Dental blog

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.

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.

April 24, 2019 Content marketing, Dental blog, Dental blogging, Dental content, Dental Copywriting, Dental marketing strategies, Uncategorized No Comments

How to Become a “Thought-Leader” with Your Dental Content and Increase Your Influence

Recent collaboration with a dental industry client revealed something about their content. And the principle has value for how you view your dental content and copy across all your platforms.

We were importing a new template on our project management platform. Time came to label a category having to do with our editorial calendar. “Thought leadership” appeared to be the obvious tag.

That got me to thinking about the attitude you should have about the content you create to market your dental practice or dental industry services.

It’s about being a thought-leader.

Not all “thought leadership” is worthy

You might have seen a viral video a few months ago. It featured a baby bear attempting to navigate a steep, snow packed cliff to reach its mother.

Millions of people saw the video and were inspired by it. Such triumph and strength against the odds of nature.

That was one perspective…shared by millions!

A contrary opinion was formed. It separated one thought leader from the crowd of admirers.

”Science writer Ed Yong saw it differently… Writing in The Atlantic, he described it as a worrisome example of drone-mounted cameras harassing wildlife. To animal experts, several moments in the video show the mother bear reacting to the too-close drone rather than interacting with her cub.

Marketing expert and mentor, Marcia Yudkin, continues her observation of Yong’s perspective,

I appreciate Yong’s article because it provided unexpected perspective on a seemingly harmless story or idea.

And here’s the jewel…

If you can dish up those kind of ‘Yes, but…’ insights to your audience, you’ll attract thoughtful fans and experience growing influence.

Yong did this without scolding the uninformed admirers of the video, and you should do so as well.

Identify a popular or trending belief that doesn’t mesh with what you know.

Explain your deeper angle in the tone of ‘What you probably didn’t realize is…,’ ‘Unfortunately…’ or ‘The problem here is…’

This is thought leadership at its finest.” ¹

How “Yes…But” Thought Leadership Turns Contrary Ideas Into Useful Content That Builds Loyalty with Your “Tribe”

Identify, clarify, and leverage your unique point-of-view (POV)

You have solutions to problems…answers to questions…and more. Therein lies the core of your dental content strategy.

Gone are the days of writing to an “empty room.” The dental seeking public is rich with questions you can answer and problems begging for a solution.

You’re the expert. And more important – you have a POV!

Start with the question. Thought leadership has as much or more to do with listening than it does sounding-off on dental-speak. Harvest as many questions as possible (by listening) through conversations, consultations, email, and social media.
Share your answers and solve problems. Thought leadership is relevant to what your patients want to know and need to know. Create content that relieves the tension and emotional needs of your audience.

Think of your content like a tribal fire. Your “tribe” will feel safe in the warmth of your expertise.

The good news…they could look no further than YOUR thought-leadership!

Take a contrarian approach and fearlessly share your POV (without judgement)

The recent Netflix root canal documentary is a good example. Sure, as a dental professional you can take offense and voice your opinion as many did. Or you can be a contrarian voice and use the albeit alleged inaccuracies as content seeds.

Answer the questions and doubts that emerge around dental myths, dental services, or dentistry in general. There’s plenty of related opinions. Dispel them (graciously and professionally) as a thought-leader.
Invite dialogue by being unafraid to take on controversial topics. But always do so not as antagonist…rather as a professional, skilled expert.

Provoke questions and create solutions to problems that compel action.

The sign of a good leader isn’t always how they respond but also the depth and compelling nature of the questions they ask. Always providing answers and opinions can shut down communication more than it opens it to opportunity.

I once heard Jim Collins (bestselling author of Good to Great and Built to Last) say during a lecture something to this effect. He viewed his skilled research and the questions it raised as the careful placement of a grain of sand in the minds of his readers. That solitary grain of sand was strategically designed to “irritate” their thinking.

Worth noting is that pearls begin that way. A grain of sand within an oyster elicits the healing process that layer upon layer forms a pearl.

Your questions are “grains of sand” not to necessarily irritate but to promote healing.

Ask questions that reveal the emotional desires of your patients or clients. Within their answers are content “pearls” that can lead to compelling outcomes for your audience.
Always be solving problems. Essentially that’s the business of thought-leadership.

Anyone can create content. But…being a thought-leader and influencer requires that you have a point-of-view that you fearlessly communicate.

https://www.yudkin.com/markmin.htm ↩

May 24, 2018 Buyer personas, Content marketing, Dental blog, Dental content, Dental Copywriting No Comments

What to Learn from Augmented Reality That Can Improve Your Dental Content Marketing

U2 understands the value of audience engagement. Their use of augmented reality (AR) during the opening segment of their eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE tour provides perspective for how you can use dental content marketing to connect with patients.

I downloaded U2’s recommended app prior to attending the tour’s opening night concert with my wife. The overall concert experience was epic as you would expect from Bono and crew.

I pointed my iPhone’s camera at the enormous screen running the length of the arena floor. The app produced a gigantic (AR based) image of Bono performing the opening song for a few moments.

The use of AR got me to thinking about how vital it is to give your patients a fresh way to engage with your content. It’s essential that you’re a trusted guide on your patient’s encounters with your content – whatever the platform.

Let’s Get Personal

Personalization will set your dental marketing apart from the crowd. Influence is achieved according to how personally you relate to your patients via each content source.

You become a recognized influencer when your content intersects your patient’s life – including how you provide solutions to their problems. Content that sounds formal, out dated, and salesy will keep them at arms length.

If you want to pull them into your story (practice/brand) you must step into theirs (story). This helps when your content could be perceived as lacking freshness or relevance to them.

That’s not uncommon. Your patients are bombarded with buy-this, read-this, click-here content daily. Make yours standout from the crowd.

A Somewhat Different Sound

U2 combined something visually stimulating with their already captivating music. Necessary? Perhaps not – given their achieved level of influence.

For you, it’s perhaps more necessary. Why? Because patients are already dulled by all-about-us content. The kind that promotes “the latest…state-of-the-art this or that…!”

You get the picture. Sadly, your patients don’t!

Adjust your tone. Create a new sound. And you’re more likely to appeal to a crowd of tone-deaf dental patients others aren’t reaching.

Warm-up Your “Crowd” by Renewing Your Content Voice

It’s about narrowing the distance between your “audience” and your content (as U2 did with AR). Creating a new brand of intimacy with your content cannot happen on a traditional stage.

You must augment the “reality” between their need for dentistry and the services you provide. Again, it’s not about you (your services) as much as its about them and their “story” (dental problems and related questions).

1-Lose the salesperson sound

A scripted, late-night-infomercial, like-you-walked-onto-a-used-car-lot tone doesn’t build trust between their story and your services. Effective copy and content can be full of “punch” while being delivered conversationally.

Be true to yourself by creating content that sounds like a conversation…not a sales presentation! Dial-down the salesy voice and dial-up the personal, conversational voice.

In essence, write like you talk.

2-Be enthusiastic just not overly so

Content energy isn’t about hype. It’s about your genuine excitement to solve relevant problems and answer real questions.

Listen to what you’re patients are asking and what problems they’re experiencing. Tap into those and let your energy flow into how your expertise/services can deliver life and health transforming solutions.

You’ll be 90% engaged with them if you start and end there!

3-Bridge the gap between their emotional desires and your solutions

Again, listening is key here. Know your patients intimately by investing time asking probing questions. The kind of questions you’re genuinely interested in hearing their answers about.

Understand your patient’s point-of-view about how your services will impact their life. Give them control over those outcomes as the influential guide along the way.

This is the goal of your content.

4-Think long-term about your relationship with them

Dentistry is rarely one-and-done care. The quality and lifetime value of what you provide confirms this.

It’s your task to educate and inform them along the journey to good health. Ultimately the choice is theirs but you’re in a better position to influence them if you take a long-term view through your content.

This eliminates the pressure to push too hard. If your dental marketing is held hostage to costly direct mail or broadcast media campaigns you’re more likely to feel the pressure.

Content is evergreen and thus cost-effective. Plus it relies on the one thing that gives your patients a sense of control – their permission.

And that gives you access to virtually unlimited potential for influence.

March 9, 2018 Dental blog, Dental blogging, Dental marketing strategies, Headlines, Uncategorized No Comments

What Makes a Great Dental Blog Post?

“A blog post…, you say? First, let’s be realistic!”

Writing takes time. And most days as a dental professional that may be in short supply. You have patients to treat and a practice to run and promote.

Perhaps you already know the value of blog content to your dental website platform. But keeping the flow steady and the quality high…that’s another challenge.

A process will help

Dentistry is subject matter you know something about. Dental content might not be all that “sexy.” But creating a steady flow of it can be easier with a system in place.

The first step in the process is committing to content creation. Your search results and online influence will rise the more useful content you publish.

Next, is quality. Too technical or wordy and you’ll lose your reader. Too brief or unprofessional and you’ll also discredit yourself.

Make a commitment that you’ll provide ongoing, quality content. Here are some field-tested insights into the making of a “great” post.

1-A benefit-focused headline

The headline will, in essence, tip your reader in the direction of the blog’s topic. A great blog post is laser-locked on one big idea, about solving one problem, by telling one compelling story.

One and done! A great blog post engages the reader from the start.

A benefit-focused headline peaks their interest and lures them into the content. The more specific the better.

Too often headlines provide an easy off-ramp for your reader. A headline can be the first (and last) thing they see before clicking away from your content or…your site.

Experiment with a variety of headlines options. Do they compel you to read further? Is it obvious that “help” is on-the-way if they read the post?

Headlines require a high level of attention before you publish.

2-A compelling opening (lead) paragraph

You’ve probably heard the saying, “You never get a second chance to…make a first impression.” That applies here.

Remember your headline raises the curtain on the “story” you’re about to tell. And it’s a story that you have little time to set up.

Dive in!

Wait…why so fast?

Attention spans are short. And online readers have notoriously short spans of attention.

Journalists get it. They’re trained to not “bury the lede.”

If you snooze-them-you-lose-them!

A bold question. A quote. An attention-getting statement.

These will help engage your reader.

3-“Meat”

You know, as in give them something substantial to “chew” on.

The goal is helping them make an informed decision about a particular dental service or treatment. Paint the picture starting with the problem then lead them to a solution.

Again, keep this to one big idea. If you wander all over the map they will too…right off your page.

Use benefit-charged bullet points. Online readers like to scan. Make sure when they do that they’re getting the substance of your content in small “bites.”
Break up the post with subheads. Keep them benefit oriented and compelling.
Avoid “cute,” cliched statements. Be creative but not to the extent that you lose your reader by trying too hard to impress them.

The best impression is how your content answers their burning question or solves their problem.

4-It compels them to do something

This is where you wrap it up. Avoid being vague or too general.

The more specific your closing the better. What do you want them to do? What’s your call-to-action?

Call us now…
Schedule your next…
Contact us for more information…
Refer family or friends to…
Leave a comment…
Ask us about…

Be specific. And fearlessly “tell” them what to do.

These four tips will help you frame a great blog post and evaluate your content.

Remember that the beauty of digital (online/web) content is that it can be repurposed and republished when necessary. And if your time is lacking…why not ask for assistance?

February 23, 2017 Content marketing, Dental blog, Dental blogging, Dental marketing strategies No Comments

Why Your Language Matters to Your Dental Marketing Message

This phrase is inevitable when effective communication is the topic. “It’s not what you say…

…but how you say it!”

True most of the time. But your dental marketing message could be more effective if you apply one half of that oft-repeated communication truth.

Try this: “It’s not what you say…or maybe it IS!”

“What” you say and “how” you say it matter. Though when you’re communicating with your patients or clients the language (the “what”) you use is vital.

The eyes have it

Marcia Yudkin got me to thinking on-topic via her recent weekly newsletter:

“When I advise consulting clients that they’re using jargon, they often pooh-pooh my point, arguing that potential customers all understand their terminology. What I’ve seen, though, is that when the average non-customer doesn’t understand your language, many in the potential customer pool do not, either.”

She illustrates her point…

“Explain what you do. Does the light go on in their eyes, or are they too baffled to even ask questions?”

It’s vital that your dental marketing message and the content and copy that delivers it “lights up the eyes” of your audience.

Language is the linchpin.

Use language effectively to create a compelling dental marketing message that leads to appointments scheduled or products and services sold.

Tell a “story”

Think of story as the narrative you use to illustrate the features and benefits of your services or products. It’s better to “show” (via compelling narrative) someone what to do than merely tell them.

Picture this (see what I did there)…you have a patient who has the beginning stages of periodontal disease. It’s tempting to use technical dental-speak to make your case:

“You have a lesion showing increased capillary permeability with a large number of neutrophils moving from the dilated gingival plexus into your junctional epithelium and underlying connective tissue…”

Technically overstated (and above my knowledge base), I agree. Plus, I realize you would never communicate it in such a way (at least I hope not).

Chair side, clinical communication is a “conversation” that leads to a treatment decision more than an exchange of unclear, confusing technical data.

Reboot the perio diagnosis this way, for example: “Your ‘pockets’ are full. Bacteria have taken up residence in the space between your gums and tooth surface and they’ve invited their ‘friends.’”

A bit pedestrian but easier to understand than the previous CE course language you’re accustomed to as a dental professional.

I’m not suggesting you use what I shared.

Do this instead…

Develop your own, conversational, and compelling language for every service, treatment, and procedure benefit.

Think benefits and the narrative (story) you can use that compels them to take action based on your diagnosis or recommendation. Make them the “main character” of their own story with the outcome being tied to the benefits of your service, treatment, etc.

Turn that narrative into content that can be consumed outside of your office or presence. Blog posts, social media content, newsletters, infographics, images with compelling captions (Instagram, Facebook posts, Snapchat).

Refresh your dental marketing message. Have a bias for being clear and conversational more than being technical.

February 2, 2017 Content marketing, Dental blog, Dental blogging, Dental marketing strategies, Dental SEO, Social Media No Comments

Are You Wasting Your Dental Blog Content with a One-and-Done Approach?

What happens when you invest your time and dollars? It’s natural to desire to protect and extend the reach of your investment.

Creating dental content is like that. Get the most value from a single piece of dental blog content whether it’s general information that leads to a patient or client decision, SEO, a click to an internal page on your website, or the development of a relationship that includes all the above and more.

A blog post is a blog post is a… (or is it?)

I often hear a consistent theme from clients. In particular, from those for whom I create blog content on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

“Why blog or…how do we get the most “mileage” from our blog content?”

Blog content isn’t an “end” in itself. Far from it.

It’s a good (and I believe essential) place to “dip your toe” into the dental content marketing waters. But you must see beyond the “build-it-and-they-will-come” mindset.

Believe me, the consistent creation of dental blog content will boost your brand. The blog page on your dental website can become a leverage point for your influence, expertise, SEO, and social media engagement.

Think leverage when you consider the impact of your dental practice or dental business blog. But think beyond it being a one-and-done content marketing strategy.

One of my blog clients gets what I’m saying here. I write an average of two posts a month for this large, two doctor, two location dental practice.

What they do post delivery has the potential to triple the impact of each blog post. Let’s unpack their simple approach and apply it your dental content marketing strategy.

How to maximize the impact of a single piece of dental blog content and leverage it into a profit producing resource.

Commit to consistently publishing blog content

This will require time and dollars. My recommendation is to outsource this to a skilled, qualified, experienced copywriter or content creator – preferably one who knows the dental industry culture.

Sound biased? I am (unapologetically).

The reason? Your time savings plus the writing perspective that’s less technical (industry-speak) and more conversational (how people skim, read, engage content).

Your content “bread-and-butter.”

Blog content answers basic questions.
Blog content provides practical solutions to problems.
Blog content is searchable and can potentially improve your page rankings.
Blog content is flexible

Let’s explore the idea of content flexibility.

Communicate with those who already trust you

There are numerous nuances to marketing. Two are common.

The most common is invasive or interruptive. Broadcast media, sales calls, direct mail, etc., fall into that category.

Another is permission based. Seth Godin rocked the marketing world a few years ago when he published his epic book, “Permission Marketing.”

People will grant you permission when they trust you as a source of valuable information. That’s putting it way more simply than Godin does but you hopefully get the point.

For example, your email list is a good, entry level example of this idea. Patients, clients, or interested individuals have given you “permission” to email them by trusting you with their email address.

Back to your blog content…

A single blog post is for public consumption. It has a url on your website, it can be searched and found based on the title or meta-data that’s keyword sensitive, and anyone can access it and share it at will – regardless of permission or trust.

Why stop there? Model what one of my client’s does.

First, publish the content on your website’s blog page.

Then…do one of two things…

Create an email with a compelling subject line and brief “teaser” lead with a clickable “Read more…” link embedded in the body of the email that directs the reader back to the original post on your website.

Or…

Create a separate email newsletter that includes the entire blog post (what my client does).

Send it to your list.

And there’s one more…

Connect with your “tribe” on social media

Others (your “tribe”) choose to follow in addition to the above or solely via your social media channel(s). For example, your dental practice or dental business Facebook Page.

Here’s the content marketing strategy flow my client follows:

Blog post to email to…social media (Facebook Page)

I write the post and create three Facebook posts that link back to that specific post and/or another post that is linked within the blog post.

They get traffic to the original post plus traffic to another post or service page on their website. And don’t underestimate the value of posting useful, relevant, solution-focused content on your social media channel(s).

The value of the social media connection is the ongoing ability to engage via comments, answer more questions, monitor feedback, etc.

And get this…every inquiry, question, feedback comment is a “seed” for future content.

Why?

It promotes social “listening” into what their questions, problems, or concerns are. Bingo!

Now you’re back at step one – blog content!

And you thought a blog post is a blog post is a blog post…!

It’s way more. But you gotta maximize your investment.