Dental promotion ideas
3 Strategies for Re-Purposing Your Dental Content That’s “Collecting Dust”
Our recent garage reorganization gave my wife and I some minimalist “air.” Ultimately, it was more of a redistribution.
There’s redistribution-value in your dental marketing content, dental website copy, online engagement, and other promotions you may have tucked away. Your archives and current content sources have life left in them…if you know where to look and how to revive their usefulness.
My wife finds it especially “cleansing” to box up items and give them away. It’s our way of re-purposing resources for the benefit of someone else.
Vintage is still cool
The lure of vintage anything – clothing, jewelry, etc. – is basically about resourcefulness. It’s a trendy attempt at redistribution or re-purposing what was once everyday.
Your dental marketing promotions are no different. Each are full of themes, big ideas, features, and benefits you can easily re-purpose for a fresh return on investment (ROI).
That’s part of the “magic” of today’s content marketing strategies. Dental website services and procedures pages, older blog posts, previous newsletter editions, articles, email marketing promotions each contain seeds for new content.
How to Re-purpose and Re-distribute Dental Content That’s “Collecting Dust”
1-Scan your online reviews, survey data, and patient/client comments for back-story content.
What your patients/clients tell you about your services reveals more than a virtual “high-five.” Look for questions, emotional-buying motives, pains, problems you solved, solutions your delivered.
- List emerging topics, themes, and ideas for how your can re-distribute the content.
- Create blog posts, newsletter articles, case studies, themed email series’, and themed landing pages.
2-Re-package blog and article content for a new or different “audience.”
Your patients/clients each consume content differently. And they access it in a variety of ways.
- Reach your “audience” according to their preferences. Implement some content experiments and track your responses. Try visual content via YouTube, Pinterest, or Instagram. Or re-purpose visual content into readable content via your blog or newsletter articles.
- Look for themes and ideas within your content channels. Your main website platform copy can be sub-divided into topics of interest. Scan your Services/Procedures pages for topics.
3-Audit your website platform for readability and call-to-action outcomes.
Many dental websites could use complete rewrite. Why?
Perhaps the content is outdated, is overly technical, isn’t mobile responsive (i.e. it isn’t easily read on a smartphone or tablet), is too wordy and full of feature oriented fluff and industry-speak.
Simple upgrades can revive a poor performing, uninformative website.
- Re-purpose service and procedure copy themes into blog posts or articles. The place to be more informative and technical (with reader in mind) is on a blog/article page instead of giving them everything on your main/internal service pages.
- Remove flashy banners, overused images, and “cute” headlines. Tell your reader something valuable. Create benefit-focused page headlines and sub-heads. Use benefit-oriented bullet-points on pages to improve readability (readers scan web pages they read blog/article content – keep this in mind).
- Compel your site visitors to take a specific action on each page. “Contact us…,” “Schedule your next…,” “Request…,” “Call us…,” etc are call-to-action words. Tell your reader what to do, tell them again, and…you guessed it…tell them yet again. Eliminate passive, permissive wording and replace it with a specific action to be taken.
You have more value in your existing content than you may realize. It’s time to re-distribute it.
2 Strategic “Pushes” That Build Sustainable Momentum via Your Dental Website
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.
How to Discover New and Compelling Benefits to Promote Your Dental Services
Being unique for the sake of…well…being unique isn’t a strategy. But there is something about a deep-dive into what makes your services and products “unique” that CAN impact your dental marketing success.
Brian Clark shared a post on Copyblogger that I must credit for “seeding” my thoughts on this one.
“In the 1920’s, Schlitz beer went from fifth in the market to a tie for first. All because a sharp copywriter named Claude Hopkins highlighted their water purification process in an advertisement.
Never mind that all beer companies used the same process. No one had told that story before.” [Read more of Brian’s post]
I’m frequently asked by clients and colleagues, “How can you write fresh content about the same ole’ services over and over again.” Their question reveals what they perceive about the dental niche and what’s somewhat accurate (i.e. how much can you write about dental implants, crowns, etc.?).
That question, perception, and Clark’s content lead to a solution and a strategy that can energize your dental marketing content.
A story that’s not been told
Your services and products are in competition. It’s not so much a competitive process that involves whether one is better than another.
The competitive advantage of your products and services has more to do with the benefit-solution outcome. It’s common in most print and online (digital) marketing promotions to highlight the features of a particular product/service.
Why?
It’s easy to throw the terms “greatest,” “state-of-the-art,” “latest,” “cutting-edge,” etc on top of a few specific technical descriptions and garnish it with a smiling-face image or three…and viola!…send it off to your assistant to post on your website. Then wait for your phone to ring off the desk with inquiries, appointments, or purchases.
What’s missing is the “story that’s not been told.” In essence this is what’s known as your “unique selling proposition” (USP).
It’s as simple an addition to your marketing content as Hopkins highlighting Schlitz’s water purification process.
How to Deep-Dive Into Your Services and Products to Discover a New “Story” That Will Deliver Compelling Solutions
List and lead with benefits.
Always be thinking, “What problem does this solve…what solution does this provide…how is this (?) different than any other approach to solving X problem?”
- Dimensional-ize every benefit you list by going even further beneath the surface. For example, teeth whitening does more than brighten your teeth up to eight shades (benefit). Teeth whitening gives you the confidence to walk into your next class reunion like you’ve just been crowned homecoming king or queen (deeper, dimensional-ized benefit).
- Find the deeper levels of solutions and benefits that tap directly into the emotions of your patients, clients, or leads.
Appeal to logic with features.
This the proper use of all those features you’re so quick to talk about. Only use them after you’ve uncovered every benefit-solution you can think of that your product/service provides.
The “story” plot thickens when you get their pulse racing with benefits (”Teeth whitening…confidence…homecoming king or queen…!, etc.”). Then you help them rationalize their decision to schedule, purchase, etc with features (”The newest…no-after-taste…teeth whitening product on the market…available in our comfortable, whitening salon…at our new dental facility…”).
Content marketing works. It’s an effective strategy that promotes your dental services and products with a fresh, new “story” that’s unique…and compelling.
4 Strategies to Recover from Communication Failure in Your Dental Marketing Content
I’m close to certain that the following line is from the classic movie, Cool Hand Luke. Right or wrong it reveals something about the nature of being accurate and understood in your dental marketing content.
The line: “What we have here is a failure to communicate.”
I could create the (assumed accurate) movie scenario that featured the line but…if I’m wrong that would be weird and completely send my opening story crashing to the ground. So, I’ll assume I know what I’m talking about and continue communicating something of value in this post.
That’s the thing about communication. Sometimes you enter into a conversation – one to one or with a crowd – and you think you know what you’re talking about.
Then someone steps up and says, “No, you’re not correct…!” Or more often, “I’m right…listen to me.”
Either way, communication in that moment has the potential to stall. And when that happens “…failure to communicate…” is in full-swing.
What to do?
Communication is tricky business today. There are more channels than ever.
In fact, I’m of the shared opinion that social media communication has had a groundbreaking impact on how we interact with our words. For example, what’s implied in a text message, a tweet, or Facebook post is often misunderstood.
The reason – the face-to-face element is missing. Perhaps this is fueling the current surge in live, interactive video content such as Periscope or Blab.
Your dental marketing conversations can have equal confusion. Or more than likely what’s implied misses the intended target as result of “failing” to communicate in a way that delivers your message in a compelling way.
4 Strategies to Recover from Communication Failure in Your Dental Marketing Content
1-Be urgent.
Your services, products, or resources meet a need. At least they should or you’re in for other challenges.
Realize that just because your patients or clients know they need what you produce is no guarantee that they will. It’s vital that you stay front of mind (more on how to do this in a moment).
You must give your audience a real, street-level, where-they-live reason to want (desire) your product or service today, now, right away!
If you provide dental services, a high percentage of your production relies on pain as a “reason” for your dental patient to schedule. Pain creates urgency, no doubt.
But pain is only one “reason.” It does drive production but only for those experiencing it and who choose to act on it.
- Inventory your services, products, or resources. What deeper needs do they meet? Who needs them, when, and why?
- Explore your recent reviews, consultations, contact form requests, etc. What themes do you see? Are there seasonal trends, etc., that prompted someone to request your services, schedule, etc.?
- Engage the wants and desires you hear/see. Create “urgency” through special offers, promotions, testimonials. Use “urgent” language to communicate them – “now,” “what happens if you wait…,” “too late,” “schedule/order/etc no later than…” – you get the picture.
2-Be useful.
No one has time for fluff or irrelevant content. Communicate something of value to your audience.
- Deliver value through every dental marketing channel you use. This includes your email promotions, your website content, your blog posts/articles, your newsletters, your special offers, etc.
- Reevaluate everything by asking – Is this useful? Does it deliver value?
- Be courageous enough to revise it or…trash it if it fails to communicate usefully.
3- Be unique.
This does not mean be overly creative for the mere sake of being creative. Placing a bizarre, new, flashy header on your website isn’t the essence of being unique.
Uniqueness is about solutions. Even further, being unique is offering something that’s different in some way than every other solution currently available.
- Think (because marketing requires much thinking) about your products, services, or resources as a solution more than a commodity. What problem(s) are solved when someone schedules, uses, etc.?
- Ask your audience what problems they’re facing. Use simple surveys for post-treatment, product orders, service usage, etc.
- Create and deliver content around the problem and how your service, product, or resource is THE unique solution.
Remember, your uniqueness is the result of asking the right questions to discover the most pressing problem then delivering the most unique, compelling solution.
4-Be ultra-specific.
Being specific isn’t enough. Why?
There’s too much marketing “noise” these days vying for your market’s attention. Being ultra-specific is rising above the “noise” by consistently delivering value through benefits.
Stop being vague at all costs!
- Eliminate fluff wording in your promotions. Words like, “we would like to…,” “we’re pleased to announce…,” “Introducing…” are only the beginning. Why pick on these commonly used phrases? They numb your reader because it sounds like every other promotion they read.
- Cut-to-the-chase. Tell your reader what you want them to do (specifically). Call them to action throughout your promotion and especially at the close.
- Compel with specific benefits. Avoid being feature heavy in your dental marketing content. “Latest,” “greatest,” “state-of-the-art,” are too vague. Go deeper and inform your reader about the specific benefit(s) they will receive.
“Failure to communicate…” is one failure you can’t afford to make in your dental marketing. Rise above the “noise” with clear, compelling solutions.
How to Find Your “Voice” and Compel a Positive Response to Your Dental Marketing Message
“Imagine the person you’re writing to. Picture him or her as a friend. Believe that the (service) you’re (promoting) will improve your friend’s life. Figure out what it would take to convince you to buy the product.” – Paul Hollingshead
“It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.” That memorable phrase contains a “double-edged truth.”
On the contrary, what you say does matter. Mixed messages create confusion.
Equally true is how you communicate. Tone, delivery method, or “voice” can make or break your dental marketing message.
I’m a strong advocate for a particular tone of voice in the copy or content I create. And I’m diligent to coach my clients in the same.
Friend or foe?
You shouldn’t be forced to choose, should you? “Foe” is a bit too strong a label.
It’s not productive to view your readers, patients, clients, prospects, etc as “foes” to be conquered. “Friend” is a better perspective for your marketing promotions, blog posts, or conversations when the goal is to compel a response.
Paul Hollingshead’s words that introduce this post help establish that view in your dental marketing. Voice is the core idea when writing, promoting, or marketing your services.
How to find your voice and compel a positive response to your dental marketing message.
1-Use your imagination
It’s important to break free from the seller-prospect mindset when marketing your dental services. Remember, “People don’t like to be sold.”
This common approach sets up an adversarial relationship from the get-go. And you’ll adopt a “voice” that’s perceived that way too.
Rather…
As Hollingshead encourages, “Imagine the person you’re writing to. Picture him or her as a friend.”
- View your promotions as a conversation. Write conversationally – friend to friend.
- Use short sentences. Long sentences typically evolve into something too technical or wordy. Avoid “bloat” and “fluff” throughout your writing.
- Forget “English class.” Beginning a sentence with “And” or “But” is okay in this context. And (there you go…haha) a preposition is okay to end a sentence “with.” Remember conversational, friend-to-friend communication is not only common these days, it’s accepted (like it or not, thanks to social media).
- Use the “barstool” filter. Ask yourself if you would say it (what you’re writing) sitting across from a friend at a bar or table.
2-Deepen your beliefs
Believing in your message, service, or product should translate via your voice. If you sincerely believe it will improve someone’s health or life, how could you not communicate it in a compelling way.
Again, the friend-to-friend, conversational voice compels better than a sales-y, hype-y tone.
- List the “whys” of your product or service. Why is it necessary, useful, beneficial, etc.?
- Listen to comments and reviews. Readers, patients, and clients will tell you “why” they like or dislike your services.
- Write to problems and questions. Beneath a negative experience or review is a solution that will improve your marketing message. Fearlessly evaluate the negatives you hear or experience when promoting or applying your services.
3-Identify with the benefits
Walk-a-mile in your patient’s/client’s shoes. Keep the question in mind – “Would I use this, pay for this, try this, etc.?”
The answers will reveal the true, unvarnished benefits of your particular product or service. Features appeal to logic. Benefits connect with emotions.
Friend-to-friend, conversational communication is more emotional than it is rational or logical.
- Review your products and services searching for benefits.
- List the benefits of each service. Remember “state-of-the-art” is a feature not a benefit.
- Answer the question, “So what?” Confirm that your particular service or product actually leads to a compelling result. Identify that result and write to it as often as possible.
Find your “voice.” Make “friends” through your dental marketing content.
Implement the Power-of-One and Eliminate Dental Marketing Overload
I gave myself permission. It helped me narrow my options and relax more than I would have otherwise.
Trying to accomplish too much all at once leads to frustration and unproductive outcomes. This holds true in your dental marketing copy and content too.
Back to my “permission” moment…
Extended holiday weekends beg for a laundry-list of tasks to be accomplished. That’s the proverbial “road-most-traveled.”
I chose “the-road-less-traveled” this time around. And as author, Scott Peck, once discovered, “it made all the difference…”
I featured this idea of narrowing your focus in a recent post. Specifically, it was about knowing your audience well enough to market to “one” person instead of the collective masses.
The power-of-one
A copywriting mentor, Mark Ford (aka, Michael Masterson) says,
“Stir…one core emotion
Emphasize…one good idea
Tell…one captivating story
Direct your prospect to…one inevitable response.”
It’s easy these days to have too many dental marketing channels sending out too many signals (offers and promotions). It’s a symptom, perhaps, of scarcity-thinking.
That’s being afraid that if you don’t throw enough deals, promotions, offers, sales, discounts, coupons, percentage-savings, etc at your patient or client list, you’ll “starve” from lack of bookings.
What’s enough? Sure, I get that throwing more “seed” increases the odds that you’ll “reap-a-harvest.”
But these days, there’s a risk of people becoming numbed to your offers. They’re “shopping” the lowest bidder in terms of percentage discounts and special offers.
Minimalism and marketing
Market by a factor of “one.” Approach your marketing message and the content you distribute like I did my weekend.
Give yourself permission to simplify and narrow your focus. Adopt and adapt a power-of-one mindset with every marketing effort.
1-”Stir ONE CORE EMOTION”
Think about each of your dental practice or dental business services. Deeply explore the benefits of each service.
Now…attach an emotion to each benefit.
For example, what core emotion follows the benefit(s) associated with teeth whitening?
Teeth whitening, for instance, creates an emotion of “confidence.” – Write to that! Do the same for each of your services before you create another related marketing promotion.
Create content around ONE CORE EMOTION. Avoid tangents that distract from that ONE message within that specific piece of content.
2-Focus on ONE BIG IDEA
Too many themes or “ideas” damage the impact of your marketing message. Decide what you want your dental marketing message to promote.
And remember you’re not promoting a service or a product. You’re promoting a benefit (that “stirs one core emotion)!
Focus on the one-thing the particular service being promoted does for your patient or client. Again, think through your services strategically like you did when attaching emotions to each.
Create content that highlights, exploits, showcases, and builds on that ONE BIG IDEA. If you have more than one idea, relax.
The beauty of content marketing is that you’re not limited to a single marketing effort. There’s always the next blog post, article, podcast, or social media post.
Let your ideas ferment. Then share them one at a time with your audience.
3-Share ONE CAPTIVATING STORY
Consider the “story” as a picture of your patient/client using or interacting with your service or product. Restrain yourself from telling about everything the service does all at once.
Give your audience time to see themselves in the “story.” You wouldn’t wear two pairs of shoes at the same time. So don’t expect your marketing to ask readers to walk in more than one pair of shoes on their journey through your current promotion.
Pick a theme. Stick with it until the next “chapter” (e.g. blog post, article, newsletter, etc.).
4-Compel ONE RESPONSE
It helps to use a one word call to action. “Schedule,” “contact,” “call,” “click,” “join,” “invite,” “bring,” etc are single words that compel a specific action.
Avoid using copy/content “bloat” like – “We would like to ask you to…,” “We’re proud to invite you to…,” etc. Ask for the response early in your promotion and ask for it again in the middle and again at the end.
Cut the passive language. Ask your reader to do something (one thing) NOW!
Re-start your dental marketing with a simple, singular approach. Give yourself permission to do ONE thing and perhaps your audience will give you their permission.
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.