I use an iPhone 6 Plus for a variety of reasons. And I bring this up not to debate iOS over Android.
My love for smartphone technology illustrates a dental marketing sub-strategy that can save you time, financial investment, and create a more sustainable return on investment (ROI).
I, like you perhaps, embrace smartphone technology (whatever your preferred “flavor” of device) for a simple reason. It’s more productive having one-touch access to the apps that enable me to sustain my life and my growing business.
How sustainable is your dental marketing?
Judging from the consulting and web copywriting I do, your website has ceased to be a thoroughly one-push, sustainable asset. Don’t get me wrong, you need a web platform if you have any hope of building your dental practice or dental industry service business.
There’s a deeper issue. And it has to do with (in principle) what I prefer about smartphone technlogy and my chosen apps.
Jim Collins further illustrates my point with a principle from his book, Good to Great.
“Picture a huge, heavy flywheel – a massive metal disk mounted horizontally on an axle, about 30 feet in diameter, 2 feet thick, and weighting about 5,000 pounds. Now imagine your task is to get the flywheel rotating on the axle as fast and long as possible.
Pushing with great effort, you get the flywheel to inch forward, moving almost imperceptibly at first. You keep pushing and, after two or three hours of persistent effort, you get the flywheel to complete one entire turn.
You keep pushing, and the flywheel begins to move a bit faster, and with continued great effort, you move it around a second rotation. You keep pushing in a consistent direction. Three turns…four…five…six…the flywheel builds up speed…
…Then, at some point – breakthrough! The momentum of the thing kicks in in your favor, hurling the flywheel forward, turn after turn…whoosh!…its own heavy weight working for you.” (p.164)
Your dental website is your initial “push.” It gets the wheels-turning, so to speak.
But…
It’s far from a be-all-to-end-all…“We’ve-got-a-website-whew-now-let’s-wait-for-the-phone-to-ring-with-new-patients…new business” brand of ROI! Far from it.
It’s a start. And a good one, especially if you’ve populated your webpages with compelling, benefit focused, call-to-action copy.
Remember Collins said that your “breakthrough” comes when “…The momentum of the thing kicks in in your favor, hurling the flywheel forward, turn after turn…whoosh!…its own heavy weight working for you.”
Two “Pushes” That Build Sustainable Momentum on Your Dental Website Platform
1-Accessible digital content
Accessibility is huge for me. Thus my iPhone “addiction.”
It’s beneficial (for me and perhaps you) to have access wherever I am to my preferred sources of information beyond the basic ability to make a phone call or send a text message.
Most of your patients and clients have the same affinity for easy-access too.
Few, if any, wait to arrive at their home or office to pull up your dental practice or dental business website on their laptop or desktop computing device. Like you, they “tap” their handheld device (smartphone or tablet) in the moment, wherever they are.
The big question – are you accessible? Of further importance will they clearly find a solution to why they’re searching in the first place?
- Reduce the word-fluff on your web pages. This engages your on-the-go types who want a cut-the-chase amount of information to help them decide to schedule with you or purchase from you.
- Go with a less-is-best mindset on your website. Let’s not debate page word count. Better to review your web pages from the viewpoint of a handheld smart device using, busy, waiting-in-line, immediate access oriented site searcher who wants the essence of what you can do for them rather than a CE course level explanation.
2-Anticipatory solutions for problems
Get in the mind and emotions of your patients or clients. When you do you’ll discover layer upon layer of questions, desires, goals, etc.
Questions are a gold-mine for content topics. Your blog posts, newsletter articles, email promotions and other marketing strategies are the perfect place to answer what’s being asked with the unique solutions you provide.
- Develop a strong, gut-level bias for the questions or problems that drive your “audience” to seek solutions.
- Tap into your online reviews and unpack what they’re praising or criticizing. Create content that answers their comments.
- Train your front-office team, chairside assistants, dental hygienists, or field reps to ask questions that uncover the solutions your patients or clients seek.
Your initial and ongoing “pushes” create momentum. Access and available solutions make you a valued resource to your dental patients and clients.
