Uncategorized

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.

Continue Reading
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.

Continue Reading
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.

  1. https://www.yudkin.com/markmin.htm ↩
Continue Reading
March 21, 2019 Content marketing, Copywriting, Dental content, Dental Copywriter, Dental Copywriting, Social Media, Uncategorized No Comments

One Thing That Will Make Your Dental Marketing Content Different (and Better) Than Most

It happens a lot when consulting with a dental practice or dental business about their webpage copy or other related content. They share a favorite site link or two with me and say, “We want our copy/content and/or website to look and “sound” like this…!”

My review often reveals what’s common with not just dental industry copy, but most:

  • Heavy feature focus (“Latest…greatest…best…”) less emphasis on benefits
  • Full of industry-speak
  • Written to a crowd instead of one person (lack of “you…”)

It takes courage

You must step away from the crowd. Connecting and then compelling your audience requires a new kind of fearless content.

Play it safe.

Sound like everyone else.

And you’ll be another face in the crowd!

Same sounding copy and content produces the same results. It will require more marketing dollars to get attention.

And why?

The online world is somewhat dominated by pay-to-play strategies. Create and fund a strategic enough funnel and you’ll “capture” more leads and potentially more patients and thus increase production.

Sound easy?

It is (in a way) if you have time and cash-flow to invest in it. And we’ve not even talked about the differentiating yourself from the competition and noise they’re creating.

Being different isn’t about being creative

There’s more to standing out from the crowd with your dental marketing than creative, indulgent eye-candy on your website or social media channels.

Being different has more to do with being yourself. Nick Usborne (whose content inspired this post by the way) says,

”You have to find a way to step out from behind the curtain and show yourself. Even when the services you offer are very similar to those of your competition, there is one point of real difference you can turn to.

And that point of difference is YOU.” 1

Filling your copy and content with features and professional sounding language isn’t enough…and frankly, it’s not even close to effective by comparison.

Rising above the dental marketing noise requires being unafraid to let your patients or clients see the real you.

And to see the real you your content has to sound like you!

  • Can they relate to you through your content?
  • Is it apparent that they can trust you through your content?
  • Are they put at ease enough to schedule with you through your content?

And a theme covered a lot on this blog…

If you’re hiding behind someone else’s style, voice, website design, and general content theme you’re missing a most valuable marketing asset – relatability.

Step away from the crowd with more compelling dental marketing copy and content

Write and share content in your own voice

This is the essence of writing like you talk. To do this you must get out of your head.

And to get out of your head requires that you get into the mindset of a patient or client.

  • What do they fear?
  • What’s their desired goal?
  • What’s their motivation?
  • What are their questions?

Your audience searches for you based on your expertise. But they will listen to you and stay with your copy/content when you share your expertise in conversational tone.

Why?

Because online communication these days (and I don’t suspect it will change soon) is everyday, somewhat chatty, and certainly brief and to the point.

Jargon alienates. Industry-speak confuses.

So why waste precious dollars and your audience’s time by numbing them with it?

  • Stop writing like a marketer!
  • Stop writing like a dental professional!
  • Stop writing like an educator!

Instead…

Write like you! Or hire a professional copywriter or content strategist who can tap into your voice and write accordingly.

The results?

Sure, it’s scary and feels like uncharted territory. But you will stand out from everyone else not because it’s easier but because it’s courageous, it works, and it potentially has a better return on your investment.

  1. https://conversationalcopywriting.com/your-own-voice/ ↩
Continue Reading
August 23, 2018 Content marketing, Dental content, Dental Industry, Dental marketing strategies, Uncategorized No Comments

4 Ways to Create and Share Dental Content That’s Fresh (and Unpredictable)

We purchase our fruits, vegetables, and other healthy-choices from a particular, popular grocer. The same “tastes” apply, in principle, to a best-practice for how you create and share your dental content.

Here’s the point…

“Freshness” is this national grocery chain’s core value. Walk among the produce selections, browse their extensive bulk-foods department, or shop their meat department and you’ll encounter their focus on “fresh.”

My wife and I like that. And the same concept applies to the content your patients and/or clients consume.

Who likes stale, predictability?

There’s a misguided notion (among some) that dental website content, specifically, should be all-inclusive. For example, it’s thinking that your Services pages on your website should thoroughly explain each procedure down to the detail.

Its as if some clinicians and dental professionals fear their intellectual or academic integrity is at risk if a site visitor can’t leave the webpage without CE credits.

Get a whiff of staleness…yet?

Site visitors are looking for something you might not be providing

I must admit that though I write tons of dental content – web copy, blog posts, direct mail copy, email copy, newsletter copy, etc, the general public isn’t feverishly awaiting what you’ll publish next. Frankly, it’s probably not even on their “radar” unless they’re searching for an answer or solution to what your content provides.

That being the case, why would you want to dull-down your content with same-ole-same-ole dental speak?

Face it…dental content might not be the “sexiest” but it CAN be something other than stale and predictable.

Create and share dental content that resonates and doesn’t bore!

People love a good story! And the way an effective story works is by “hooking” the reader in an uncharacteristic or unpredictable way.

Sure, most storylines follow the same general path. It all begins with a premise.

Brian Clark explains:

”The premise is the embodiment of a concept that weaves itself from headline to conclusion, tying everything together into a compelling, cohesive, and persuasive narrative with one simple and inevitable conclusion – your desired action.”

This is what you’re doing along the patient-to-appointment or client-to-buyer journey. Your premise will succeed when you create content for a specific person who brings a particular set of questions, problems, or assumptions to your services.

How to create “fresh” (never stale) dental content

The following four elements are a vital part of your dental content marketing strategy.

1-Take the “road-less-traveled”

Be unpredictable. You’ll gain more lasting, viral attention if you avoid predictability.

Attention gets lost on your reader when they know where you’re going. Keep them curious and your content will be irresistible.

The key to unpredictability?

Know WHO you’re talking to. And be unafraid to talk to them at a more intimate (emotional) level than is typical of marketing conversations.

Your competitors will succeed or fail at this level. Most are looking for the quick-hit, force-them-into-and-out-of-the-funnel approach.

You’ll begin to stand out when you step away from the crowd.

”Taking an approach that differs from the crowd can help you stand out, and that’s why unpredictability is crucial…” 1

Keep it fresh and your perceived value will rise.

2-Champion simplicity

Clarity rules. Your ability to distill complex subjects into readable, compelling content is essential.

This doesn’t mean you “dumb-it-down” (contrary to what some dental professionals feel more conversational copy will do). Remember you’re purpose with dental content is to answer questions, provide solutions, and compel a response…not impress with knowledge.

Relax! Your patients/clients “get” that you’re a skilled, educated professional.

Guide. Deliver substance without complicating it.

3-Keep it real

This is the human-touch your reader experiences with your content. Remember you’re speaking to a person…another human being.

Be yourself!

People are accustomed to the new realities of a social media world. Content that’s crisp and reads like you’re in a conversation is perceived as authentic.

”Your messages must communicate meaningful benefits that are also tangible.” 2

The use and communication of tangible benefits connects with your reader at an emotional level. Emotional connections keep you grounded in reality instead of talking over-the-heads of your patients and clients.

4-Stay credible

Believability is closely associated with credibility. Your content must be believable.

This is where innovative or overly creative content can miss the mark. Proof is required even more when your ideas or offers are innovative.

Avoid hype. Your content loses valuable and necessary credibility when you over-hype your idea.

Again, remember to keep it real. Your authenticity will guide the voice and tone of your content.

Do this and you’ll maintain a consistent level of trust and credibility. That translates to your readers engaging with and sharing your content…plus being more compelled to take action as a result.

A content refresh will help you eliminate predictability. Fresh is the way to go these days. Your audience will “eat-it-up.”

  1. https://www.copyblogger.com/how/ ↩
  2. https://www.copyblogger.com/how/ ↩
Continue Reading
August 9, 2018 Content marketing, Dental content, Dental Copywriting, Dental Industry, Dental web content that works, Uncategorized No Comments

Use a Word-of-Mouth Marketing Mindset to Give Your Dental Content an Advantage

A recent conversation with a dental professional gave me a key insight. Here it is…

There’s a big disconnect about the wording of effective dental content.

Our back-and-forth discussion via email prompted my thinking about the clinical vs. conversational tone of dental copy in general. His respectable clinical expertise was somewhat toe-to-toe with my copy and content writing expertise.

I believe there’s a win-win to be achieved. But…the ultimate “win” is for those who consume the practice’s content…or at least it should be.

It’s not about you!

Your top challenge as a dental professional (specifically with your marketing copy and content) is taking the focus off YOU! It’s easy to throw down words touting your latest…greatest…state-of-the-art…cutting edge (shall I continue) innovation or procedure. Add to that the often used technical verbiage that’s more appropriate for clinical journals and colleague conversations.

For this discussion let’s say that dental marketing copy and content has two sole purposes:

  1. To inform and educate. This is perhaps where my recent conversation ran off the rails. It’s a mistaken notion that informative must equate to industry jargon.

Which leads to the second purpose…

  1. To compel a specific action – schedule, call, contact, click, reply, etc… This assumes that the dental-services-seeking public are interested in what eliminates their pain, improves their appearance and health, or both.

Dental content is about the reader (patient). It’s their “story” that matters.

So, who are you talking to?

This question must guide every piece of content you publish. It’s where I begin when I’m writing copy and content of any scope.

It’s essential that you create a copy/content “environment” where the reader is the focus. It’s THEIR problem that requires a solution or THEIR question that needs answering.

The result of your sensitivity to them and their problems and questions is where you make connections. And when your copy/content is the vehicle that delivers you could earn a patient or client for life.

Who’s talking?

Apparently tons of people are willing to talk about businesses that make an impression on them. Forester Research confirms that approximately 500 billion word-of-mouth impressions are created daily via social media.

Social interaction is making a difference on the economy. The big question: is it positively impacting yours?

Get this…McKinsey and Company, a management consulting firm, reveal that an estimated two-thirds of the US economy is fueled by word-of-mouth. fn

Let that sink in…

  • 500 billion conversational impressions
  • Two thirds of the US economy influenced by conversations

The “talk-is-cheap” mantra might best be repackaged as talk-has-extreme-value! Today’s “water-cooler” gatherings are vastly different than a decade ago…and enhancing those connections is helped by the tone of your copy and content.

How a conversational mindset can have a longterm…viral impact on your patient or client relationships

  1. “Talk” (write) about what matters…to your reader. It’s essential that you listen and then leverage what you hear into solution oriented content. Make sure your expertise (and the language you use about it) isn’t the focus as much as how it solves their problems and/or answers their burning question(s) of the moment.
  2. Use words that resonate and those that compel your reader. Again, avoid fancy, heady, intellectual, jargon-y sounding language. Find and use relevant synonyms that create culturally appropriate images in your reader’s mind.

Word-of-mouth impressions are powerful because they’re everyday and conversationally driven. Writing like you (and your patients and/or clients) talk keeps the conversation going…and that leads to longterm, healthy relationships.

Continue Reading