry target.

Notice I said, “segment.” You won’t influence everyone.

Focus on a niche within the greater industry universe you occupy. Tap into their pain, problems, and search for relevant solutions. Write, broadcast, email, market to that…consistently!

Showing up on their consciousness “radar” on a regular basis will nestle you into their thinking when they need the help you provide.

Online search these days revolves more and more around your intent. What kind of intent?

Your intent to help. Your online presence that’s branded, so to speak, with a particular library of useful content.

Invest in your influence

Desiring to have influence and being able to consistently deliver on that desire are two different things. For example, as a copy/content writer and content strategist I’m an investment to my previously mentioned consultant client.

I collaborate and create content for her “brand.” She has invested an amount of her marketing stake in my skill to research and write content.

Many dental professionals, dentists, and dental industry business owners desire to expand their influence. And they take a step into the content marketing sea.

Then they become weary. Why?

Consistent content curation, content writing, and content publishing takes time. For most, it’s time you as a professional do not have.

Outsource content curation and creation to other skilled professionals. Locate a go-to copy/content writer, resource them financially, and set them free to consistently stoke your influence via your brand’s content.

Your name is still the one in lights. The content shines on your behalf.

It’s a better approach than a random blog post or digital article here and there. Consistency reveals that you’re dialed in, available, and in tune with your “audience.”

And the quality is also no longer an issue. Although being there with consistently, useful content holds the top spot.

Influence transcends many things. And I’d have to agree that (given the current season where I live) politics is one of them.

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features and benefits

Is This Obsession “Killing” Your Dental Marketing Content?

An obsession. You probably have one (or more).

I do.

Relax. This isn’t confession time.

But I will confess to one thing. I’m obsessed these days with helping dental website owners and developers end their obsession with feature-heavy content.

Features have their place. Actually, they have one strategic purpose…and overuse isn’t one of them.

My so-called, “rant” is valid these days. It’s a “sore-spot” with me primarily because I’m still recoiling from related (“You didn’t tell people how great we are…”) push-back on a client’s web page copy I recently shipped (it’s not the first time and probably won’t be the last).

Let’s define what I mean by “features.” They are any aspect or related wording that describes your product or service.

Think color, clarity, class, or construction. Features are the easiest to spot and “spin” when writing copy.

Typically, feature-intense writing requires less creative energy. Why?

You’re merely describing what’s in front of you or how you want your reader, buyer, customer, client, or patient to see your product/service.

Features are easy to recognize because they’re commonly accented with words like “state-of-the-art,” “cutting-edge,” or any word ending in “-est” (e.g. “latest,” “greatest,” “best,” etc).

The comparative truth about features in your copy/content

Features have their place. Where?

Alongside compelling benefits.

Features appeal to your patient’s or client’s logic. Benefits connect your patient’s or client’s emotional desire with your product or service.

Compel a response with BENEFITS.

Then…

Rationalize their decision with FEATURES.

Copywriter and author, Bob Bly, shares a classic illustration of the Feature-Benefit issue in his book, The Copywriter’s Handbook.

“Features and Benefits of a #2 Pencil

Feature: The pencil is a wooden cylinder surrounded by a graphite core. Benefit: Can be re-sharpened as often as you like to ensure clean, crisp writing.

Feature: One end is capped by a rubber eraser. Benefit: Convenient eraser lets you correct writing errors cleanly and quickly.

Feature: Eraser is attached with a metal band. Benefit: Tight-fitting metal band holds eraser snugly in place – so you’ll always have an eraser when you need it.

Feature: Pencil is 7.5 inches long. Benefit: Long length ensures long writing life.

Feature: Pencil is 1/4 inch in diameter. Benefit: Slender shape makes it easy to hold and comfortable to write with.

Feature: Pencil is a #2. Benefit: Graphite core is blended so that it writes smoothly , yet is crisp and easy-to-read.

Feature: Yellow exterior. Benefit: Bright yellow exterior ensures that it’s easy to spot on a messy desk or in a crowded drawer.

Feature: Sold by the dozen. Benefit: Sold in a convenient 12-pack so if you lose one, you don’t have to run to the store for another. Also, more cost-effective.” (pp. 59-60)

Understand that features have their place in your content. But ultimately, the “selling/compelling point” is the benefit.

How to Turn Your Obsession with Features Into More Compelling, Benefit-Focused Content

For every feature – think benefit

Review Bly’s #2 pencil illustration. You’ve held a pencil, placed a pencil behind your ear, chewed on a pencil for years, right?

And you probably didn’t give thought to the benefits listed in the example. But they are present nonetheless.

The task of your copy/content is to uncover the hidden benefits, expose them to your reader, and compel them to take action as result. This is the hard work of copywriting.

  • Train your senses to see, hear, smell, touch benefits. View your products/services through a sensory lens.
  • List every benefit you can think of for the product/service you’re promoting. Build your content around them.

Refuse to list a feature in your copy/content unless it’s accompanied by a compelling benefit.

Ruthlessly eliminate feature-fluff in your copy. I’ll go so far as to say that using fluff words (”state-of-the-art,” “cutting-edge,” etc) is the lazy approach.

Again, it takes work to uncover and craft content around benefits. Then apply the extra effort to rationalize them with features.

Ask why your newest equipment, service, product, etc is “state-of-the-art.” How does that “fluff-wording” translate to a compelling benefit? Write to that!

Get emotional.

Compelling copy grabs your reader’s emotions. It’s not only about tears and fears (though those are strong emotional responses).

The better part of emotions involves painting a picture for your reader. It’s guiding them to see themselves using, benefiting from, and being changed by your product or service.

A feature gets their attention. A benefit compels a decision.

  • Think like your reader/client/patient. What would you feel, sense, believe about the product/service?
  • List the emotional triggers that your product/service touches on. Attach a benefit to that emotion.

Get obsessed about your copy/content. But make sure there’s a benefit.

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compelling content headlines

How to Create Headlines That Compel a Positive Response to Your Dental Marketing Content

How important are headlines? Before I reveal how to create them, understand that your dental promotions, dental web page copy, and even your dental blog posts can succeed or fail based on the headline.

Advertising and copywriting legend, John Caples, once said they are the most important part of your advertisement. He proved his point by committing four of his 18 chapters to them in his book, Tested Advertising Methods.

Your headline copy can make or break your dental marketing. This is why they’re so difficult and occasionally time-consuming to write.

Professionally speaking, I invest the first phase of writing to the headline. You should expect to do the same if…you want to compel your reader to engage with your content.

Your headline has ONE  job

Your headline MUST grab your reader’s attention.

John Caples adds this jolting perspective – “If the headline is poor, the copy will not be read. And copy that is not read does not sell goods.”

You could say, “I”m a dental provider, I don’t ‘sell’.” I encourage you to not get caught up in the semantics of what is or is not “sales.”

Bottom line, your headline compels or it doesn’t. The middle ground is littered with well intentioned, creative, salesy hype, or lame attempts at trying to be cute.

How to Create Headlines that Compel Your Readers to Keep Reading to the Point of Doing What You’re Asking Them to Do

(By the way, there are two bonus insights in that sub-heading.)

1-Promise something.

Too many promotions are vague. Vagueness should not be confused with compliance with dental industry marketing standards.

There’s a difference in making unsubstantiated claims about a treatment or service and being vague about the benefit they can potentially deliver.

Make a promise that introduces a benefit.

“Who else wants whiter teeth – in less time?”
(Promise: whiter teeth, less time)

“Great new discovery controls bad breath – makes your teeth healthier too.”
(Promise: fresher breath, healthier teeth)

Those promises include practical benefits. The stated benefits compel your reader to read deeper into your promotion to discover more.

Promised results or benefits compel your reader to stay in the conversation with you via your promotion.

  • List at least 5 benefits of the service you’re promoting.
  • Use specific, direct wording that establishes your service as THE solution (promised result) for taking action.

2-Embed an image in your reader’s mind.

What your reader can see themselves using, doing, etc will compel them to take action. Avoid language that’s overused, technical, industry-oriented, insider-based, etc.

You “know, like, and trust” your industry, right? This makes it natural for you to feel as though everyone else (including your patients/clients) do also.

This is where “How To…” headlines work well.

“How to [COMMON TASK] That [REWARDING BENEFIT].”

The “common task” creates an image of an action, activity, priority, etc. And again, you compel with a “rewarding benefit” – in this instance, something the reader can “see” themselves enjoying, etc.

3-”State a fact.”

Facts establish credibility. When you can highlight a fact in your content headline – do it!

Your reader will be drawn deeper in to your content. And they will begin to trust you as a credible source of information.

Select portions of your positive reviews or testimonials. Remember: You can protect the identity of your source by using their first name initial or their full name initials (e.g. “E” “ES,” etc.) for attribution.

Here’s an example:

“…I went to my high school reunion and the compliments made me feel like I’d been crowned homecoming queen!” – JS. Want the Same Results?

Research data sources of your product or service. Share benefit oriented statistics in you headline.

92% of Our Dental Patients Said This One Thing Eliminated Their [PROBLEM]

If You Do This Two Times Per Year You Could Reduce Your Dental Treatment Costs by [X]%

Facts help compel a response.

4-”Ask a question.”

Questions create curiosity. They also produce engagement with your solution or answer.

In the previous headline example using the quotation (“I went to my high school reunion and the compliments made me feel like I’d been crowned homecoming queen!” – JS Want the Same Results?) the question creates curiosity on two levels.

1) Tell me more about the “results” and 2) Give me more information about what she did to achieve them.

Questions also give your reader a way to process their assumptions. Your question-oriented headline can create a “Hmmm, I haven’t thought about that before…” response.

Your reader will begin to engage with your content by answering the question you posed. It’s important that your question headline prompts curiosity.

A question headline works for a simple reason. It creates a compelling reason to stay with your content and eventually take action as result.

There is more to a promotional headline than creativity or cuteness. Lead with benefits and you’ll win more often.

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