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.