Our oldest daughter gave birth this week. So, my wife and I welcomed a granddaughter to our trio of grand children.
There’s a fascinating innocence and dependence innate to a newborn. Be aware of the same fascinations in your dental marketing content.
A newborn is all about parental attention. Without life sustaining attention survival is at risk.
Attention-deficit
I’ve written in numerous posts that the days of merely building and launching a dental website and expecting a noticeable return on investment is no longer acceptable. The set-it-and-forget-it or if-we-build-it-they-will-come mindset dooms you to frustration.
Imagine celebrating the long-awaited birth of a child. Tears flow, high-fives and handshakes are exchanged, happy parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles hold and cuddle the newborn.
Now imagine nestling the baby comfortably in his/her crib then placing a bag of diapers, wipes, and a full bottle next to them and saying, “Hey, sweetie welcome to world…let us know when you need something…”
Babies aren’t self-sufficient. And neither is your online dental marketing.
Self-serve or self-sufficient?
Self-sufficiency implies the ability to care for yourself without the assistance of another. Self-service is about having necessary, appealing resources available for the choosing when you’re ready or in need.
Think of your dental website as a self-service platform. But that doesn’t imply that you must hover over it.
Some are old enough to remember or fortunate enough to live in locales where full-service gas/fueling stations exist. You drove in, lowered your window, and an attendant asked how much fuel you wanted. While it was pumped into your tank the attendant washed your windows, checked your oil and fluid levels, and handled payment without you ever having to leave your vehicle.
Good ole’ days, right? Perhaps.
Your site visitors are more accustomed to anonymity. They prefer more of a self-service approach.
And they want access to useful information when they visit your website on their time, at their convenience.
How to Be Attentive to Your Dental Website Visitors So They Aren’t Required to Fend for Themselves and Seek Solutions Elsewhere
Respond to their “cries” for help.
I have no intention of being dramatic. Nor do I want to imply that your website visitors are needy, whiny individuals.
I’m following my newborn metaphor here, so bear with me as a new grandparent.
Newborns cry a lot!
It’s not always a cry for help. Sometimes it’s about hunger, a diaper change, or the need for security.
Life outside the womb is different than the predictable, warm, cozy environment of Mom’s tummy. There’s noise, bright lights, glaring eyes, hands on and off, ups and downs.
Your website visitors arrive on your site with a need. They’re looking for answers, your services, a solution to their problem or relief for their pain, etc.
- Be responsive. Anticipate their needs, wants, and desires. Create content via articles, blog posts, etc that reveal your understanding of their circumstances.
- Listen in advance. Your best help comes from a position of understanding. Dial into social media posts, tune into trends being talked about, read between the lines of your reviews and survey responses.
- Empathize through education. Provide informative content that supports your efforts to understand the needs of your web visitors.
Change when necessary.
People are accustomed to options. Change the channel occasionally.
- Provide multiple ways to connect with your services and related expertise.
- Switch-up your content delivery to include written (article/blog, email), audio (podcasts), visual (Periscope, YouTube, Pinterest), and social (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).
Keep your audience well-fed.
Be consistent. Keep your content channel(s) topped-off.
- Audit your services. List the topics and sub-topics within each.
- Create content around your service audit. Use articles, blog posts, etc to dive deeper into the benefits of a particular service.
- Curate and share content relevant to your “audience.” Post links to informative content via your chosen social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
Happy website visitors (like happy babies) thrive in a supportive, attentive environment. Make your website a warm, inviting place for your clients and patients.
