Digital marketing
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.
3 Simple and Strategic Steps That Improve Your Dental Content Marketing
“A carpenter or a wheelwright can give another his compass or T-square, but he cannot make another skillful.” Mengzi
Words are neutral. What’s not (neutral) is their use when it comes to your dental content marketing strategy.
The word “strategy” implies that there’s a necessary element for connecting with your patients or clients.
Brian Clark shares this simple definition of strategy:
”A plan of action designed to achieve a major or overall aim.”
No doubt, you’d agree that a strategy is vital to your dental marketing success.
But here’s a question…
Is everyone a content strategist?
The short answer to question is – “No!” According to Mengzi (quoted above) not everyone who holds the “compass” or “T-square” (for example) of content creation is a strategist.
- Strategy takes time.
- Strategy involves listening.
- Strategy solves problems.
- Strategy answers questions.
- Strategy compels a response.
Each indicates a planned and documented approach. Content Marketing Institute (CMI) research confirms the results of documenting your strategy:
”You’ll be far more likely to consider yourself effective at content marketing.
You’ll feel significantly less challenged by every aspect of content marketing.
You’ll generally consider yourself more effective in your use of all content marketing tactics and social media channels.
You’ll be able to justify spending a higher percentage of your marketing budget on content marketing.”
Still, you might not consider yourself a “strategist” and that’s okay.
Help’s available…because face it…you’re busy enough as it is – seeing patients, nurturing client leads, managing a practice or an organization, etc.
Simple Steps to a More Strategic Approach for Using Content in Your Dental Marketing
- Take “Time” to Get Acquainted
“Scheduling” or “selling” requires knowing who you’re attempting to connect with. We’ve talked about buyer personas before and for good reason.
According to Brian Clark,
“Your first step is to do the research that allows you to create a fictional, generalized representation of your ideal customer (patient).”
Put their problems, questions, and motivations first. It’s time well-invested getting to know WHO you’re trying to reach.
- Invest Your Energy in “Listening”
Once you know “who” you’re talking to the “what” will naturally follow. The content you share is shaped by how well you intentioned you are to listen.
- What’s concerning them?
- What’s causing them “pain” or problems?
- What’s it like to walk-in-their-shoes?
A big part of the “what” also involves influential touchpoints. 1
- Compel a Response by Solving Problems and Answering Questions
Creativity for creativity’s sake misses a ton of opportunity. It’s easy to relegate marketing to some catchy, cool-sounding slogan…but you will often fail to achieve the goal – compelling a response.
”The “what” tells you how to craft an overall narrative with a through line that ties directly into the prospect’s (patient’s/client’s) motivation for change.
“Instead of guessing blindly, you’ll deliver the perfect analogies, anecdotes, and metaphors that make your ideal prospect view you as the only reasonable choice. 2
That’s a “choice” you can bank on…right!? And it comes as the result of you choosing them first. This naturally leads to a much more authentic dental content marketing strategy.
- https://www.copyblogger.com/content-marketing-strategy/ ↩
- https://www.copyblogger.com/content-marketing-strategy/ ↩
What “Binge Watching” Can Teach You About Creating Compelling Dental Marketing Copy
Come on, “fess-up.” You know you’ve binged watched your favorite show (more than once) on Netflix or your preferred entertainment content source.
Your “guilty pleasure addiction” actually holds a principle that can transform how you strategize about and create your dental marketing copy. There’s a reason you’re compelled to stay tuned-in on the edge of your seat as the next episode or scene buffers.
My wife and I have a few “guilty pleasures” on Netflix. One is Bloodline. We’re eagerly awaiting the next, and what we’re told is the final, season (bummer).
Until then, this binge culture you and I live in prompted some thoughts about dental marketing copy and content. Fact is, you stay tuned for a reason.
And that reason has much to do with how the content is made available and is delivered.
All at once in real-time
Remember the days when you had three, yes three, choices for TV entertainment. If’ you’re of a certain age or generation, you might also recall that you were a slave to a specific viewing time and a pre-recorded amount of programming, including commercials – that you HAD to watch.
If you’re under the age of, say, 40, you perhaps have no clue what I’m talking about. Millennials and GenXr’s only know the world of instant access, everything all at once, entertainment content.
It’s mind boggling to scroll the timeline from the late 1970’s to now and realize how significantly content access and delivery has changed. Choice-access is a premium both for WHAT you consume and WHEN you consume it.
Your patients and clients are accustomed to the same. It’s how they live.
Craft a compelling storyline, share it in a compelling format, and allow them to access it in real-time. Think email, SMS (text messaging), blog, Facebook LIVE, Twitter, Periscope, YouTube, SnapChat, Instagram, etc.
More pressing – are you using these “channels” and if so, how?
Second realization and principle has to do with “intrigue” or “curiosity.”
You know how your heart races and your pulse quickens as the credits roll on the second or third or sixth episode in your Netflix series queue? The countdown to the next episode begins 10 seconds…9 seconds…5…4…3…2…1…!
No pause. You’re on to the next episode…why?
Love for the show? Perhaps more has to do with curiosity…intrigue!
Those who create entertainment content and design it’s delivery sequencing understand what all great copywriters and content creators understand:
Curiosity is powerful. There’s no limit to how effective your copy and content will be if you use curiosity to capture your reader’s attention.
From the headline of your online or direct mail promotion, to the subject line of your email, to the lead of any promotion you create – if it doesn’t appeal to your reader’s curiosity and stir their sense of intrigue – rewrite it until it does!
A third and final principle from the world of favorite show binging…
Tap into your audience’s feeling (fear) that the “end” isn’t really the “end” (for now, at least).
In other words, create repeat buy-in.
It’s a sad day indeed in our household when I receive the Netflix notification that our favorite “guilty pleasure” is wrapping up (as in, no more “seasons”).
But Netflix applies a compelling strategy.
They’re quick to add – “If you liked ?…you might also like ?”
There’s never an “end” to a familiar storyline or content that looks, sounds, and feels like the “binge” I just completed.
Those who receive your dental marketing copy or content will return and even anticipate what’s next if you give them one thing – emotional value.
In essence, know your audience and be prepared to provide more stimulating reasons to find you a source of practical value. But not just any value – the brand of value that connects at an emotional level.
Remember, “People buy for emotional not rational reasons.”
I urge to re-read this post and keep it on hand. There’s much buried between the “plot line” that can help you create more compelling copy and content (or the motivation to seek someone who can).
Speaking of plot lines…it’s about time to see what Netflix has to offer for our next “guilty pleasure.”
Does Your Dental Marketing Copy and Content Cut Through the Noise?
I credit Brian Clark and his Copyblogger article. He prompted my thinking about an essential element of compelling copy and content including what use in your dental marketing.
Writing is hard. Reading more so.
How’s that?
You (and your readers) must identify with a compelling reason to take action. In essence, that’s scheduling, using your service, or making a purchase.
Basically it’s the primary response your dental content and dental copy intends to prompt in your reader.
Is it compelling?
What makes content creation difficult is not the writing itself. It’s the identifiable benefits that are hidden behind the features that pose the challenge.
That’s a theme I’ve covered before. There’s no shortage of feature-intensive dental content.
It’s easy to focus on the newest, greatest, latest, state-of-the-are, cutting-edge this or that. Right?
No doubt you’re proud of whatever it is that you’ve recently acquired or offer as a service. But adding an emphasis on the “thing” without compelling your audience with what the “thing” can do for them makes for a weak, lazy marketing message.
“Why didn’t I think of that…?”
Clark highlights the value of true benefits with a reference to direct response copywriter, Clayton Makepeace.
“…(He) asserts that fake benefits will kill sales copy, so you have to be on the lookout for them in your writing. He uses this headline as a an example:
Balance Blood Sugar Levels Naturally!
That sounds pretty beneficial, doesn’t it? In reality, there’s not a single real benefit in the headline.
True benefits
Makepeace advises to apply his patented ‘forehead slap’ test to see if your copy truly contains a benefit for the reader.
Here’s how Makepeace identifies the real benefit in that headline:
‘Nobody really wants to balance their blood sugar levels. But anyone in his or her right mind DOES want to avoid the misery of blindness…cold, numb, painful limbs…amputation…and premature death that go along with diabetes.’”
See the difference?
Make a connection where your reader “feels” something – the risk and effects of diabetes. This hits them where your reader (in this instance) lives.
Get “emotional” about it
Your copy shouldn’t be emotional for the sake of it. That leaves your reader numb and unable to do much about it.
Tap into emotions that compel a response.
Think what?, why?, how?
What is your product, service, etc., and what does it do? This is the feature level.
Why is this important, useful, etc., in the first place? Now you’re thinking at the edge of benefits.
Now…
How does your product or service actually connect with your patient’s/client’s desires? Here’s where you think emotionally and make it about the real benefits they’ll receive from whatever you’re promoting.
Nothing “fringe” about the benefits
Ultimately benefits are personal to everyone who interacts with your promotional copy. They make up their mind and take action simply because you ask them to but…in response to being compelled at an emotional rather than solely rational level (where a high percentage of marketing copy and content fails).
“What’s in it for me?” is the ultimate question your copy and content must answer. Get your reader, listener, viewer to ask that question and it’s only a matter of time before you can lead them to a responsive answer.
And that’s the goal for much of your marketing copy and content – ACTION!
How to Assure that Your Dental Content is Clear and Useful
I love it when clients “get” what I’m about to share with you! It’s simple really and it can add value to your dental content – online or offline.
I recently wrote the copy for a dental client’s website. The pediatric dental content was brief and to the point – as they preferred.
They asked for a minor revision. It involved copy on a somewhat obscure dental issue. Though pleased with the copy, the client recognized that the existing content could be a bit confusing to their “audience.”
It’s vital that your content connect on a compelling AND clear level with your reader.
I made a minor adjustment to the copy. All it involved was a simple tweak in the language followed by a clarifying explanation of the issue.
I’ll share the “language” I used in a moment.
Clarity first
I’ve written about what is called the “power of one.” It’s the principle that your copy/content is more compelling and useful when it focuses on one, clear idea.
It’s common for marketing or promotional copy/content to take on too much. Words carry weight but too many ideas all at once can weigh-down and confuse your reader.
Narrow your focus to one clear, compelling, big idea. And make sure that idea is clearly communicated (what my client gets).
How to Assure that Your Dental Content is Clearly Useful
1-Know your audience
This is Communication-101. Who are you talking, writing, marketing, promoting to? Dentistry is a technical, knowledge-based industry. As a dentist, your education holds esteemed value to your patients (and it certainly should).
Your audience “pays” for your knowledge and expertise. But that knowledge-base requires a clear explanation when it’s shared with those other than industry colleagues (i.e., your patients).
- View your services through the “eyes” of your patient. Explain, promote, educate them with words they understand. This is a fundamental task of my dental content writing – clarifying and attaching benefits to what is otherwise obscure or irrelevant.
- Get to the benefit level as quickly and clearly as possible. Remember that the benefits of your services must connect with your patient’s emotions. Features, on the other hand, appeal to their logic. Use both (features and benefits) but clarify what you provide around the benefit they will receive.
2-Paint a “picture.”
It’s useful to illustrate the “idea” you’re communicating. This is what I did recently with my client.
I used a few simple words to clarify the complex issue. Instead of using albeit accurate technical language I illustrated it by saying, “Think of it this way…,” then crafted a short connection to a relatable idea.
Those simple words shifted their thinking to something they could understand. When your reader makes the “shift” they inch closer to accepting what you’re communicating.
Art takes work.
Invest time creating clear ways to communicate your services. What can you compare it to? Is there a connection to something your patient(s) know and understand?
3-Tell a story.
This is about your core message. Those who read your content aren’t looking for a screenplay but they are looking for value in what your provide.
The more you draw them into your services the better your outcomes.
- Help your patient see themselves using and benefitting from your service. It’s not about “whiter teeth” it’s really about confidence at their daughter’s wedding or feeling attractive at their upcoming high school reunion.
- List as many plot-lines as you can think of for each of your dental services. By “plot-line” I’m referring to the path you guide them on from problem to solution. What ultimately does this “problem” cause if avoided and what would it look like if they accept the “solution?”
- Mine your reviews, surveys, and patient testimonials for story themes. Patients tell you their story through their post-treatment comments. Listen chair side for clues to your patient’s story. What are they really wanting from the service you’ve treatment planned for them?
That’s story!
Simplify your copy. And remember that clarity adds value to the content you publish to promote your services.
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.
What Simple Intuition Can Do for Your Dental Content Marketing Strategy
He’s smarter than I give him credit for. And there’s another more valuable trait that he’s developing at a young age.
I’ll let you in on our grandson’s growing personality in a moment. On a related note, there’s a trait within his intellectual development that applies to how your create your dental content.
Our grandson is six (”and a half…” as he’s quick to remind). The time I spend with him is priceless.
Being a freelancer and solopreneur has it’s perks. Especially when I can take a day off and spend time with the “B-man” as I call him.
I had that opportunity on a recent school holiday. Following breakfast, I reflexively viewed my incoming email on my iPhone as he was playing on the floor in our family room.
That’s when he schooled me…
“I thought you were taking the day off, G-pa!?”
Busted!
He made a connection that face-in-phone means work. He’s six and already more intuitive than I realize.
Intuition
Your power of observation or your ability to use your intuition can improve your dental content creation. It’s natural to make assumptions about your target audience.
After all, you’re a dental professional. You provide a certain set of services and the assumption is that people know it.
How people access your particular brand of services is the issue. Most approach who you are and what you do with questions.
Those questions – as we’ve discussed before – are your gold mine for creating compelling, useful content to promote your services.
Assume less – Intuit more
Your patients or clients are consistently in search of solutions to their “pain” or problems. And like most, they type a word or phrase in the form of a question into their chosen online search engine.
They, like you, do this more often on-the-fly via their smartphone or tablet. Pain, a problem, an unforeseen setback invades their space and they go searching for a solution.
Content Intuition and What It Can Do for Your Dental Content Marketing that Assumptions Cannot
Intuition creates real-time opportunity
Thoughts are fluid. You are always experiencing a constant stream of them.
So are your patients and clients.
It’s essential that your intuitive content finds its way to their thought consciousness. Your success rate will increase as you appear on their conscious “radar” consistently.
Monthly content…that’s a stretch. Sure, if it’s dense as in a content rich newsletter, industry case study, or informative ebook.
Start with a bi-weekly published content. But consider the opportunity-value of appearing in their space with useful content on a weekly basis – this is optimum.
Why? Your patients/clients are busy.
And volume of content they consume for information, entertainment, support, etc is off the charts.
Be there consistently. Be there usefully.
And you’ll occupy a small space in their content stream.
Intuition compels an informed response
The information your patients or clients search for depends on their current need, mood, pain, etc. Getting a response relies on your ability to intuit their condition.
How?
Listen!
- Set up listening “stations.” Encourage your business team, consultants, assistants, hygienists to develop an open-ear approach. Train them how to pick up on the signals your patients/clients are sending. Develop ways to log/archive that data.
- Create content around the questions, pains, problems, and solutions being sought by your patients/clients.
Remember that useful information compels…and “sells.”
Intuition conforms to the solutions you provide
Other “listening stations” are your online reviews, ratings, and strategic surveys. This is useful as you use your intuition to access what’s being said on and between the lines.
- Get intentional by using surveys. Brief, targeted surveys can help you tap-into the needs, wants, and desires of your patients/clients. Avoid lengthy, complicated, or irrelevant questions. Ask what you really want to know.
- Use reviews and survey data to create a content editorial list. Craft content around answering the questions and problems with solution-oriented content.
- Provide variety. Informative content can be shared via a blog, podcast, video, short courses, webinars, etc.
Give your “audience” numerous channels to connect with you. They’ll appreciate the convenience and your intuition.