I have done several articles recently about the importance of video in your marketing. With the impact of COVID-19, the need for Video Marketing is now more important than ever, and is no longer an option. Think about SEO 5 years ago. The market and the world changed, and SEO is now required if you want your practice’s website to be found.

I realized recently that your patients truly have no clue how sterile your practice and operatories were Pre-COVID 19. They certainly have no clue how you, and your team, have the knowledge and have been trained over many years to deal with viruses of all kinds. By far, the best way to communicate this is through video. The most effective and engaging method is to create multiple videos showing everything and anything you can think of. From your sterilizing equipment, to the amount of training and knowledge you have about how to be and stay safe, and how to keep your patients safe from all viruses.

Several of our new Video Marketing clients are creating videos demonstrating their front office staff cleaning the office, and sterilizing common surfaces in-between patient visits. Some clients are electing to teach their patients how to properly wear a mask through videos (a common mistake is not covering your nose, since that’s primarily where you breathe) which some people are unaware of.

To further increase the effectiveness of the videos, we are sharing them on their social media, including them with their email newsletters, adding to YouTube, and their websites. You can always say that you have stepped up your cleaning and increased safety measures for your patients, but having your patients see that you are doing this makes a bigger impact, your patients will remember it.

We all keep hearing about, “The New Normal”.  I am not 100% sure what that means as a whole, but thinking about how we have all been forced to practice Social Distancing during this time, I believe that many of your patients will continue to Socially Distance in their everyday lives for the foreseeable future. This gives you a unique opportunity to get in front of your patients and show them that you care. This sets you apart from your competition, and you leave a lasting impression on current and future patients.

What does “The New Normal” mean to your Dental Practice? Most Dental Practices thrive on referrals from their patients, and although Dentists like to think it is solely because of their clinical skills, we know from surveys over the years that it is the overall feeling and interactions from the entire dental team. These interactions can be your greatest friend, or the biggest hinderance and can make or break the patient’s trust in your practice. Going the extra mile and showing your patients that you care gives them the confidence to refer their family, friends, and neighbors, to your practice. So, in “The New Normal” for Dental Practices, you need to show your patients that their safety is your #1 priority. Your entire team needs to be dedicated to giving every patient the safest, and best experience possible.

So, that leaves us with one option to compensate for the reduction of the in-office Social bonding. That option is to have a strong, consistent Video Marketing (Messaging) Plan in place.  Part of that plan includes getting Video Testimonial, or Video Reviews, from your patients and getting those out to your social media platforms, and getting them on your website.  Getting Reviews for Google and Facebook are still critical in your overall marketing plan. Video Reviews are the best way to form a stronger bond, and build trust with potential new patients that are finding your website from Google, Facebook, and the many other ways via your marketing plan.

Another extremely important part of your Video Marketing Plan is creating video to continually educate your patients and potential patients about all you can help them with in Dentistry. Videos that you can easily produce (that will carry a ton of value for your patients) include Periodontal disease and its many effects on the body, TMJ, and Sleep Apnea, and Cosmetic Dentistry services available due to technology.  You, as a dentist, have an endless amount of knowledge to share with your patients, and your potential patients, so show them why you are the only dental practice that they should count on!

Of course, you will want to incorporate social aspects to your video marketing like, showing anything that your practice is doing to help your community, to office tours, to fun facts about your team, and really anything that you may put in a Facebook post, or that you may be talking about inside your practice with your patients about life.

Video. Video. Video.  I really can’t say it enough!!

– Mike Shoun, President and CEO

Originally published at www.thedentistsnetwork.net/dmktg19.html

In almost 25 years of marketing, our marketing company has seen the best and worst economies of all our lifetimes. What we are seeing now is certainly unprecedented. We could have never imagined the place that we are all living in during the COVID-19 Social Distancing orders, and it’s not just our community, or our cities, or our states or our country, it is the entire world that is suffering.  We have had many Dentists ask us what we recommend for a dental practice for marketing during COVID-19 social distancing?

We are still strongly suggesting that our clients continue with their current SEO (Search Engine Optimization) campaigns. SEO takes months to see progress. If you were to stop with your SEO services today and you were to start two months from now, it could actually take you many, many months to get back to where you were ranked in the search engines. If you are in a financial position to do so, we would recommend increasing your SEO reach as now is a great time to make gains in your SEO since many of your competitors will stop doing SEO, and start back up when things open back up.

We are also strongly suggesting continuing doing social media. Now is a great time to be communicating to your patients and followers about oral health during this time of social distancing. We know people’s habits have changed during this time. This is a great time for you as a dentist to educate about oral health and how important it is. Also, this is a time to be social. Share with your patients and your follower’s things that you and your family are doing and let them know you are there for their questions and emergencies as well.

This is the best way to stay connected to your patients. Research says: 72% of customers would rather learn about a product or service by way of video. Viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text. 78% of people watch online videos every week, and 55% view online videos every day. 92% of users watching video on mobile will share it with others. 71% of people watch more video than they did a year ago. Video is expected to make up 82% of internet traffic by 2021. And, these are just a few statistics and these were pre-COVID 19 so, those #’s will probably increase even more now.

Video marketing is the closest thing to being with your patients yet being away from your patients. Human beings have a strong need for connecting with one another. Even human beings whose personality profiles are introverted, still have a need for human connection.  Also, with video marketing, your patients can watch and listen to your videos at their convenience whether it be early in the morning, lunchtime, late in the evening, or anytime and still feel connected to you and your practice.

The great news is that you do not need a full video production company (However there is a place in your marketing for a fully produced and edited video but, not necessary).  You can start by simply using your smartphone and laptop or Ipad. Today’s smartphones, Laptops and Ipads have high-quality video, just make sure you have good lighting and that there is nothing in your background that you do not want people to see.

Also, in today’s world people love reality which is why YouTube exists as well as the many reality TV shows.  YouTube is the number 2 search engine behind Google. You can create short videos of 90 seconds or less as research shows, the shorter the video, the more likely it will be viewed. (Research shows the Average Attention Span: Goldfish 9 seconds vs. Human 8.25 Seconds!) You can post your videos on YouTube, and Facebook and your website, as well as email your patient base your videos.

Having a Video Marketing Strategy and Plan is extremely important versus just doing random videos. Videos are not just the Future; they are here and now.  I believe strongly that now is the time to start implementing Video Marketing in your practice’s marketing plan because, someday soon, you will be invisible to Google, and Facebook and all of the Social Media platforms and eventually your patients and potential new patients if you do not have a consistent video marketing plan.  Imagine if you knew how important reviews were going to be for your practice three to five years before they became so critically important and, got 100’s of positive reviews before your closest competitor even started thinking about them? You are in that time now but for video, and this is bigger than reviews.

– Mike Shoun, President and CEO

Originally published at www.thedentistsnetwork.net/dmktg18.html

For the most part, if you are consistent in business, you will grow and succeed where others fail. Consistency does not mean self-reliance, however. The most effective businesses and dental practices have a few things in common with each other. First and foremost, successful business owners know their strengths and weaknesses, and address the latter by surrounding themselves with skilled employees and vendors who are strong in those areas. Remember, to run a successful practice, you must run a successful business.

How do I set my business up for success?
The beginning of your practice is the most critical time for your new business. You want to make sure that you set yourself, and your business, up for long term success. Usually this includes doing research on your market, your location, and getting a game plan in place to handle everything from acquiring your supplies, staffing your office, and employing effective marketing solutions to get your brand out in front of patients. It’s overwhelming, and a lot of work for someone to do on their own. You can do it on your own, but a good leader learns to delegate tasks to others who have strengths in particular areas.

For example, let’s say that you are pretty good with the logistical side of your business, however one of your employees is very strong with supplies and inventory management. While you could do this, delegating this task opens up more bandwidth and time for you to spend on other tasks for your practice, or for spending time with your family. Another example is marketing. Learning the skills required to initiate an effective marketing campaign is not difficult. However, it consumes a large amount of time, and with how often the digital landscape evolves and changes, you would end up spending more time keeping up with the changes than you would actually marketing for your practice. Delegating this task to one of your employees, or a marketing company whose sole purpose is to develop and execute effective marketing campaigns reduces the burden and stress on you. It also generates consistency for your business. Effective marketers can produce consistent results for your practice. There will be fluctuations, and not every campaign will succeed, but for the most part, a good marketing team has tried-and-tested marketing strategies that work.

You and your team build YOUR reputation.
Often times as a dentist, you can provide dependable, honest services that your patients can rely on. It’s important to remember, however, that while your reputation is tied directly with your practice. Your employee’s actions also affect your reputation. If you build a team that can communicate effectively, and help your patients feel as comfortable and happy as possible, it helps your reputation improve in your community. You want to make sure that your team has good training, and someone with experience in running successful teams. Customer service makes and breaks businesses. In any business or industry, mistakes will happen. It’s a part of life that will never change. However, the outcome of that mistake occurring directly correlates with the skill and quality of your customer service team (hygienists, front desk staff, office managers, and you.)

Remember, most first-time patients are wary, and looking to trust your team. They want to make sure that someone is looking after their best interests and they need to be able to trust you and your team if you want to have them return for future dental needs. Most people will be forgiving of mistakes that happen if they are happy with your team, and if your customer service is top-shelf. This alone will help you retain more patients when mistakes happen because they have a solid relationship with you and your team. If your customer service is sub-par, when mistakes happen you will lose patients to your competition.

Consistency & Quality.
For your practice to grow, you must consider the two most important parts of every successful business. Consistency, and quality. If you have quality services that produce happy and healthy patients, your business will grow. However, you need consistent quality in order to maintain growth. Think of it like owning a vehicle. You can have a vehicle that safely gets you from Point A to Point B without using too much gas, but if your car can’t consistently get you there with the same quality, then you will end up selling it for something more consistent.

Consumer trust is huge in the dental industry. Your patients come into your office trusting you to tell them what’s best, and to keep them healthy. If you develop a reputation for consistently producing happy and healthy patients, your positive reputation will develop and spread around your community like wildfire. However, the same can be said for negative reputations. Those spread even faster and with most consumers looking for reviews before ever calling you, it’s important that you can deliver the same high-quality services to every patient, every time.

– Mike Shoun, President and CEO

Originally published at www.thedentistsnetwork.net/dmktg17.html

In business, it’s important to take a look at growing trends on what your patients are doing before they ever call your practice, or schedule an appointment.  One of the biggest, and most important trends over the last 5 years is a sharp increase in your future and current patients looking for more content, and more ways to engage with your practice. Your patients want to build a relationship with your practice, and trust in your expertise and your friendly customer service. Modern dentistry is not just about providing high-quality dental care, it’s about making a positive impact on your community, and building trust and relationships with your patients.

How has patient engagement evolved over time?
As time presses on, and the day to day life changes and evolves, there has been one constant when it comes to operating a successful practice. You have to consistently produce. Producing good results will ensure that your patients are happy, and will return for services in the future. Producing or acquiring new tools and knowledge ensures that you stay at the top of your game and can offer more, and better, services to your patients. Producing content helps drive leads into your practice that will turn into patients. Years ago, flyers, posters, and newspaper ads met this need and distributed information easily and quickly. With the evolution of the digital age, the avenues of content production have expanded significantly. The need for digital marketing services like Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Social Media are just as important as physical marketing like Direct Mail. It’s safe to say that by now most, if not all, dentists are investing some kind of digital marketing service. Whether that is AdWords, Social Media Engagement, or SEO, the success of these investments all revolves around one thing, high-quality content.

Do you need to produce content each month?
The short answer to this question is yes. However, it’s important to create your content strategically. Producing content randomly, without a strategy is like writing words on a piece of paper randomly. Each word means something, but it doesn’t convey a message until put into a sentence. When you are thinking of your content plan, the most important factor is consistency. Whether you are producing blogs to engage your patients, and help your SEO, to producing video to use for social media, consistency is critical. If you can consistently create quality content that engages both your patients, and your marketing platform (usually Google or Social Media) you will be able to establish yourself as an authority in the industry, improve your rankings and digital performance, and most importantly build trust with your patients and grow your practice.

Video content engages more people than ever before.
Looking back at the last few years, Video consumption has skyrocketed year over year. YouTube (the world’s 2nd largest search engine) serves close to 2 billion hours of video every single day. What does this mean for you as a dentist? Your patients are looking for video. There are several ways to produce video, but just like above, consistency is vital to getting your content to perform for you. While producing video content can be time-consuming, expensive, and difficult, there is no question that video marketing performs in a way that no other marketing strategies can. There is a simple explanation for this. Patients consuming your video are looking for authenticity.

Video helps build a relationship with your patients. It builds trust, and if you create your videos correctly, can convey your care and compassion for their well-being. Just like reviews secure a lead, or send them to a competitor, Video can build trust and a relationship with your patients before you ever meet them. Authenticity is the best way to build trust.

How can you create quality content while not interrupting your day?
The short answer is that you will experience some kind of disruption no matter what. However, it’s important to weigh all your options, and explore all avenues prior to making your decision. Does your current marketing vendor have services that can supplement your digital marketing? Are there other options out there that equip you with all the tools you need to produce quality content in as little time as possible? With the rise of Video Marketing becoming a popular investment for many dentists, it’s important that you are keeping up with your competition. Just like SEO or Social Media, Video Marketing is a competitive market. If you aren’t competing, then you are missing out on patients.

Consistency is the secret.
The secret to success is consistency. From marketing to creating content, if you can produce quality content on a consistent basis you are going to perform well. Creating content every once a while can help your marketing efforts and your practice for a short time, but if you want to seriously perform and grow your practice, you will need to be consistent.

– Mike Shoun, President and CEO

Originally published at www.thedentistsnetwork.net/dmktg16.html

In the world of digital marketing, content marketing is one of the most effective methods of building trust and brand exposure. From Search Engine Optimization (SEO), to Online Advertising, the content you select is vital to the success of your marketing efforts.

How Does Content Marketing Affect SEO?
In order to get the most out of your SEO services, it is imperative that you have quality, engaging content. Google wants to show their users fresh content that answers a question clearly and effectively. For your service pages and home pages, it is important to have content that is engaging and provides a positive user experience. This helps improve user experience and allows you to optimize more content for ranking purposes. In terms of Google, having unique and fresh content on the site regularly is critical to ranking for more keywords. The better your content, the higher your chances of securing more competitive keywords and getting in front of potential patients. However, it is important to not change the core content on your site once you have it optimized, and it starts performing well. In order to continue providing fresh content to your website, there are a number of things you should be doing.

Some of The Content You Can Post Includes:

• Monthly Blogging
• Google My Business Posts
• Press Releases
• Videos

Now you may be thinking, “why do I need to be producing content regularly?” This is a great question. The reason you need to have new content on the site is because Google at its core wants to show their users the best answer to any question that they type in. So, if you are composing articles and posting blogs about what questions are being asked, your blog has the opportunity to rank, or even receive a Google featured snippet. This can help give your SEO a boost, as it shows that Google is beginning to see you as an authority on that topic and in your industry.

How Does Content Marketing Affect Social Media Marketing?
When it comes to Social Media Marketing, you also need high quality content, albeit in a different way than you would with SEO. In the world of SEO, you want to have between 500-750 words of content per page, and make sure that it’s fine-tuned and dialed in to produce results over a long period of time. When it comes to Social Media, you want to post high-quality content that gets a patient to engage with your brand. You want to include pictures, video’s, and content that gets people to like, comment, and share your content. The goal is to build brand awareness, and engage with people in a positive way.

What Makes Content Marketing Effective?
When it comes to content marketing, the secret to successful campaigns is to provide value to your patients. If you are able to provide content that is valuable to your audience, you will leap ahead of your competitors that are only posting blogs and social media posts to check the box and obtain minimal engagement. When you post high quality content that engages your reader and provides overwhelming value to them as a person as well as a potential patient, you build brand awareness and consumer trust.

How do you provide value with content? The secret to that is to answer questions! If you can compose blog posts, social media posts, and ads in a way that draws your visitors in and answers a question, you can count on that person turning to you the next time they need advice or help.

Content doesn’t always have to be blogs, articles, or social media posts. Something as small as taking pictures of your office, or of your brand can have huge impacts down the road. Nowadays, consumers are doing more and more research into whom they conduct business with. Having pictures of your office, regular social media activity, and routine content published to your site shows that you care, and that you will give them a better experience than an office that may not be performing these activities.

– Mike Shoun, President and CEO

Originally published at www.thedentistsnetwork.net/dmktg14.html