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3 Ways to Increase Your Social Media Capital
Portions of this post – written by yours truly – were previously published on the Dentoola blog.
Trust rules. That’s why I’ve talked about it in a post or two.
It’s among the reasons you and I check our Twitter “Follows.” Making sure a “follower” is actually a trusted individual and not some “bot” with “size-matters” issues (follow/follower-list size, that is).
Trust Agents by Chris Brogan and Julien Smith affirms how essential trust is – not only in how we do business but how we engage on social media.
Social capital (the currency of web based influence as Brogan and Smith refer to it) is built over time. Like monetary capital, social capital can be spent quick and easy or increased day by day if not minute to minute. (Read Brogan’s and Smith’s book to get a useful scope about who a “trust agent” is and what they do.)
Recognize the value of social capital and trust if you’re going to succeed using social media as a dental marketing tool. Join the social media crowd – only – if you’re willing to be a trust-builder through consistent and relevant content.
3 ways to increase your social capital by becoming a trusted voice:
1) Listen
Tune into channels that have a voice in your industry and/or your niche. Sort, cull, and develop a “feed” list of those who seem to have their finger-on-the-pulse of what would benefit your “crowd.” (Use Google Reader, etc.)
Who is creating or repeating (retweeting, liking) relevant, useful dental industry content? And while you’re searching, become a voice by opening a channel.
Start listening with a blog page on your website. Then launch a Twitter account followed by a Facebook page.And if you’re a networking maven get LinkedIn.
2) Learn
Spend time on your industry’s blogs, Twitter, and Facebook pages (see 1-“Listen”). Learn what content others are sharing. Learn how they’re sharing it and how often they share (post) their content. Learn where they curate their content.
Sure, trust is earned. It’s also learned when you become a student of others who’ve paid-their-dues to earn it!
3) Leverage
Leverage your trust into social media capital. For example, consider how you built your dental practice. You’ve become a trusted source of patient care and treatment expertise overnight…right? Of course not.
How have you built your reputation in a specific dental industry niche? You deliver quality, useful products to a market segment on a platform of trust.
In principle, think of your social media presence in terms of how you’ve developed trust as a dental industry provider. You give excellent expertise consistently. And when people experience a dental issue who comes to mind? You, of course!
Why? They trust you!
Increase yours online as you become a trust agent – listen, learn, and leverage.
How to Make Your Dental Content “Sticky”
I walked across our kitchen floor a few days ago and experienced that somebody-spilled-something-sticky-feeling on the bottom of my bare feet. Ever done that?
That’s bad-sticky! But when we talk about sticky-content…that’s good-sticky!
Speaking of sticky – do you know the story of the Post-it® Note? You know, those little yellow notes we can’t live without!
The Post-it® Note was invented as a solution without a problem (yes, you read that right). It was created by Dr. Spencer Silver, who happened to develop a unique, re-positionable adhesive. But (at the time) the 3M scientist didn’t know what to do with his discovery. Six years later, one of Dr. Silver’s colleagues, Art Fry, remembered the light adhesive when he was daydreaming about a bookmark that would stay put in his church hymnal. And as they say – the rest is history.
Today, the Post-it® Brand boasts more than 4,000 unique products. It’s become one of the most well-known and beloved brands in the world.
Content Stick-ability!
Most content exists for a simple reason. Consider your products and services. Why do they exist? For what purpose were they created?
Whether it’s offline or online marketing content or social media content that links back to your website, a landing page, or a blog post – your content must be evaluated by a simple analytic!
Max Lincoln Schuster said, “Never forget that people never buy things or services…they buy solutions for their problems.”
Solutions…without problems
Back to the Post-it® Note story. Recall the subtle result of its invention – “The Post-it® Note was invented as a solution without a problem.”
Marketers, copywriters, content creators and curators, bloggers, social media writers and users must remember – not all that’s written or created solves something. And if that’s the case our content becomes just more “word-noise” in an increasingly noisy universe already overloaded with information!
I’m passionate…no, I’m OCD (with respect) about relevance. I have a background in church leadership and hours of writing and public speaking experience in that venue. I was driven then – and still am – (come “hell-or-high-water”) to find and provide practical…actionable principles in what is typically irrelevant to modern life and culture.
When problems and their solutions often elude the masses, why create something that’s irrelevant? It’s like the proverbial carrot-on-a-stick (available but out of reach) to our readers, clients, etc.
How to be a solution-source through creating “sticky” content.
>Listen
The phrase “you’re talking so much…I can’t hear what you’re saying,” applies. In today’s marketing-numb culture it’s profitable to listen. If you want the most ROI on your social media, online marketing, email promotions – whatever it is – develop a new bias…LISTEN!
Cup-your-ear to not only your customer feedback surveys but also your social channels. TweetDeck, HootSuite, News feeds, etc. can help you keep your-ear-to-the-groundswell of chatter about any industry niche – including your specific dental business niche.
Dental suppliers, dental manufacturers, dental practices, dental continuing education, dental publishers, dental marketers, and dental consultants are talking on social media. They’re promoting and they’re engaging there. Start listening.
>Leverage
Here’s where things can get sticky (in a good way). Content that’s sticky with problem-solving quality is your leverage point. If you’re listening to your industry and what they’re talking about – from patient to promotion – you’ll get a good idea about problems that need solving.
Become a problem-solving rock-star by using case studies, whitepapers and articles. Use some link-leverage by linking (more on that in a moment) back to blog posts via your various social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, etc.).
You have more leverage (and the potential for it) than you think!
>Lift
Lift happens when you engage your “followers” and “friends” beyond the one-way conversation of content, content, content! And engagement happens when others retweet (RT) or mention your content to their “tribe” of followers and friends.
It’s called “social” media for a reason. Anti-“social” behavior gets sniffed out as fast as spam in your inbox!
Lift your stick-ability by lifting others and their content. Be generous with RT’s (retweets on Twitter), @mentions, #hashtags, #FollowFriday “love,” comments on blog posts and articles, “Likes” on Facebook pages, “Circle-friendly” behavior on Google+, and linking back to others’ (even competitor’s) quality content.
Let these tips “stick” as you’re creating problem-solving…solution-oriented content. Even better write them on a Post-it® Note and stick it…somewhere you’ll notice when creating content.
And if you want some help – contact me to create some stick-ability for you (I promise I won’t leave a sticky mess…like on my kitchen floor…oops, maybe that was my-bad!).
A 5 Question Filter for Your Dental Marketing Content (Including Social Media)
You receive a marketing piece via mail…and Wow! Or you log onto a website and the embedded flash reminds you of a Vegas show. My first, fleeting thought is – “Someone dropped some cash on that…!”
Hold that thought…because there’s a deeper question that begs answering. And it’s a question that the ever-changing marketing landscape asks with the persistence of a 5 year old on a vacation road-trip – “Are we there yet…Are we there yet…!”
Here’s the question: “Would I do business with them because the promotion was pure eye-candy or because it engaged me?”
Engagement matters! And that’s why social media rocks the establishment today and will continue doing so.
It’s creating entirely fresh ways of measuring whether your dental marketing and dental copywriting is hitting its intended target. And it further challenges you to be all the more intentional with your marketing.
Marketing content that’s attractive and marketing content that attracts are two different things.
These 5 questions from an article on eMarketer.com provide an important measure for creating marketing content that attracts (not just attractive content):
1—“Is the content unique?”
Don’t confuse “unique” with out-of-the-box! Be unique by highlighting the deeper benefits of your dental services more than your competitors do. Remember many companies are content to stick with the surface, feature-fluff while ignoring the real solutions their products and services deliver.
Answer the question – what makes us uniquely capable of meeting that client’s need? Steer your content in that direction.
2—“Is the content useful?”
Make your marketing message actionable. When a prospective dental industry client reads one of your Twitter or Facebook feeds are they persuaded to take action? That action could be as simple as clicking a link to a blog post or taking advantage of your clearly stated promotion by surfing over to your website.
Ask them to do something through actionable content. “Useful” content addresses your prospect’s needs…desires…lifestyle. For example, your ad for an orthodontic product or service should tap into their emotions more than it spotlights the latest…greatest technology!
Measure by usefulness!
3—“Is the content well-executed?”
Twitter works as social media platform mainly because of its 140 character limit. It forces tight, sharp, to-the-point content. Say what you will about our culture of social media sound-bytes – it’s actually helping us cut through the clutter and just say it!
What’s the message of the moment for your dental business? Social media helps you say it clearly.
4—“Is the content fun?”
Twitter earned a shout-out in the previous point. Facebook gets its turn in the spotlight now. As a social media platform, a Facebook page helps keep content fun. Photos and comments from a company gathering, an outing, or a client success story keep the fun-factor alive. And don’t forget the “places” feature. It adds value if you’re a location based business such as a dental practice.
The new Facebook video chat feature rolling out as we speak will add another layer of connective-engagement. Go face to face via the Skype-based tool with a potential or current client states or a continent away!
Make sure your content puts a smile on the faces of those you do business with. It’s contagious!
5—“Does the content make good use of the channel in which it appears (e.g., social, mobile, video)?”
Again, this is about “execution.”. It’s vital to fully maximize your marketing “channels.” And knowing which to use is as important as how they’re used.
Begin now to run all your marketing content – especially social media – through this 5-Question Filter.
How to Declare Your Independence & Market Your Services More Profitably
Some post-Independence Day reflection has me thinking about the value of the holiday – given what it represents.
We celebrate with fireworks, grilling some form of meat, sipping a cold beverage, hanging-out with friends and family. And we remember – at the “twilight’s last gleaming”…as a celebratory burst of fireworks explodes overhead – to reflect on what it means to be American.
Sweet freedom!
Think about it – you and I have freedom. The undeniable freedom to live, earn, and prosper in this great country!
Declare Your Independence
In the dental business, as in any business, true freedom is knowing what makes your products/services unique. Your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) gives you the confidence to stand independently among your competition.
How uniquely independent is the copywriting that promotes your dental services and products? Have you established your independence in the dental industry marketplace with outstanding copywriting?
3 Steps to Declaring Your Independence from Your Competitors
In the spirit of independence and all things freedom, consider your dental business growth in the first half of this year. It is, after all, July. You’re halfway through the calendar and either celebrating the profits to date or evaluating how you can emerge profitable at the end of the two remaining quarters come December.
Before you think “Jingle Bells” and mistletoe (that’ll be here soon enough) let’s do some mid-year evaluation of your marketing resources in the shadow of the the recent July 4th holiday and the ole’ “red, white, & blue.”
Exercise some freedom of thought by applying the following steps to your marketing content.
Read…Write &…Renew… (think red, white, & blue)
**Read**
Reading your dental marketing copy with fresh eyes could be the key to increasing your second-half profits. Begin to read your promotions with a more critical eye.
Start right now! Pull up your current promotion. Scroll over to your website. Check out your latest blog post, tweet on Twitter, or Facebook page post.
Does each uniquely declare your dental market independence? Do the words suggest that you’re offering something different than every other solution currently available?
Often a business relies on outdated, over-done, over-written copy and expects it to work its magic on prospects and clients. Is it?
Eye the promotions that arrive in your email in-box and your postal mail. Which ones get your attention? What is it about the content that draws you in, inviting you to read further?
Compare it to your A-Level marketing piece. Differences?
**Write**
The keywords and concepts you glean from the vast amount of copywriting you receive via postal mail and email might be good-as-gold to your business.
It’s been my practice to read a market proven promotion such as a direct-mail or online sales letter (I’ve got files and book full of them). Typically I’ll read the same one over and over again for a period of days during a given week. Then I’ll hand write a large portion of the copy word for word on a blank sheet of paper.
This discipline – rote as it may seem – ingrains key concepts and copywriting strategies in my mind (like hitting golf balls on the range…taking batting practice…shooting free-throw after free-throw). Perhaps you’re thinking that’s too much work (but remember this is my chosen field).
The principle holds – establish your dental market uniqueness and independence by schooling yourself in what’s working (and not working) in your industry niche. It serves the process to *write* down what you like about the copy, keywords, how they’re used, etc.
Read…Write…and
**Renew**
Halfway through the year is a great time to renew your dental marketing resources. What profits are you leaving-off-the-table as result of ineffective promotions?
Test a new sales letter, a fresh product case study, an email promotion, your web page copy, etc. against your current ones. You’ll never know if what you’ve been mailing, sending-out, or posting on your website could be improved until you test it. When sales increase (or decrease) you’ll know your renewal efforts and/or costs were or will be worth it.
Apply these simple steps to your business promotions. Declare your independence from your competitors.
That’s the kind of freedom you can take-to-the-bank.
Vintage Copywriting: How to Re-Purpose Your Dental Marketing Content
In my mid teen years my Dad bought an older house to salvage the lumber, brick, and stone for use to remodel our new home addition. I remember, as we speak, pulling what seemed like millions of nails from the lumber that would be re-nailed into flooring, wall studs, etc. in our new house.
The occasional reflection reveals not only my dad’s innate resourcefulness but also his wisdom. Nothing against buying or selling new. But sometimes the ever-popular and now trendy vintage approach works too!
From jeans to cars to jewelry and (in our case) home building/remodeling – vintage is cool! And the cooler thing about vintage: something always will be (think about it).
My dad’s vintage-housebuilding-resourcefulness got me to thinking about copywriting and marketing content. There could be vintage value going unused in your dental product and dental service promotions.
Here’s a few how-to insights to recover and reuse some of your dental copywriting and dental marketing content:
>Deconstruct your testimonials.
Survey quotes and satisfied customer/patient testimonials work.They’re a way for prospects, leads, and potential clients to “kick-the-tires” – so to speak- without a commitment.
Try deconstructing a few of your recent, best testimonials and reconstruct them as a case study. A case study takes the client’s experience up-a-notch by showing how your product/service solved a problem.
Julie Borgini, a copywriting colleague in the software and high-tech industry says, “Case studies are short articles that describe how companies solved a challenge with a product or service. It’s a simple and effective way to talk about your company and its services, and how they apply in a concrete way to potential clients. Think of them as a before & after picture of a situation your company faced.”
>Recycle blog content.
If you blog about your services (and I highly recommend you do) you’re sitting on a gold-mine of recycle-able content. A simple blog post can be re-purposed as an e-newsletter article, one among several chapters in a special-report you offer free to your client list, or social media posts you link back to via Twitter or your Facebook page.
>Renew web page content.
Your existing web pages may need the demolition crew…but maybe not! Consider a site-audit first!
A website audit can determine if your keywords and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) are up to speed. You’re leaving profit on-the-table if you built a website with the latest flash technology and graphics thinking that’s the answer to increasing site traffic.
You’ll be amazed at the simple tweaks a site audit will provide. And once those few edits are implemented you’ll be equally astounded at the increase in traffic and Google ranking potential.
Sometimes a little sweat-equity uncovers some still usable resources.
And another thing…the older I get the wiser my Dad becomes. Thanks Dad for a memory and lesson I’m bound to get more mileage from.
3 Ways to Sharpen Your Social Media Mindset as a Dental Business
“All businesses are being forced to go social.” That’s according to Michael Brito.
Maybe you’ve been waiting to see if all the buzz about having a blog, a Facebook page or a Twitter account is just another passing trend. Delaying or avoiding social media altogether may have been the general mindset a few months ago but no longer.
And while the talk (for businesses) about social media engagement surrounds marketing, it’s important to know there’s more to it.
Brito says that most brands get it. And he observes that most brands are doing a really good job listening to their customers through social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Blog, etc.).
So, being a copywriter in the dental industry and one who happens to be a social media convert and consultant I must ask – why wait to dive into social media? Or, if you’ve been dabbling, why not ratchet it up?
3 ways to ratchet-up your mindset and use of social media as a dental industry business:
1) Join the “evolution.”
The days of solely marketing your products and services via direct mail (I said solely so), a competitive postcard mailer, a Yellow Pages ad, and if budgets allow, a radio or TV spot are diminishing. Why would you exclusively limit yourself to these marketing approaches?
Use them. But consider how much more effective and inexpensive (in many cases free) it is to engage your clientele through social media. After all, they’re using it. And could be wondering about your absence.
Brito says, “…organizations are evolving from businesses that merely engage in social behavior into social businesses. There’s a huge difference.”
2) Maximize the “social pillars.”
“Social business is built on three pillars – people, governance, and technology,” according to Brito. And the principles apply to any size organization.
Social media helps eliminate barriers. It especially deals with how we communicate our opinions and feelings about brands.
Imagine how your product and service equity will increase when clients communicate their satisfaction via social media. And they can do it in-the-moment…in real-time! Think less survey forms or ad naseum “how-did-we-do-today?” questions upon check-out.
Equally social businesses are held accountable for their quality (or lack of it) too. You don’t want a viral surge of negative influence about how your company or practice dropped the ball when it came to customer service, etc.
The technology is there and improving as we speak. Already, businesses are seeing the value of QR coding (more on that in future posts), location based social media tools like Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook places, etc.
You can virtually run your marketing from a single laptop or even a smartphone (remotely). And monitor the feedback instantly.
3) Welcome the conversation.
A 2009 study revealed that 85% of Americans using social media think companies should have an active presence in the social media universe.
And according to Brito, “Out of the 85% of people who want companies to be present in social media (get this):
>34% want companies to actively interact with them
>51% want companies to interact with them as needed or by request
>8% think companies should only be passively involved on social media
>7% think companies should not be involved at all.”
No more waffling or dabbling! Social media is here and your prospects and clientele are ready to keep the conversation going.
Do You Have a Social Media Chip-on-Your-Shoulder? (3 Keys to Get Rid of It)
Trust and authenticity are the currency of social media. And your Facebook page alongside your Twitter account and blog are the places where you should lavishly spread that currency around.
I emphasized trust and authenticity in a recent post because people are now so oriented to interacting with dental companies, dental practices, and dental supply brands who seem at least somewhat familiar with social media. And once you’ve caught on to the value of social media engagement your perspective and marketing approaches shift.
- There’s a more frontal…give-it-to-me-straight marketing interaction (in contrast to the old-school, bait and switch).
- There’s freedom to be yourself without the flash (in contrast to slick, hype-y…expensive marketing – think jeans and maybe a sports coat instead of suit and tie).
- There’s conversation around products, services, and expertise (in contrast to if-we-build-it-they-will-come).
I think of the days of mom & pop shops. Social media is restoring confidence to business and service providers who have that grass-roots brand of marketing DNA.
Coaching a grass-roots confidence is the responsibility all who are coming into their own with social media marketing.
I once felt like a rookie in the big-leagues when I first opened my Twitter account. I resisted for months as early as 2008.
But I’m there…in fact I have two Twitter accounts. One is personal/general copywriting/marketing consultant related. The other is specific to all that within the dental industry.
I’ve had my social media ups and downs. Some days I feel like a shivering chihuahua alongside the social media big dogs.
And sometimes I write and publish on my blog like I think a big-dog would. In fact, I’m still nursing a fresh wound because I forgot what this whole social media deal looks like to someone who doesn’t engage in it (not because they’re opposed…it just isn’t something they’re into…like many marketers, still).
I’m reminded that when I speak and write about the failures of traditional marketing with my new social-media-is-all-about-trust-and-authenticity-chip-on-my-shoulder, I risk alienating those I’m still invested in.
So…here’s how to boost your social media confidence when wanna-be big-dogs (like me) mess on the lawn (or seem to be growling at those who aren’t so much into social media):
1) It’s about being yourself.
You and your business, product, service have a story to tell. Engage (that’s “talk” in social media) about the problems you’re solving, the solutions you’re delivering, the benefits you’re bringing to the marketplace. No one else can be you better than…well, you!And once you stop being “you” – it really doesn’t matter!
2) It’s about keeping it simple.
Really, what’s the point in being complicated. Life’s complicated enough and so is business.
To-the-point simplicity is a big adjustment for those new to social media. The full-frontalness of the dialogue (on a blog or via Twitter and a Facebook page) can be misunderstood as edgy or in some instances, even trite.
Hey, when Twitter allows you only 140 characters you can’t dilly-dally (a word I’d probably not use in mainstream marketing). That’s a steep learning curve for those accustomed to traditional marketing approaches.
3) It’s about creating conversation.
Once you’re around social media long enough you’ll learn that appetizing conversations begun on your Twitter or Facebook page feed should effectively transition to your website or blog via links (ow.ly, bit.ly, etc.).
Think of social media conversations (even those involving your business, products, services) like you would saying to dinner guests following a meal, “Let’s move to the patio…can I get you another drink…” There’s no hype among friends – just swapping stories in good conversation.
…and now where’s the dip for that chip-on-my-shoulder I mentioned?