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Is Your Dental Practice Marketing a Waste of Money?

by Naomi Cooper January 28, 2015

Is Your Dental Practice Marketing a Waste of Money?Dental marketing is not limited solely to bringing new patients into the practice. In fact, it encompasses the entire patient experience from the moment they begin their online research, to their first appointment through follow up and beyond.

Many dentists initially fail to see a positive return on their marketing investment and over time begin to wonder if their marketing is a waste of time and money. So, before spending any more cash, it is worthwhile to take the time to review the following internal processes, which can ultimately make or break a practice’s marketing efforts.

  1. Verbal Skills Training – Every staff member who interacts with patients is part of the marketing effort in that they are all contributing to the overall patient experience.
  1. Appointing New Patients – A phone ringing off the hook is a good sign that the external marketing is working well. Keep that momentum moving by prioritizing new patient phone calls. Aim to schedule new patients within 1-3 days of their initial call.
  1. New Patient Communication – New patients do not yet have loyalty to the practice. Help establish a relationship with them by tailoring communication with them. Welcome new patients to the practice with an introductory letter or new patient package, avoid using too much clinical language when speaking with them, and start a two-way conversation to build trust.
  1. Tracking Results – It’s impossible to know if a marketing tactic is effective or not if no one is measuring its ROI, or return on investment. The front desk team should always ask every new caller how he or she heard about the practice, and record that information in order to find out what marketing efforts result in both phone calls and first appointments.

External marketing is important for practice growth, but don’t forget about the internal processes that support it!

Blog

Important Tech Tools for Dentists and Patients

by Naomi Cooper January 21, 2015

Important Tech Tools for Dentists and PatientsToday there are countless opportunities for dentists to connect with patients, both new and existing, thanks in large part to advancements in technology. It is no longer necessary for dentists to limit patient communication to just the 1-2 times a year the patient comes into the practice.

Many tools are now available to dentists to facilitate ongoing patient engagement, including:

  • Patient communication systems
  • Post-appointment surveys
  • Website design
  • Social media

Engaging with patients year-round is easier than ever. For more information, check out my recent article published in Inside Dentistry detailing the 4 top tech tools for dentists looking to boost patient engagement.

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Dental Marketing Solutions for 2015

by Naomi Cooper January 14, 2015

Dental Marketing Solutions Looking to jumpstart your dental practice marketing? Or have you tried marketing in the past, but didn’t see any positive return from it?

It’s the beginning of a new year. It’s time to take charge of your practice growth and generate new patient flow. Implementing a marketing strategy will not only help attract new patients – while maintaining relationships with your existing patient base – but will also take the guesswork out of marketing.

I’m happy to announce the 2015 dates for my Smart Marketing Solutions seminar with Pride Institute. In the seminar, I’ll talk with you about how to create an overall marketing plan that includes mix of traditional and modern marketing techniques for your practice, including:

  • Effective dental practice websites
  • Social media strategies
  • Online patient reviews
  • What goes into a comprehensive online marketing plan

For more information, and to register for a seminar near you, click on the links below. Hope to see you in 2015!

Washington DC – February 27-28

San Francisco – April 17-18

Atlanta – October 9-10

Chicago – December 4-5

Blog

New ADA Resource: The Practical Guide to Internet Marketing

by Naomi Cooper January 7, 2015

internet marketingThe American Dental Association has just announced the publication of their new book, The ADA Practical Guide to Internet Marketing. It’s a comprehensive resource filled with valuable information on all things related to online marketing. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to author two chapters in the book, and am excited to share a few excerpts here with you.

I was first asked to share tips on how to build a solid marketing foundation for the dental practice.

If you’ve tried marketing before and it didn’t work, it is well worth it to give it another shot.
 The marketing industry as a whole has gotten much more scientific in recent years. Dentists
 no longer have to cross their fingers and hope for the best. There is an abundance of tracking mechanisms designed to provide real-time data, so that dentists can make educated marketing decisions. If something isn’t effective, you’ll know very quickly and can change gears, saving you time and money. Plus, there are countless numbers of tools available to dentists now that didn’t exist just a few short years ago. If you’ve been hesitant about marketing your practice, now is the time to jump back in! 

I also was asked to write on the topic of SEO, or search engine optimization. SEO is one of the most important online strategies yet many dentists are not completely familiar with the concept.

The one universal truth of SEO is that content is king; to improve your rankings, both website visitors and search engines must perceive that you are a subject matter expert based on the depth, specificity and freshness of your website’s content. In the words of Rand Fishkin, founder of Moz.com and a preeminent SEO expert: “Best way to sell something: don’t sell anything. Earn the awareness, respect and trust of those who might buy.”

With 10 total chapters, the ADA turned to several industry leaders for insights into everything from content creation, social media, blogging and even covering the legal considerations for digital marketing. The book is sure to become a trusted resource for dentists and their teams. Click on the image above to learn more about it and find out how to order a copy for your practice!

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Online Marketing for Dentists: What Are Your New Year’s Resolutions?

by Naomi Cooper December 31, 2014

Online Marketing for Dentists: What Are Your New Year’s Resolutions?Hard to believe that we’ve reached the end of another year. As we reflect on 2014 and look ahead to 2015, it’s time to set goals for ourselves, both personally and professionally.

If you are looking to up your marketing game in the new year, but not sure where to get started, here are 5 possible resolutions for you to consider:

  1. Upgrade your practice website with the latest functionalities
  2. Make a focused effort to ask for more patient referrals and online reviews
  3. Build a social media calendar so that your social media profiles are always updated
  4. Create videos with your smartphone to upload to your website and social media profiles
  5. Start a blog to not only stay in contact with patients year round but also contribute to your overall SEO strategy

I wish the very best to all of my Minoa Marketing colleagues, friends and clients in the coming year. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, experience and inspiration over the past twelve months, and I look forward to continuing our relationships in 2015. Happy New Year!

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Dental Practice Marketing Audit for 2015

by Naomi Cooper December 23, 2014

Dental Practice Marketing Audit Dental practice marketing – it’s a term that encompasses a wide array of activities designed to bring new patients into the practice in hopes of achieving long-term steady practice growth.

It can be overwhelming for dentists with a resolution to implement a marketing plan in 2015, or even for those who have been marketing but are looking to tune up their existing strategy. Here are 5 areas to focus on when building an overall dental marketing plan:

  1. Branding: A dentist’s branding strategy is essentially communicating the reputation of the practice to the community. Make sure your message is on point and sending the message you want it to.
  2. Website: How long ago was the practice website updated? Does it accommodate mobile devices via responsive design? If it was designed even 2-3 years ago, it could be time for a refresh.
  3. Social Media: Do you have active profiles on social networking sites such as Facebook or Twitter? If so, be sure they contain current practice information and are updated with relevant content on a consistent basis. If you have been hesitating on joining the social media community, consider putting it at the top of your list of 2015 dental practice marketing goals.
  4. Patient Reviews: Sites like Yelp, Google and Healthgrades are all extremely popular with Internet users, particularly those looking for a dentist online. Make sure profiles are updated with current contact and practice information, and be sure there is a sufficient number positive patient reviews for prospective patients to see.
  5. Patient Communication: All external marketing activities rely on internal processes and communication. E-communication tactics utilize email and text messaging for routine patient communication. The entire dental team should also be well versed in asking for patient referrals and online reviews. This may not come naturally to everyone, so verbal skills training is a must.

There are countless other tactics that fall under the dental marketing umbrella, but for those looking to get started, these are five of the most important areas for consideration. And for those dentists who are looking to step up their existing marketing game, making sure these five components of the marketing plan are solid will help take their marketing to the next level in 2015.

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