Marketing to dentists
How to build a relationship of trust with your dental industry clients
Want to build a relationship of trust that keeps clients/customers doing business with you again and again? This tool is regularly abused by the ill-informed (and sleazy types – you know who you are). And at the same time it’s an under-utilized marketing tool.
I’m talking about e-mail. Not the kind that jams and spams (reference earlier “sleazy types”) your inbox and that of your clients.
I’m talking about e-mail that…
…gets opened
…read
…clicked-through (links to your website, online product sales page, social media sites/pages, etc.)
…and even forwarded as a referral source to client colleagues
Question: Do you send out email? How often? Is it sent via an opt-in delivery system (the optimum delivery method – more on that in another post)? Are you measuring response?
>E-mail promotions are the hidden power of business communication.<
Here’s how:
1–Effective e-mail promotions are about building a relationship of trust
Think of each e-mail as a portion of an ongoing conversation. One that establishes an acquaintance…builds credibility…and a long-term sales source.
2–Effective e-mail promotions are conversational – not hyped up sales pitches
When I write an e-mail promotion (or any copy) I ask the question: “Would I say that sitting on a bar stool?” Do your e-mails sent to your client list pass the bar stool test?
3–Effective e-mail promotions open the door to larger service/product promotions…resources…sales pages…online content and more
Some people talk too much and say nothing in the process. Those are the conversations we avoid!
Trying to do too much in a single e-mail promotion overwhelms and dilutes your marketing approach.
Build trust through an ongoing conversation – one e-mail at a time.
Does Your Dental Marketing Content Need to Get-a-Life?
What motivates someone to purchase a product or use a service?
Think about your most recent purchase. Consider the promotion that led you to hand-over your earnings.
Freelance copywriter and author, Bob Bly introduced me to a concept in one of his articles. A colleague revealed [in his opinion] that people don’t necessarily care about the idea of being…say, a millionaire or even making six-figures.
Really – the driving force is…a certain kind of life-style…living life on their terms. Money is simply a means to an end.
Of principle, Bly adds…
“…marketers who simplistically trumpet “get rich” in their ads are making a mistake. Instead of selling the obvious benefit, they could be reaching their prospects on a deeper and more powerful level.”
Here’s an example, according to Bly. Historically, career-training institutions would focus their marketing approaches on graduates making lots of money.
One ad featured an actual student standing next to his new Jaguar. What the ad failed to mention, Bly observes, was that this particular student bought the luxury auto with money he won in a personal injury lawsuit, not with money earned as result of the institution’s training.
New ads have a different focus, he notes. They feature interviews with now gainfully employed students…but they don’t talk about money.
Instead, one of the graduates talks about the pride his kids show when they see him leave the house for work every day wearing a suit and tie. Another student reveals the rewarding overseas business trips his company sends him on. He talks excitedly about his love of travel, the new foods, the diverse cultures, and new people his career enables him to meet. He’s joined in the commercial by his mother who glows about how proud she is of her son.
Bly referred to this deeper level of marketing as “life-style promotions.” It’s the appeal to what truly drives most of us to buy products or use services. The what’s-in-it-for-me answer is in many ways a shift in HOW we live more than it is merely about having money.
The persuasive element? It’s all about lifestyle!
The key…?
>>Whatever business or service niche you are in – connect it to life<<
Here’s a couple of insights into choosing words that give *life* to your promotions. First… >Shift your marketing copy into *reverse*.
>Instead of leading – as is typical – with the product, launch your wording around the lifestyle or the lifestyle benefits your target market desires.
Listen to *life* that’s happening in-and-around your business/service and the *lives* of your customers/clients. How does your product or service impact their *lifestyle* (at any level)? When you’ve made a list…you’re ready to write your copy (before creating a product).
Next…
>>Drive your product/service *forward* with copy instead of driving your copy with the product/service.
Write a persuasive lifestyle promotion about a product/service you haven’t rolled out yet (yes, you read that correctly). When you’ve tested the promotion’s selling-appeal (by actually placing it in front of your market) and found it’s effective (meaning interest is gained…order inquiries roll-in) THEN develop the product. Risky, yes! But…now who’s in the driver’s seat?
Lifestyle appeal works in a good (or bad) economy! The promise of a different, and perhaps better, lifestyle will drive your products and services forward…profitably!
Do You Make These 2 Copywriting Mistakes?
Sometimes I do stupid stuff! I said something stupid and my timing was oh-so bad! To quote Forrest Gump (I think it was him), “Stupid is as stupid does…” (Cue flurry of comments!).
Anyway, my stupidity- foible got me thinking about what “stupid is” with marketing copy.
Here’s a short list:
All features – no benefits
Copy that’s all about the “est” – as in the “big-est”, “great-est”, “short-est” – should fluidly lead to a compelling benefit. Always? I’d stand by that statement for 99% of copywriting that’s feature heavy.
Here’s a tip: Stop before you lazily promote a widget as “the greatest…” Ask/say, “So what…?” Now start answering the “what.” Answer the “what” on as many levels as you can.” Then, you’ll be on the path to discovering some compelling benefits that could increase profit.
Too many themes in a promotion
A laser or a light bulb. What’s the difference? Both are light sources, right? A light bulb is a diffused or broadcasting light source. It illuminates an environment. A laser is a focused light source. And when aimed, a laser has the ability to cut through thick steel.
A promotion should be laser-like! Focused!
To penetrate your target market’s emotions – focus on “one” theme in your copy. Lock in like a laser beam with “one” compelling idea.
That’s it for now. I’ll keep this post brief. The more I write (today), the more I risk saying something stupid…again! :0
Get the Picture, Get More Business
A picture or an image has a sort-of superpower quality. An image transports you (in the blink of an eye) to a place you couldn’t otherwise be. As the saying goes, “A picture’s worth a thousand words…”
There’s a vital secret about copy. One that increases the odds it will be read while compelling the reader to act.
Good…no…great dental copywriting shrinks the distance between the business, product, or service and the prospective buyer/user. It’s like a picture that transports you to a place you wouldn’t otherwise be. Words have that kind of power. That is, if they are strategically chosen.
Whatever dental industry business or service you promote this principle holds true. Paint a picture with the words (give or take a thousand) used in your promotions and you’ll narrow the distance between you and a prospective buyer or client.
Words do more than explain they compel! And when they compel, someone becomes a potentially long-term client, customer, and a friend of your business.
Review your latest dental marketing copy. How much of the wording explains, in detail, the features, qualities, history, etc. of your business, product, or service? Better, does it paint a picture of the benefits someone will receive when doing business with you?
If the wording gets you an A+ in the “what” category (i.e. telling everything there is to know about whatever it is you’re promoting) and it fails in the “why” or “what’s-in-it-for-me” zone, you’ve missed a significant aspect of effective copy. Give the reader an image. Lead them to a vantage point where they can see the *benefits* of doing business with you, purchasing your product, or using your services.
Again, regardless of what you provide there’s a picture to be painted. If you want to narrow the distance between your service or product and the customer or client you must find the words to create a compelling picture…or you’ll miss waves of opportunity.
Taking the easy way out by merely sloshing a few colorful words or phrases here and there and wrapping them around a few stock photo images and calling it your “dental marketing campaign” will not get the job done! Frankly, that approach is probably frustrating an already over worked assistant who feels too much responsibility for shouldering the marketing efforts you’ve passed off to them.
Picture your dental marketing copy this way for powerful results:
**Solve a problem**
Put yourself in your client’s shoes. Get under their skin – what emotions, concerns, fears, etc. is your market experiencing? Let words do the work. Use them to create an unforgettable reminder that goes a step further – picturing how you will solve their problem.
**Answer the paramount question**
If you walk in their shoes and get inside their emotions relevant to your business you’ll be better prepared to answer the question (even before they ask) – “what’s in this product or service for me?” Imagine every prospective client saying “so what!” at the end of your spiel. And rather than being offended or taken-aback you know precisely how to answer.
**Highlight the benefits**
I know I say a lot about this (and I’ll say a ton more). But, it’s really about benefits…benefits…benefits. Again, so what…you’ve got state-of-the-art HD technology…the biggest this…or the most dependable that. If you leave the benefits to their best guesswork you miss a significant photo-op – keeping with this theme.
Another thing about pictures – when the moment passes to capture one…it may never come again. Think about it!
5 Questions You Should Be Asking About Your Dental Marketing Content
If you’ve received a marketing piece in the mail you’ve probably, on occasion, commented, “Wow! Someone spent some money on that!” Next time ask a deeper (and better) question – would I do business with them because the mailer was pure eye-candy or because it engaged me?
Engagement matters! And that’s why your marketing content – including social media – must connect on an emotional level.
How do you measure if your dental marketing content is hitting the target?
It’s one thing to create an attractive marketing piece. And it’s something entirely different (and altogether better) to create marketing content that’s attracting your audience.
These 5 questions from an article on e-marketer.com provide an important measure for creating marketing content that attracts (not just attractive content):
1—“Is the content unique?”
Don’t confuse “unique” with out-of-the-box! Be unique by giving your dental patients and prospects deeper benefits than your competitors. Answer the question – what makes us uniquely capable of meeting a specific need? Steer your content in that direction.
2—“Is the content useful?”
Your marketing messages must be actionable. When a prospective dental industry clients reads one of your Twitter or Facebook feeds are they persuaded to take action? When they surf your web content are there benefit-rich calls to action?
“Useful” content addresses your dental client’s (and their market’s) needs…desires…lifestyle. For example, your ad for an orthodontic product must tap into those emotions more than it merely spotlights the latest…greatest technology!
Measure by usefulness!
3—“Is the content well-executed?”
One of the reasons Twitter works as a social media platform is its 140 character limit. You’re forced to execute content that’s tight…sharp…to the point! Say what you will about our culture of social media sound-bytes – it’s actually helping us cut through the clutter and just say it!
What’s the message of the moment for your dental marketing approaches? Are you reducing the clutter to one, precise, big-idea selling point?
4—“Is the content fun?”
Twitter earned a shout-out in the previous point. Now it’s Facebook’s turn because this social media platform helps keep content flavored with a bit of fun. Photos and comments from a corporate party, an outing, or a client/patient success story keep the fun-factor alive. And “fun” connects!
Whether using social media or other marketing platforms, make sure your content puts an occasional smile on your prospect’s faces. It’s contagious!
5—“Does the content make good use of the channel in which it appears (e.g., social, mobile, video, web, print, email, etc.)?”
Again, speaking of “execution” – it’s vital to fully maximize your marketing “channels.” And knowing which to use is as important as how they’re used.
“Ask yourself this critical question: Besides your product (dental service), what can you do for the consumer (dental service provider or patient)?”
Is Your Marketing Content Stealing Your Profit?
Talk of the economy depresses, bores…or empowers (for those not so inclined to believe the sky’s falling every other day). Economy themed communication typically surrounds money, investments, foreclosures, etc.
But…
There’s another realm where an economic forecast could be profitable to your dental industry services.
Being called upon as a copywriter to communicate in writing on a regular basis I’m tuned-in to the economy as well…the economy of words, that is.
When communicating – whatever the form – it’s necessary to maximize your words without minimizing your message. And most bankrupt their intended message through poor word management.
How Word Economy Adds Value to Your Dental Industry Marketing Strategy
Add the term “economy-of-words” to your dental marketing vocabulary. It’s a a fundamental principle for effective copywriting and marketing content.
In business, words add value. But the right words increase your profit and improve your bottom-line. As a professional copywriter I diligently study my craft to understand and utilize the persuasive, compelling power of words.
I know how the right words (e.g. in dental marketing) can lead to more clients, improved client relationships, and the bottom-line – increased business and sales. In an article I read by veteran copywriter, Bob Bly, he asked this question…
“What words sell best?”
Let’s apply his question:
1—Consider the copywriting/content in your dental marketing resources and/or informational products.
Think web pages, enewsletters, email promotions, brochures, product info packets, print newsletters, direct mail, ad copy, etc. Even social media content too (Twitter, Facebook, Blog). Are these a mere afterthought, “micro-waved leftovers”…or a strategic element of your business?
2—Ask yourself and those responsible for your marketing resources 3 important questions.
>Is the copywriting/content you currently use enhancing your image and improving your profit picture?
>Is it an accurate reflection of who-you-are
>Are you measuring its effectiveness?
3—Take necessary steps to improvement.
Does it need re-crafting, editing, or a total re-do? If so, get after it!
Economic decisions matter – with dollars and words!
Can You Cut-to-the-Chase?
Working as a copywriter I’ve learned that simplicity rules. I often post about being conversational in your copywriting – whatever you’re promoting (I realize some industries require a more technical…perhaps formal approach but generally speaking, casual rules).
Akin to simplicity is not going to-the-moon-and-back trying to make your point. The USP (Unique Selling Proposition) does the trick – helping your stay on target. It answers the question, “what makes this product/service outstanding…unique…over-the-top among competitors…?”
When creating your dental marketing promotions, it’s essential that you cut-to-the-chase. It means knowing what the compelling message is.
A compelling message simply stated will do more for your promotion than driving your compelling message all over the map with useless words.
3 Ways to Create a More Compelling Marketing Message:
1) Ask yourself – “what’s the ONE-THING I must communicate?”
Clearly there are numerous facets and angles to highlight when it comes to your product or service. Too much info (TMI) will lead you away from the *big idea* you desire to communicate.
Choose ONE (big idea) and build your wording around it. You’ll be surprised how much information gets attracted by your commitment to be clear about that ultimate…unique aspect among all the others.
2) Be unafraid to leave a few-things-off-the-table.
As with conversations, copywriting means prioritizing what you intend to communicate. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy unfettered, boundary-less moments of conversation – when you can just talk wherever the moment leads. Though…with written promotions you’ve got seconds (yes, seconds) to keep the reader engaged.
Roam down an irrelevant path and you lose attention. Write what’s essential to the moment. There are exceptions, of course. But, develop fearlessness about what didn’t get said – you’ll have your opportunity if you stay focused from the get-go.
3) Read it one more time before you’re done.
I’m not advocating the endless edit here. Trust me, I can be the *Monk* of obsessive-compulsive copywriters…fearful that one more tweak here or there will lead to perfection.
Forget perfection! Think…but not too much! Let the words cook for an hour or two…perhaps even a day, if your deadline allows.
Read it casually before you call it done. This simmering…final review might (and occasionally does) reveal a gem of an edit that will send your writing over-the-top.
There’s more to be said on this topic…but I’ll keep is simple…for now.
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