content marketing for dentists

November 8, 2019 Content marketing, Dental blogging, Dental content, Dental marketing strategies, problem solution content No Comments

How In-the-Moment Content Can Increase the Perceived Value of Your Dental Marketing Strategy

It should be as simple as well…answering a question. After all you’re the dental expert.

But the big question is…

Through your dental marketing…are you talking and no one’s listening?

Inquiring minds want to know…when they want to know!

It’s typical to create content that’s on-brand. You know, the “we’re a dental practice so we assume you want to know about flossing…cavities…toothaches…yada yada…”

Fact is, your website visitors want to know that.

But how you frame those questions and create content around them is the key.

For example, consider how you search the internet.

You’re out and about. You want to know where to grab a quick taco that’s not fast food…rather a higher quality…trendy brand of taco.

You reach for your smart phone. Then you type in the search bar or speak into your voice search feature – “Where can I get a good local taco?”

Answers pop up in-the-moment!

You scan the list. The first or second search result delivers…you click the location icon and off you go.

It took a moment and hopefully that moment delivered some taco flavored deliciousness.

They’re asking but are you answering?

Let’s shift to dentistry, shall we (though tacos are tempting)?

Patients have one thing that you’re either capitalizing on or ignoring.

Questions!

  • “Why do my gums bleed when I brush?”
  • “What does a dental implant cost?”
  • “Is flossing really necessary?”
  • “How does professional teeth whitening compare to DIY whitening?”
  • “Are root canals painful?”
  • “Should I have my teeth extracted and get dentures?”

You could fill pages with patient questions…right?

Here’s another big question?

Are you answering these questions and the countless others your patients or the dental seeking public are asking…in the moment?

There’s that word “moment” again.

Why the in-the-moment content matters now more than ever

Mobile technology has radically transformed how we access information. Lounging on our couch, lying in bed, walking down the street, riding in the backseat of an Uber…you name it…we want and get instant access to information.

Your patients and potential patients are doing the same when a dental issue occurs.

Maybe it starts with a late night toothache, a lost crown during lunch or dinner, following a news story about the latest DIY orthodontic procedure, etc.

They want an answer in the moment!

They probably won’t go to your website.

And if they do…they aren’t interested (in that moment) in flashy, cool-looking graphics, where you went to dental school, how many CE credits you’ve logged, or your latest-state of the art technology.

In the moment…they want an answer to a painful or emotionally charged dental question.

Here’s where your website delivers…or fails them…

  • First, do you have a page that dominates their momentary site visit…as in your blog/article page?
  • Second, and perhaps most essential to this discussion, does it answer relevant questions in a crisp, conversational, and informative way that will compel them to contact you for a solution?

Be present in their moment and they’ll perhaps give you a moment of their time!

How to be in-the-moment so your dental patients will bring their questions and problems to you

Stop talking…start listening

Marketing a service or your latest promotion makes it easy to “talk.” But before you talk it’s more important that you listen.

Communication happens as result of a two-way connection. Listening enables you to position yourself as a connected resource to your patients.

  • Leverage your chair-side conversation themes into a list of topics. That is, decipher what your patients are asking, struggling with, experiencing, etc. While you’re making chart notes click open a document and log those comments and questions while they’re fresh.
  • Listen with content in mind. Consider how you can turn a consistent amount of patient questions into valuable content via your blog, YouTube channel, or other social media platforms.

Position yourself as a “teacher” not merely a dentist

Teachers “boil” complicated, stuffy information down into an easy to understand, practical, and “snack-able” format.

You’ll need to step away from dental-speak. The ego boost isn’t worth the blank stares of your patients who would prefer you deliver the insight in their “language”…in the moment.

  • Create content with a conversational tone. Write like you speak.

”Good writing is good thinking clearly expressed.” – Michael Masterson

  • Find your “voice.” Your patients will trust you as you communicate like you’re talking to a friend not a colleague.

Increase your influence by answering real questions with useful, solution-oriented content.

Seeing yourself as a “teacher” leads to a position of influence. Your content platform keeps your influence “evergreen.”

This type of content isn’t dated, rather it’s useful today…and two or more years from now.

Dental questions can vary patient to patient. But the general theme of their questions, problems, and desired solutions rarely change.

Your content provides ongoing influence via the internet when you’re on-topic and on-task as a dental influencer.

Remember…in the moment content is easy to access, easy to understand, and equally easy to act upon.

  • Create content that’s question-problem-solution focused.
  • Confirm that your content is readable on-the-move. Mobile-friendly is a must. Short, crisp sentences along with scan-able, actionable, benefit-focused sub-headings and bullets increase readability.
  • Compel a response with a clickable-link that redirects them to take action – “Message us here…,” “Schedule a consultation now…,” etc.

Moments come and go. It’s essential that you’re in the gap ready to answer and solve what’s on the minds of the general population and your patients.

You can’t afford (these days) to let the moment pass.

And speaking of…don’t let a moment of “evergreen” content pass. Join our “tribe” and receive useful content like this right in your inbox.

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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 ↩
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January 26, 2017 Content marketing, Dental blog, Dental blogging, Dental Copywriting, Dental marketing strategies No Comments

The “Lingering Effect” and How It Turns “Lookers” Into “Buyers” Using Your Dental Content

I’m not a real estate expert. I own a house and know a few real estate agents, that’s as close as I get.

I’ve observed something about the real estate process lately. And it has some value to the process of creating dental marketing copy and content.

The house across the street from ours is on the market. The “FOR SALE” sign went up a few days after the last occupants moved out and the flow of lookers has been steady.

There are the “Slow Drive-by’s”. They’re the ones checking the area, the property appearance, and other points of interest on their house-hunting list.

There are the “Ubers” as I call them (those who arrive chauffeured by a Realtor). These folks have taken their house hunt a step further by making this one of several stops on the “let-me-show-you-some-options-in-your-price-range” tour.

And then there are the “Lingerers” – those who arrive with a Realtor and linger on site. These individuals form an emotional attachment to the property, they begin to picture their evenings on the patio, meals being prepared in the kitchen, dinners around the dining table, what their furniture will look like throughout, etc.

The difference between the “Slow Drive-by’s”, the “Ubers,” and the “Lingerers” – an emotional connection.

The effectiveness of your dental content marketing strategy depends on your ability to (over time) create the “lingering effect.”

How to Increase the Time Your Audience Invests Consuming Your Dental Content

1-Create something worth “checking out”

The “slow drive-by’s” simply checking out property might not ultimately buy. But they’re willing to invest their time and fuel to see what’s available.

Your dental marketing copy and content ultimately has one goal. It’s availability is to build a relationship.

The operative word is “build.”

Your patients and clients are accustomed to consuming massive amounts of content. Sure, not all of it (or probably not much at all) has anything to do with dentistry.

The only way you’ll be worth a “drive-by” is if you answer their questions or provide solutions to their problems.

Make sure your dental copy and content is valuable as a problem-solution/question-answer resource.

2-Create a sense of partnership

Realtors no doubt prefer to “chauffeur” their clients on their house hunting tour. Why?

They can “control” the relationship. They drive, they provide the list, and they can then provide the necessary information throughout the buyer-journey.

Become a “chauffeur” of sorts through your dental copy and content. You KNOW what your patients and clients do not KNOW.

You must also know the unique connection of  your services to their individual emotional and physical desires. This requires listening and leveraging what you hear into content that meets them where they are.

“Drive” them step by step to a decision. Not all at once though…

Remember effective content marketing is a journey toward a deeper relationship that ultimately results in them investing in your services or expertise.

A blog post, podcast, social media content, email, or direct mail create a relational thread that eventually compels trusted buy-in.

3-Create a lingering connection

Realtors must love those who linger on a property. This tells them that an emotional connection is being made.

The longer your readers stay on your website, follow the links within your blog posts, follow your social media channels, and click the links on your emails the greater opportunity you have to create a lingering connection with them.

Keep them in-the-house as often as possible and as long as possible.

Content that delivers value causes your reader to begin including you in their “story.”

In real estate a “SOLD” sign says the process worked. Your dental content marketing is a process too.

“SOLD” is the result of moving “drive-by’s” to “partners” to “lingerers” and ultimately “buyers.”

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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.

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