content

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
November 9, 2018 Content marketing, Dental content No Comments

What’s More Important to Your Dental Content Marketing Success Than “Going Viral”

Everyone wants their “30-seconds-of-fame.” But a brief moment in the spotlight doesn’t necessarily equate with longterm success in content marketing.

Vanity…Vanity…All’s Vanity!

Obsession with metrics can be your undoing. Focus too much on them and you’ll miss the most important thing.

But…what could be more important than numbers?

Playing the numbers game in social media, online in general, and with your blog in particular will overwhelm you.

It’s essential that you step away from the crowd clamoring for “Likes” or “Follows.” Leverage your expertise into something that’s more sustainable and valuable…over the long-haul.

Thinking Longterm and Not About Virality

Content marketing for dentists (and everyone else) is a long game. It’s such because the longer you stay at it the smaller the number of those willing to do so will remain in competition with you. That translates into a greater opportunity for influence by sheer perseverance.

But you must persevere at the right things. Consistently uninformative or non-useful content will not keep you in the game.

Content marketing demands more than that.

“Going viral isn’t a strategy. It’s not something you can ever plan for, or even work toward. It’s not a goal, strategy, or plan. If you want to own your space, start by thinking about how you can become a true voice in that space. Give me some real value, something that enhances the lives of your audience, and I will be more inclined to click “Like” on your page and retweet your tweets. Multiply that by a million people and you’ll get your viral hit–but your focus should be value, not virality.” 1

Your Biggest Competition Isn’t Your Competitor

Frankly, not everyone is willing to invest time, resources, or energy into content creation. And if you did it wouldn’t necessarily mean you’re reaching your audience.

What keeps your audience engaged with you is your ability to compete for the one thing they have in short supply.

Attention!

Vanity metrics, if anything, reveal captured attention spans for a brief moment. Enough to get a click, a “Like,” a one-time share.

It’s intoxicating because the ticker-total increases and it appears audience engagement is growing.

But what about five minutes later, an hour later, a day, week, or month later?

”The problem with high page views – People live for the immediate, the now. But here’s the deal: people also want substance. They want solid solutions to their problems.”

Your ability to strategically and consistently capture their attention is what’s worth measuring. Listen, research, curate, and create content that informs, intuitively connects, and instills trust. Then you’ll accomplish something way more valuable than a high follower count.

Content Creation Strategies That Work Instead of Obsessing Over Going Viral

Listen to your intuition

This is your ability to dial-in to your audience. Intuitive listening begins from a common sense position.

Content creation can easily lose its “humanity.” This happens when strategic thinking replaces emotional connection.

Intuitive listening gives you the pause to turn an ear to what’s driving your audience in the moment. It starts with trends but it goes beyond that.

  • Know your audience well enough to create content that speaks their language.
  • Apply the “golden rule” to your content creation. Simply communicate with them as you would want to be communicated with.
  • Feel their “pain” before you assume how to solve their problem. This is empathy at a content level.

Research to curate and create

Epic content starts with research. The initial goal of research is curation.

To curate is to find, evaluate, extract, and expand.

Finding, evaluating, extracting, and expanding useful and engaging content energizes your own content creation. It’s an essential step in the process of audience engagement.

  • Find your go-to content sources and routinely read with your audience in mind.
  • File your research for easy access when you need content ideas or content to share.
  • Focus your research on what you intuitively understand to be relevant and useful to your audience.

Create content to inform

Again the primary goal of dental content creation is to inform before it compels and/or promotes. Informative content is rich in solutions to problems and answers to questions your audience is experiencing.

  • Informative content shows you’re listening. Content that reflects the real issues your audience is facing will improve your engagement.
  • Informative content gives you an advantage over otherwise salesy, overly technical, or self-serving content.
  • Informative content sets you up as a go-to thought leader. Your audience will invest their resources as they trust your expertise.

Publish and share content to build longterm trust (not momentary fame)

This gets back to the essence of content marketing for dentists and others.

Focus on going-viral and you’ll feel the pressure to impress, one-up, and stay in the spotlight. Focus on content that resonates with your audience and you’ll build longterm trust – something that’s not sustainable where mere vanity is concerned.

  • Build longterm trust by consistently curating, sharing, and creating content that serves your audience. Take the focus off you and place it on the “story” your audience is experiencing.
  • Give before you take. In fact, view content creation as a give-give-give endeavor. What you give will return when it’s perceived that your motivation is to be useful.

There has to be more to content creation than your 30-seconds-of-fame. The glory of that half-minute in the spotlight will fade…but taking the road-less-traveled will make all the difference for your audience…and you!

  1. https://www.inc.com/hillel-fuld/4-phrases-every-entrepreneur-has-to-remove-from-their-vocabulary-immediately.html?cid=sf01001 ↩
Continue Reading
April 26, 2018 Content marketing, Copywriting, Dental content, Dental Copywriter, Dental Copywriting No Comments

Is it a Good Idea to Write Your Own Dental Content?

What’s my gut reaction when a client or someone kicking-the-tires of my services leans toward writing their own dental content?

“Slow your roll…!”

I’m all about going-for-it. Yet, can you really afford a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) approach to dental copywriting or dental content creation (considering available time for starters)?

There’s more to copywriting than throwing some words on a page or screen…hitting publish…clicking send…and waiting for your phone to ring or a contact form to be received.

Sure, I’m biased as a trained, experienced, pro copywriter. I apply my skills in the art of copywriting and content creation with a strategic focus in the dental industry.

This is everything when writing dental content

The reader, more than your knowledge or expertise, is the focus! Think through these questions about copy and content writing…and pause before you answer….

Here’s the essence of what I’m talking about…

Would you say it sitting on a barstool?

When writing imagine sitting on a barstool. Picture yourself in a conversation with a friend, colleague, family member, or someone you just met.

Imagine sitting there…it’s casual…you’re comfortable…they’re at ease…you’re having a simple chat!

The conversation can quickly go one of two ways:

One, boredom sets in. They wonder when the conversation will end. They turn the page or they “click” away from your message.

Or…

Two, they stay engaged. They sit up and lean forward…”Tell me more…I hear you…I’d like some more information…Let’s talk soon…!”

Copywriting and content creation requires proper voice. Otherwise it’s just words (blah, blah, blah…yada, yada, yada).

Keep it conversational.

Now back to the barstool…

Implement these “Barstool” Copywriting Strategies in Your Dental Copy and Content

Write like you talk

Keep it casual and to the point. If you were sitting on a barstool, enjoying a beverage, how would you describe the service, procedure, treatment, or product?

Conversational copywriting:

  • Dials-down the tech-speak
  • Avoids the use of complicated, industry-insider words and terms
  • Isn’t hype-driven or salesy

Make an impression without trying to impress

Will your reader leave the “conversation” remembering the easy-going, comfortable, engaging way you communicated with them?

Good conversational copywriting promotes a tell-me-more feeling. The impression you make can repel people or bring them back for more.

Let the communication process work for you

Content marketing is about building trust…ahead of the “sale” or “buying decision.” If you rely too much on your ability to “Wow” with hyper or confusing creativity you’ll send a less than engaging message.

Trust translates via your conversational tone.

Dress your language less formal and more casual

Good copy and content are comfortable like your favorite jeans, shorts, and t-shirt. If you feel relaxed you’ll communicate that way and your reader will relax too. (Remember the trust factor?)

And get the image of your English teacher out of your mind. Gotta love ‘em. But now’s not the time to stress over “crossing your t’s…dotting your i’s,” losing your mind over sentence structure, or worrying about being ticketed by the “grammar police.”

Sure, the basic rules of grammar apply. Sloppy isn’t the answer.

Instead…

Use good judgement. Be easy to read – remember it’s like a good conversation on a barstool.

What’s easy to read is easy to understand. And what’s understood compels a scheduled appointment, a product purchased, or an idea applied.

Communicate effortlessly

Envision effortless like Tiger Woods driving a golf ball or Steph Curry nailing a three-pointer. A professional’s skill appears second nature, fluid, “invisible.”

Make your writing “invisible!”

Be aware of how your words promote your services or products. Write to showcase benefits and results.

Features entice. Benefits sell!

Pause before you go all DIY on your next dental marketing promotion. Evaluate your dental copywriting and dental content using the “barstool test.” Your results could depend on it!

Continue Reading
dental marketing that cuts through the noise
January 12, 2017 Content marketing, Dental Copywriting, Digital marketing No Comments

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.

Features are easy.

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!

Continue Reading
dental content clarity
March 25, 2016 Content marketing, Dental Copywriting, Dental Industry, Dental marketing strategies, Dental promotion ideas, Dental web content that works, Digital marketing, Marketing dental services No Comments

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.

Continue Reading
add content value
March 17, 2016 Content marketing, Dental blog, Dental blogging, Dental Copywriting, Dental Industry, Dental marketing strategies, Dental website platform No Comments

Two Strategies That Will Keep People Reading Your Dental Content

There’s a reason this adult coloring book trend is catching on. The deeper vibe you can gain from it also applies to how you position yourself in the minds of those who consume your dental marketing content.

A friend and colleague has joined the tribe of adult coloring book publishers. Hers goes beyond the simple act of coloring the stress relieving pages.

Her “Thoughtful Colouring” approach includes the refreshing aspect of coloring designs. It adds a corresponding page with an inspirational quote and blank space to process it however you choose (while you’re coloring).

Cool! I agree.

It’s that small addition to the trend that I believe offers a principle you must consider in the content you curate and create.

You increase your authority with your patients/clients when you implant value in your content.

Words, especially the common, fluff your reader is accustomed to can become numbing and an eventual turn-off.

Your content audience has too much info-noise coming at them minute by minute. It’s your task as content creator and publisher to capture their focus.

This is the precise reason I encourage dental providers to step away from a standard, brochure-like website design. Refresh your design (and with it your authority) by adding an information platform to your site (e.g a blog/article page, a newsletter portal, etc).

Your content gains traction when you list dental implants among your services. It increases in value when that page links to an archived blog post/article that answers a common question about “dental implants.”

In fact, in today’s search rankings, you might discover that the article page ranks higher than your keyword intense services/procedures page. The reason: search engines like Google place a higher priority on your value-providing intention via a blog post than on standard webpage content.

How to Add Some “Color” to Your Dental Content Marketing Strategy

Inspire your reader

How inspiring can dental content be? Appeal to your reader’s curiosity and hunger for solutions to their dental problem and your inspiration-factor increases.

You inspire by compelling your reader through the solutions you offer.

General site content promotes your services. Consistent, fresh content inspires your reader with answers to their questions and solutions to their problems.

You become a source of inspiration to your patients/clients when they get that you’re listening to them. The best proof of listening is to mirror their “pain,” “problem,” or “concern” through relevant content.

  • Listen to every patient/client conversation with content in mind.
  • Ask information-gathering questions: “How can I help you with…,” “What’s your biggest fear about…,” etc.

Simple, right? Inspiration shouldn’t be complicated.

Next…

Import secondary value

Think deeper benefits related to what you provide.

You deliver a primary value as a dental professional or a dental marketing professional. Respectively, you help, heal, or you promote in a way that leads to a buying decision.

Your secondary value to your patients or clients is vital too. This happens when you move from an “I’ll-call-when-I-need-you” relationship to a “Go-to-source-of-useful-shareable-information” relationship.

Secondary value rises as you become a consistent “well” of practical (not technical) information.

  • Invest the time and marketing dollars in a consistent well-spring of content. Again, focus on the needs, wants, desires, questions, and problems of your patients/clients.
  • Create a front-of-mind expectation. The more consistently you appear on their “radar” via a blog post, article, newsletter, social media link, etc the more influence you’ll earn.

Influence has value. Give your patients and/or clients something to value alongside the primary services you provide.

Continue Reading