Dental Marketing | Minoa Marketing

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Tools for Dentists: Sample Email Templates

by Naomi Cooper September 22, 2013

One of the most common questions I get when one of my clients is in the process of planning a big announcement, such as a practice grand opening, a practice website launch is, “How do we tell our community about this exciting news?”

For practices that have over 60-70% of their patients’ email addresses and an automated patient communication system, I definitely recommend communicating news to existing patients via email whenever possible – sending an email blast via these methods is free and can be quite effective! However, for practices that are still using traditional postcard reminders and/or haven’t converted to electronic communication, a traditional letter on practice letterhead also works very well. Scroll down for a sample patient email/letter templates announcing practice news and feel free to copy and paste for your own use.

1. Email blast for New Practice Grand Opening

Email Subject Line: <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> Grand Opening!

Greetings!

We are happy to announce the official opening of <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>>. Our goal is to provide the local <<CITY/NEIGHBORHOODNAME>> community with high quality dental care with a specific focus and attention to our patients.

Located at <<PRACTICE ADDRESS>>, <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> is a <<SPECIALTY>> practice, specializing in the <<SERVICESOFFERED>>. In order to welcome patients to our new practice, we are hosting an Open House on <<DATE>> from <<TIME>>. We are excited to see our patients, friends and colleagues while providing brief tours and information about our new practice.

We are now accepting appointments. Patients may contact our office via phone at <<PHONENUMBER>>, or online at our practice website <<WEBSITEADDRESS>>. And we invite the community to connect with us on Facebook <<HYPERLINKTO FACEBOOKPAGE>>.

We look forward to seeing you in the new practice soon!

2. Email blast to announce new Dental Practice Facebook Page

Email Subject Line: Like the <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> Facebook Page!

Hello Patients!

We are happy to announce the official launch of the new <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> Facebook Page. Our goal is for this page is to be a resource for our patients, offering useful content including:

Important updates from around the practice
Oral health best practices and tips
Links to compelling articles and blog posts on a variety of oral health topics
Doctor and team profiles
Photos & videos…and more!

Look for regular posts of fresh and relevant content of interest to you, our patients, who place a value on their oral health, and their overall health in general. And we look forward to the opportunity to staying connected with patients throughout the year!

Click here <<HYPERLINKTOFACEBOOK PAGE>> to check out the <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> Facebook Page, and if you “Like” what you see, don’t forget to “Like” our page!

Thank you in advance!

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Responsive Design – The Latest Website Must-Have For Dental Practices

by Naomi Cooper August 5, 2013

In working with my clients on maximizing their marketing dollars and their online presence, I’m finding that while many dentists are aware of the importance of a well-designed dental practice website, not everyone has heard about some of the most recent advances in mobile website optimization.

A standard website does not always function well when accessed on a smartphone, so changes must obviously be made in order to keep the website accessible on all types of devices. Just a year ago, the best solution was to build what was essentially a second website just for mobile devices, or “mobile-optimized site”. However, the standard today is something entirely new: Responsive Website Design.

A responsive website is essentially a site that reconfigures itself automatically based on detecting the type of device that is being used to access it. A responsive website resizes itself instantaneously for any device, whether desktop, laptop, netbook, tablet or smartphone. And it has the distinct advantage of keeping all of the practice’s site traffic going to one online destination, giving it the potential to have more authority and popularity with the search engines rather than splitting traffic between a “regular site” and a “mobile site”. Google has made it clear that having one site is best for SEO purposes, and has even recently stated on its official blog that responsive web design is it’s recommended solution for mobile optimization.

Here are 4 tips for dentists to keep in mind when optimizing their websites for mobile devices and upgrading their website to one that utilizes Responsive Web Design:

Convenience is Key – Mobile websites are all about convenience and ease of use. A dentist’s mobile website needs to be a streamlined version of the desktop website. Smartphone users are looking for specific information and need to be able to find it quickly. The practice phone number, online scheduling features, driving directions and patient testimonials all need to be part of the mobile or responsive designed website, making the information easy to find for the mobile user.
Branding is a Must – Appearance-wise, the mobile website should mirror the desktop version. Any branding elements used in the desktop version—a distinct font, the practice logo or color scheme—should remain the same in order for patients to recognize the practice, whether they are on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Having a responsive web design ensures this kind of consistency.
Mobile = Opportunity – In 2012, Pew Internet research found that 31% of Americans used their cell phones to look for health and medical information online. If your dental practice website cannot be accessed from a smartphone, the result is countless missed opportunities to connect with potential patients.
Work with a Pro – There are many self-proclaimed “experts” when it comes to website design and mobile optimization. I always recommend working with trusted professionals, especially those vendors with a history of success in the dental profession. Sesame Communications has a proven track record of creating standard, mobile and responsive design websites for my clients.

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The Role of Marketing in the Sale of Your Dental Practice

by Naomi Cooper July 9, 2013

Many questions – and emotions – arise when the topics of retirement and the potential sale of a dental practice come up. While it may not be obvious at first glance, marketing and branding will play major roles in facilitating the sale and transition.

The importance of branding should not be minimized. Branding distinguishes a practice from its competitors. Some dentists may mistakenly believe that branding is just for group practices or large corporations. But in reality, it serves to enhance the practice’s local affinity, small business sensibility, and professional feel.

Any dentist within 10 years of retirement needs to consider whether having his or her own name on the shingle makes for the best exit strategy. It’s key to be able to maximize the practice’s value when it’s time to sell, and having all of its brand equity wrapped up in the primary dentist’s name means that one of the practice’s major assets isn’t transferrable.

Additionally, branding strategy is not something that can be created overnight. It takes time and effort to build and sustain a strong brand that inspires recognition and loyalty in patients and the community. So, there is no time like the present to begin building your dental practice brand! Even dentists who are just starting to think about retirement will benefit from honing their branding strategy now.

Every dental practice owner desires to find a suitable buyer of their practice – one who will maintain the quality of care, someone the dentist feels comfortable handing off their patients of record to. Having a solid branding strategy already in place will attract more qualified and desirable buyers to the practice, thereby easing the transition.

Just as you coach your patients on the benefits of preventative care, put your recommendations to work for your dental practice. Don’t wait until retirement is just a few years away to develop a marketing strategy. Having a plan in place ahead of time is one way of ensuring a smooth transition for you and your patients.

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Quality, Not Quantity, Is the Key To Success in Social Media

by Naomi Cooper May 27, 2013

There are endless ways to participate in social media: various sites, videos, comments, sharing, blogging…the list goes on and on. For dentists, and business owners in general, who are looking to get started in social media, the sheer volume of the opportunities to engage can be overwhelming.

There is no need to get frustrated before even starting. Participating in social media is all about connecting with your patients, friends and colleagues. For example, it is better to regularly engage on Facebook (for instance) a few times every week, than to sporadically post random information on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube. Find one or two sites that are most comfortable for you, and that you know your patients are also engaged in, and start there. As your comfort level increases, you can start to branch out to more sites.

Varying your content will also help to increase the quality of your activity. This will help to keep your content fresh and engaging. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Sharing links to trade-related articles
Posting a thoughtful comment on others’ posts
Uploading a video to YouTube – the brief video could offer a tour around your office, or an update on the latest technology in the office
Commenting every blog that you read
Posting photos
Responding to patients’ feedback when shared online

And one more aspect of Quality as it relates to social media would be Consistency. Posting one article every few weeks is not going to build your audience. Create a social media calendar for your office, and continually engage on a regular basis. Your audience will start to know when to expect to see your information, and you will be building credibility along the way.

Getting started in social media can seem daunting at first. By putting a little thought into your strategy, and creating a plan of action, you will be on your way in no time at all.

Have you integrated a social media marketing plan for your practice? What were some of your initial successes? Do you have any advice for those looking to get started? Please share your ideas below.

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Branding Strategies for Dentists: Why It’s More Than Just Advertising

by Naomi Cooper April 16, 2013

As marketing guru John Jantsch says, branding is the art of being knowable, likeable and trustable. To be knowable, a dental practice has to be both visible and noteworthy; people have to know the practice exists, and as if that weren’t enough of a challenge, they also have to remember the practice’s name in their hour of need.

A dental practice’s brand is conveyed not only through traditional marketing tactics, but also by incidental and sometimes even accidental means; the way financial concerns are addressed over the phone, the tone in the receptionist’s voice when she greets a new patient, the way the doctor compliments the assistant, and even the first impression new patients have when they walk through the front door. Clinical skills, customer service, the carpet in the reception area, the greeting patients hear over the phone—each of these are part of the patient experience, and thus, the practice’s brand.

A practice’s brand communicates the distinctive combination of skills, personality, values and expertise that influence the way dentists practice—and how the community views them. Every practice is different, and every dentist has something exceptional to offer. Branding establishes a practice’s unique identity, ensures patient loyalty, and most importantly, has the potential to keep dentists in the driver’s seat when it comes to their reputations. Branding is about communicating a message—and dentists who employ a branding strategy will ensure their patients get the message loud and clear.

What is a brand? And why should dentists employ a branding strategy? Click here to read my recent article on the topic published in Dental Products Report.

Does your dental practice have a brand identity? How do you think potential patients, and your community, view your practice?

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Facebook for Dentists: Why Check-ins Matter to Your Practice

by Naomi Cooper April 3, 2013

Maybe you have heard of Facebook’s new Graph Search. Even if you haven’t, the latest Facebook update is worth learning about to make your dental practice Facebook page most effective.

Graph Search is a new search engine within Facebook. When it is officially rolled out, users will be able to search for information, such as “Restaurants in Manhattan”, just as they would on Google or Bing. The results that appear within Facebook however will be based on the user’s friends’ interactions, Likes and check-ins, with the idea being that you will be more likely to try something that your friends have also tried.

What are check-ins?

When a Facebook user wants to share their location, they “check-in” to the restaurant, shop, or almost anywhere they might be, making it appear in their News Feed for their friends to see.

Check-ins are growing increasingly important for businesses with Facebook Pages in terms of increasing visibility. Whereas if a user Likes something on Facebook, it will be seen by the user’s friends in their news feed.

If a user checks-in to a location, that activity is not only broadcast to their friends, but also to their friends’ friends – exponentially increasing the number of people potentially seeing the business.

And why are check-ins important for a dental practice?

Getting your patients to check in when they come into your office for an appointment will increase your dental practice visibility on Facebook and online since Facebook activity plays a role in SEO. The more easily people find your practice online, the more likely they are to make their first appointment.

How can dentists utilize Facebook check-ins?

– Signage around the office: Have tented cards or small signs visible in the waiting room and at the front desk to remind patients to check-in when they arrive.

– Arming your team: Make sure that everyone on the team knows what check-ins are, why they are important, and how to instruct patients to check in if they themselves do not know.

– Check-in contests: Set up a small raffle or contest for patients where anytime they check-in, they get entered to win a small prize. It doesn’t have to be anything extravagant, but adding an element of fun to the check-in can help increase the activity. Just be sure to adhere to the Facebook contest guidelines.

Facebook is still testing and finishing the Graph Search feature, so the true impact of check-ins remains to be seen. What we already know is that check-ins and Likes are only getting more important, and are proving to be strong drivers not only for Facebook visibility but for SEO purposes as well.

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