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Dental Marketing

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Social Media Marketing: Why the 80/20 Rule is Your Key to Success

by Naomi Cooper March 26, 2014

Social Media Marketing: Why the 80/20 Rule is Your Key to SuccessSocial media has taken the dental marketing industry by storm. Sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ give dentists countless opportunities to stay connected with patients like never before.

Check out these stats:

  • 72% of online adults were using social networking sites
  • 8 in 10 social media users in the US would rather connect with companies via social media than via corporate websites

Engagement is the name of the game when it comes to social media marketing for dentists and in order to build your followers and keep them connected long-term, a good rule of thumb is to abide by the 80/20 rule.

What is the 80/20 rule? 80% of the content you share should be of interest and value to your audience; 20% of your content can be about your practice.

Think of it in terms of a face-to-face conversation. Ever been in a conversation where the other person only talks about themselves the entire time? It’s annoying. It’s rude. And it’s extremely off-putting. I bet you couldn’t get out of the conversation fast enough.

The same idea can be applied to social media engagement. Think about your audience, and what interests them, and tailor your social media posts accordingly. Your patients will be much more likely to engage with you when you share content they find appealing, and you’ll be on your way to building a powerful social media presence.

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LinkedIn for Dentists

by Naomi Cooper March 11, 2014

LinkedIn for DentistsSo much of what is written about social media focuses on Facebook, with Twitter and YouTube following closely behind. A recent article published on DentistryIQ.com says that LinkedIn should not only be included in the mix but should actually be #1 on a dentist’s social media To-Do list.

The article asserts that LinkedIn users are more likely to fall into your target patient profile, with an average user age of 44 years and an average income of over $100,000. While those figures sound impressive, and I agree LinkedIn should be a part of a dentist’s marketing mix, I still encourage my clients to build solid profiles on Facebook, Twitter and/or YouTube. When it comes to online marketing, LinkedIn is fundamentally different from these sites. Here’s why:

LinkedIn is an online networking site, focusing primarily on business-to-business relationships. Most dentists have a business-to-consumer strategy, which is not to say that LinkedIn does not have a very real place in dental marketing, but rather that it should not replace other social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter where users are more comfortable with interacting with brands.

Also, when it comes to most social media sites, I recommend my clients build their profiles under the name of the practice rather than in the individual dentist. This builds an overall consistent branding strategy for the practice, and consolidates for a group practice what could be several profiles into one powerful all-inclusive profile.

With that said, my recommendation for LinkedIn would be slightly different. You can build a LinkedIn business page for your practice but it is also important to have an individual profile for each dentist first. Again, as LinkedIn is primarily to be used for professional networking, it is all about relationship-building. LinkedIn users connect with other like-minded professionals, some of whom may be your patients. Others may be fellow dentists, specialists, doctors, business owners, community leaders, and referral sources…yes, they may turn to you for dental services, but they can also be great sources of information when it comes to running a successful business.

If you are reading this and thinking you don’t have time to squeeze another site into your social media plan, think about automating your updates through sites such as Hootsuite. But automating your posts doesn’t equate to a “set it and forget it” mentality. Social media is about engagement — so if someone directly contacts you, be sure to take a few minutes to acknowledge them.

LinkedIn definitely should be a part of your online strategy but remember its unique purpose: professional networking. When used in conjunction with other social media sites, LinkedIn can be yet another tool in your social media arsenal!

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Goal Setting: How to Achieve Dental Marketing Success

by Naomi Cooper December 30, 2013

Goal Setting: How to Achieve Dental Marketing SuccessAhhh…The beginning of a new year. A time for resolutions and plans, both personally and professionally. It’s relatively easy to come up with a list of new goals to accomplish over the next 12 months, but do you notice a stalemate when it comes to taking the first, second and third steps needed in order to take action to achieve your goals?

You’re not alone. A recent online article from Healthcare Success Strategies talks about the 7 Deadly Sins of Healthcare Marketing and how to identify the roadblocks to productivity. It is a terrific read for dental practice owners, and extremely timely as we enter 2014.

In terms of dental marketing, a common goal I often hear is to “increase social media activity”. This sounds great in theory, but goals should be more specific. How do you plan to increase your activity? What social media sites will you use? How do you define “increase”? A better-stated goal might be: Post 3 times per week to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. When stated like this, your action plan is more clearly defined — and more measurable.

Setting annual marketing goals is a necessary habit to keep your dental practice moving forward, but setting short-term, specific objectives to help you reach them is often the first step towards achieving success in marketing.

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Minoa Marketing Featured in Dentistry IQ Annual 100 Tips Article for 2013

by Naomi Cooper December 22, 2013

Minoa Marketing Featured in Dentistry IQ Annual 100 Tips Article for 2013Every year Dentistry IQ publishes a list of 100 Tips from Practice Management Experts. Minoa Marketing President Naomi Cooper is happy to be included this year in the Marketing category. Read her advice along with other great tips from other dental marketing specialists.

And be sure to check out the full compilation and wealth of knowledge offered from dental industry experts across all areas of practice management.

Terrific insight to get your practice started off in the right direction in 2014!

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Catch up with Minoa Marketing on Pinfex.com!

by Naomi Cooper September 22, 2013

Catch up with Minoa Marketing on Pinfex.com!Thanks to Pinfex for the mention on their latest blog “Most Compelling Dental Articles of Summer 2013 – Did You Miss Them?“. One of my recent Inside Dentistry articles was included in the Pinfex list, where I touch on the importance of creating and maintaining a dental practice marketing budget. The blog is a terrific resource for dentists, compiling informative articles on all facets of dental practice management. It is an honor to be included amongst other renowned dental industry professionals.

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Tools for Dentists: Sample Press Release Templates

by Naomi Cooper September 22, 2013

Tools for Dentists: Sample Press Release TemplatesOne 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 or a new practice logo is, “How do we tell our community about this exciting news?”

When it comes to alerting the community at large about the practice’s news, a news release (also known as a press release) is the best format – it can be sent to local newspapers, magazines, websites, radio & TV stations and serves as a standard format for communicating to the media. For a sample dental practice news release template, scroll down and of course, and feel free to copy and paste for your individual use.

1. Sample template for a New Practice Grand Opening:

<<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING

Local dentist, <<DENTIST(S)NAME>>, announces the opening of <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> to provide area patients with top-notch quality dental care

<<CITYNAME>> – <<DATE>> <<DENTISTNAME>> is proud to announce the official opening of <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> at <<PRACTICEADDRESS>>. The mission of the practice is to provide the local <<CITY/NEIGHBORHOODNAME>> community with high quality dental care with a specific focus and attention to patients.

“<<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> is a <<SPECIALTY>> practice, specializing in the <<SERVICESOFFERED>>,” says <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> founder, <<DENTISTNAME>>.  “To celebrate our grand opening, we are hosting an Open House on <<DATE>> from <<TIME>>. We invite our patients, friends, neighbors and colleagues to stop by our practice, meet our team and familiarize themselves with the new location.”

Founded in <<INSERTYEAR>> by oral health expert, <<DENTISTNAME>>, <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> works to enhance the overall health of the local community through each and every patient, and always welcomes new patients.

About <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>>  & Founder, <<DENTISTNAME>>

Insert Bio here. Consider including the following information:

– Year practice was founded and/or length of time the practice has been in operation

– Relevant school experience

– Location of the practice / contact information

– Link to practice website / blog / social media profiles

 ###

2. Sample template for a Dental Practice Website Launch:

<<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> LAUNCHES NEW PRACTICE WEBSITE

Local dentist, <<DENTIST(S)NAME>>, to provide the latest news and updates in the oral health industry to patients and the greater community at large

<<CITYNAME>> – <<DATE>> <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> is proud to announce the official launch of its new website at <<HYPERLINKWEBSITEADDRESS>>. Geared toward current patients and the local community, this website and blog will feature the latest dental industry news and trends as well as insightful commentary with a particular focus on building and maintaining an overall healthy lifestyle.

“The goal of <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>>’s new website is to serve as an online resource where patients, neighbors and fellow dentists can turn to for up-to-the-minute information and advice for all their oral health needs,” says <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> founder, <<DENTISTNAME>>. “ We aim to produce original content of interest to our patients, colleagues and the local community who are committed to learning more about the importance of good oral health habits, while having the opportunity to familiarize our practice with the community at large.”

Founded in <<INSERTYEAR>> by oral health expert, <<DENTISTNAME>>, <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> has become recognized in the local community for high quality dentistry with a special focus on patients. <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>> works to enhance the overall health of the local community through each and every patient, and always welcomes new patients.

About <<DENTALPRACTICENAME>>  & Founder, <<DENTISTNAME>>

Insert Bio here. Consider including the following information:

– Year practice was founded and/or length of time the practice has been in operation

– Relevant school experience

– Location of the practice / contact information

– Link to practice website / blog / social media profiles

 ###

 

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