dental blog content

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.

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.

https://www.yudkin.com/markmin.htm ↩

September 28, 2018 Costs, Dental Copywriter, Dental Copywriting, pricing No Comments

Some Clarity About What Dental Copywriting Costs

It’s typically the first question I’m asked when someone contacts me about my services. And I’ve preferred to answer the “what does dental copywriting cost” question later in our conversation.

I’m reconsidering.

Why the change of mind?

I’ll give credit to Marcus Sheridan. A chapter in his phenomenal book, “They Ask You Answer,” opened my thinking about why cost transparency is essential.

In fact, his findings (and experience) were confirmed through one article about pricing on his company’s website (then the pool industry). It was surprisingly effective.

Getting clear about transparency

Being transparent about pricing isn’t necessarily about a detailed price list. It’s about something more.

I’ve not been opposed to sharing the costs of my services. Yet, it’s typically been a matter of timing (when to share those details).

For example, you might contact me about the cost of webpage copy for your dental practice or dental industry business. Or you might ask how much blog content costs to consistently keep your audience educated and informed.

To date I’ve not had a “price list” on my website.

Rather, I’ll ask a series of questions designed to help me uncover the scope of your project. Such questions give me a better idea of what you’re in need of.

I realize early in our conversation that you’re after affordability based on your budget. And that’s understandable.

I, on the other hand, would prefer to probe a bit. To me, your question, “what does dental webpage copy cost?,” is premature to a core question I ask prior to quoting a fee:

What will best provide value to your dental business/practice/etc.?

“…discussing cost and price is not about affordability, it’s about psychology. It’s about trust.” – Marcus Sheridan ¹

Once trust is established…

Everything revolves around trust. And trust is the mindset that drives the pricing conversation forward early in our relationship…or whenever the subject comes up.

I’ll let you in on something…

Though I’ve been doing this for years…I stress a ton over how to price a project.

Sure, projects like writing dental webpage copy or dental blog content are common in my wheelhouse. I’ve written volumes of it to the extent that when you contact me for a fee quote a few key considerations come to mind:

Webpage copy is fluid…unlike print copy (e.g. direct mail, a brochure, print ad, media ad, etc). That makes webpage copy a repeatable, easily renewable investment.
A dental website that informs and compels effectively will lead to an appointment, a product/service purchase, a longterm patient/client relationship for not one but perhaps multiple friends and family members/colleagues, etc. In essence, its value to your “business” is multiple what you pay me to create it one time.
Copywriting is an art that requires unique skills to tap into the mind of the dental-seeking public. To put it bluntly, you can shop online for any warm-blooded person that calls himself or herself a copywriter or content creator…but you will always get what you pay for.
I’m a professional copywriter (since 2007) trained in direct response principles by some of the best in the world, with thousands of pages of copy to my credit…and I’ve worked in the dental industry (at a local dental practice)…and my wife is a dental industry veteran…so, yes, I’m around dentistry every day with tons of experience on the table!

So, what does dental copywriting cost?

My answer, though surprising, might be the most helpful one you’ll hear about costs and pricing associated with professional dental copywriting and content creation.

Here’s the scoop…

Dental copywriting and content costs reflect the scope of the project

Scope could be determined by the number of pages, a page’s density (as in how much research is required to produce compelling information), the audience the copy/content is targeting, what’s being promoted or featured, etc.

Scope is important because a project takes on a life-of-it’s-own. You have something in mind but copywriting and content expertise could and probably will uncover levels of value you might not initially be aware of.

In this case, your value-investment increases.

Scope considered, a value-based price range might look like this for common online/digital projects:

Webpage copy – $250 to $500+ per page or $1,200 to $2,000+ for a full website
Blog content – $175 to $500+ per post or $375 to $750+ (per month packages)

Dental copywriting and content costs are flexible

Fee flexibility can be determined by:

Packaging or A la carte preference. For example, you might want a single blog post ($175 to $500+) or monthly blog content ($375 to $750+ per month).
An ongoing retainer relationship. These relationships are optimum for maintaining consistency (copy/content voice, service/product expansion, etc) and there-when-you-need-it services (i.e. I’m on your “speed-dial!”).

Keep this in mind when you’re wondering about the cost of dental copy and content. Dental copywriting and content cost conversations can actually be beneficial to your business or practice. And the benefits can be yours whether we establish a fee agreement or not.

Bottom-line: I’m here to provide value. Costs aside that’s good for both of us.

Sheridan, Marcus. They Ask You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today’s Digital Consumer (Kindle Locations 959-961). Wiley. Kindle Edition. ↩

February 2, 2017 Content marketing, Dental blog, Dental blogging, Dental marketing strategies, Dental SEO, Social Media No Comments

Are You Wasting Your Dental Blog Content with a One-and-Done Approach?

What happens when you invest your time and dollars? It’s natural to desire to protect and extend the reach of your investment.

Creating dental content is like that. Get the most value from a single piece of dental blog content whether it’s general information that leads to a patient or client decision, SEO, a click to an internal page on your website, or the development of a relationship that includes all the above and more.

A blog post is a blog post is a… (or is it?)

I often hear a consistent theme from clients. In particular, from those for whom I create blog content on a weekly or bi-weekly basis.

“Why blog or…how do we get the most “mileage” from our blog content?”

Blog content isn’t an “end” in itself. Far from it.

It’s a good (and I believe essential) place to “dip your toe” into the dental content marketing waters. But you must see beyond the “build-it-and-they-will-come” mindset.

Believe me, the consistent creation of dental blog content will boost your brand. The blog page on your dental website can become a leverage point for your influence, expertise, SEO, and social media engagement.

Think leverage when you consider the impact of your dental practice or dental business blog. But think beyond it being a one-and-done content marketing strategy.

One of my blog clients gets what I’m saying here. I write an average of two posts a month for this large, two doctor, two location dental practice.

What they do post delivery has the potential to triple the impact of each blog post. Let’s unpack their simple approach and apply it your dental content marketing strategy.

How to maximize the impact of a single piece of dental blog content and leverage it into a profit producing resource.

Commit to consistently publishing blog content

This will require time and dollars. My recommendation is to outsource this to a skilled, qualified, experienced copywriter or content creator – preferably one who knows the dental industry culture.

Sound biased? I am (unapologetically).

The reason? Your time savings plus the writing perspective that’s less technical (industry-speak) and more conversational (how people skim, read, engage content).

Your content “bread-and-butter.”

Blog content answers basic questions.
Blog content provides practical solutions to problems.
Blog content is searchable and can potentially improve your page rankings.
Blog content is flexible

Let’s explore the idea of content flexibility.

Communicate with those who already trust you

There are numerous nuances to marketing. Two are common.

The most common is invasive or interruptive. Broadcast media, sales calls, direct mail, etc., fall into that category.

Another is permission based. Seth Godin rocked the marketing world a few years ago when he published his epic book, “Permission Marketing.”

People will grant you permission when they trust you as a source of valuable information. That’s putting it way more simply than Godin does but you hopefully get the point.

For example, your email list is a good, entry level example of this idea. Patients, clients, or interested individuals have given you “permission” to email them by trusting you with their email address.

Back to your blog content…

A single blog post is for public consumption. It has a url on your website, it can be searched and found based on the title or meta-data that’s keyword sensitive, and anyone can access it and share it at will – regardless of permission or trust.

Why stop there? Model what one of my client’s does.

First, publish the content on your website’s blog page.

Then…do one of two things…

Create an email with a compelling subject line and brief “teaser” lead with a clickable “Read more…” link embedded in the body of the email that directs the reader back to the original post on your website.

Or…

Create a separate email newsletter that includes the entire blog post (what my client does).

Send it to your list.

And there’s one more…

Connect with your “tribe” on social media

Others (your “tribe”) choose to follow in addition to the above or solely via your social media channel(s). For example, your dental practice or dental business Facebook Page.

Here’s the content marketing strategy flow my client follows:

Blog post to email to…social media (Facebook Page)

I write the post and create three Facebook posts that link back to that specific post and/or another post that is linked within the blog post.

They get traffic to the original post plus traffic to another post or service page on their website. And don’t underestimate the value of posting useful, relevant, solution-focused content on your social media channel(s).

The value of the social media connection is the ongoing ability to engage via comments, answer more questions, monitor feedback, etc.

And get this…every inquiry, question, feedback comment is a “seed” for future content.

Why?

It promotes social “listening” into what their questions, problems, or concerns are. Bingo!

Now you’re back at step one – blog content!

And you thought a blog post is a blog post is a blog post…!

It’s way more. But you gotta maximize your investment.