Dental Relationship Marketing

Archive for the ‘Internet Dental Marketing’ Category

In 2010 consumer expectations will drive dentists to change the way they market online.  Patients shopping for a dentist will not only expect you to have a website, they will also want to see what other information is available about you.  In fact they may even want to know what their friends, and the friends of their friends, also think of you.

Consider for a moment how important ratings and details have become in the book and travel markets.  People now not only want to see photos of the hotel they are considering, they may also want to see video, comments from recent travelers and they may search out several other travel sites to compare information.

This high level of research is not only being done by those “seeking out the best deal”, MarketTools recently revealed a study indicating affluent visitors (with annual incomes of more than $75K) are most likely to research products online before buying (43%). While the power of personal testimonials will live on, consumers will want to view as much information as possible before making decisions about buying everything from hotel rooms to healthcare.

In 2010, consider whether your website needs remodeling.  Get comfortable with the thought of video, if not of yourself, perhaps a team member or hire professional talent.  Provide pictures of your practice, even better would be 360 degree tours of your practice’s highlights.  Participate in social media, such as Facebook—focus on your niche.  When you reveal your true self (or brand) online it will in fact attract patients who want exactly what you have to offer.

This was the fifth of my five 2010 dental marketing predictions composed for my friends at DentalPlanet.

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Without successful word of mouth strategies in place, social media marketing will fail.  This is the third of my 2010 dental marketing predictions.  Social marketing is not a “build it and they will come” tactic …

For example, a traditional magazine ad required you to build your ad, write the check to pay for it, and perhaps sit and wait for it to work.  Social media marketing requires ongoing effort—sort of like maintaining a yard.  You’ll always need to tend to it or it will die.

Practices well versed in referral marketing strategies, those who understand what it takes to make traditional word of mouth succeed, will likely find social media a remarkable opportunity. On the other hand, those practices looking for fast fixes, immediate floods of new patients or those who practice off-and-on “when we have time” marketing will be quickly disappointed in social media.

It’s happening already.  Check out Facebook, and you’ll find dozens of abandoned dental practice pages.  Pages were created, and for whatever reason were left ignored.  Most commonly I hear, “We just don’t have time”, “We don’t know what to say”, “It didn’t work”, etc.  Here are a few successful word of mouth marketing elements to keep in mind with social media:

• Communicate well and be responsive.
• Be personable (yet you don’t have to get personal).
• Be yourself, authenticity is in.
• Make one specific person in your office responsible for regularly maintaining and monitoring your efforts (it helps if they are people oriented, motivated—and for social media, have good web 2.0 skills).
• Be patient.

Social media marketing efforts will build results for the long term.  As with referral and word of mouth marketing, focus on building quality relationships and communities first—the benefits will follow.

What are your thoughts?

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In 2010, consider patient relations as patient interactions during which many of their friends observe … My second 2010 dental marketing prediction is “The internet and social media will magnify patient relations – for better or worse”.

A report from Morgan Stanley revealed how many years it has taken each media industry to reach fifty million users. Radio took 38 years, followed by television at 13 years. The Internet seemed to win at 4 years, until Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months.

Never before has media accommodated social interaction at the level and speed we experience today. What that means for dental practices (and all businesses) is that patient relations (customer service) must be exemplary if you wish to attract new business online.  Bad word of mouth can spread at viral speed … read more at DentalPlanet.

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Read the first of my five 2010 Dental Marketing Predictions, just released by my friends at DentalPlanet. Prediction #1 is “Relationship Marketing Will Dominate Traditional Marketing” …

Changing consumer behavior, the Internet and social media will continue to fuel a major shift in the direction of marketing and advertising. The internet will continue to squeeze out phonebook ads and newspaper subscriptions.  Television commercials will continue to be skipped—a result of the growing proliferation of DVR’s … and Pepsi is ending 23-years of super bowl ads, while shifting the budget to new media.

Social media such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, blogs, etc. will continue to capture the attention of your patients.  Add to this the fact that today, 6% of consumers say they believe marketers’ ad claims … which means 94% don’t (source: Forrester).

Read more, see what others think about the predictions, and enter to win cool Prize Packages, including BestBuy gift cards, Free Website, $500 off Equipment, Intraoral Camera, A Curing Light, a copy of my ebook “Referral Marketing How-To System For Dentists”  & more at DentalPlanet.com.

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Join us!  We’re partnering up with Korey Korfiatis at DDSBrand to present a Social Media & Referral Marketing Seminar for Dentists …

Many dental practices are finding themselves pondering the question, “Can social networking tools like Facebook, Twitter and web video truly help me attract new patients and grow referrals?” “Is it all just a trend? or is new media truly being consumed more than traditional media?”

Learn about this and much more.  Rita will present with Korey on one day only, Friday, February 26, 2010 in lovely Seattle (The Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue, WA).  Register at DDSBrand.  We look forward to seeing you!

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Social media marketing may prove difficult for some dentists—as well as many other businesses …  Seth Godin said, “Social media processes build results for the long haul“.  I agree, and would also add referral and relationship marketing to that point.

For example, you may not be able to immediately measure the value of your exceptional patient relations skills, however they’ll likely impact your referrals.  Focus on building communities on Facebook and acquiring quality followers on Twitter for relationship purposes first—and the benefits will follow.

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Quality patient relations skills are key to successful relationship building, both in person and in online social networks …  Read why dental teams should assess their patient relations skills before implementing a social media marketing strategy in the Metropolitan Denver Dental Society’s Articulator Magazine, pg 1.

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Recent social media seminars for dentists have sold-out here in Denver.  As demand in online marketing continues to grow, likewise the number of new challenges grows …

The number one concern I hear from dentists about marketing via Facebook is “privacy”.  Dentists, and team members, are worried about patients accessing their personal Facebook accounts once they participate on behalf of a practice/business Facebook page. However, once we review the appropriate privacy settings for personal accounts, that hurdle is easily overcome.

In fact, it’s a good idea to set a Facebook guideline for your practice such as: If posting, commenting or interacting on behalf of the practice (on the practice page), please be sure your privacy settings are set as “private” for your personal Facebook account.  This will help ensure that team members personal lives remain separate from the practice.

November 2009 Sold-Out Social Media Session # 1

Rita Zamora Pre-Seminar Preparation

Social Media Seminar Downtown Denver Warwick Hotel

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Read all about it in the Metropolitan Denver Dental Society’s August/September 2009 Articulator Magazine, page 3.

Are you Facebooking, Tweeting or blogging for your practice?  What’s your experience so far?

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You remember the phrase, “Never mix business with pleasure” … However, with good old word-of-mouth producing today’s most effective dental marketing results, we may need to rethink that phrase.

Do you find socializing, nurturing relationships and being personable a pleasure? If so, consider mixing a bit of “pleasure” with your business.

Referral marketing – requires quality relationships in order to thrive.  Quality relationships involve trust, loyalty, authenticity and some type of mutual sharing.  They aren’t one way or one dimensional.  It is possible to establish and maintain a “professional” business relationship with someone, whether it is a patient or a colleague, and still share a bit of personality with them.

For example, share that you are feeling melancholy because you are taking your daughter off to college this weekend.  Tell them about the volunteer effort you just returned from, or how excited you are because you and your wife are expecting your third son.

Keep in touch with patients, and not just twice a year when you see them for check-ups.  Initiate additional contacts on a regular basis via email news, Twitter tips, hardcopy newsletters, etc.

Social Marketing – setting up a Facebook page and posting nothing but dental facts is like candy-coating medicine that tastes bad. Not very fun.  The word “social” exists in social marketing to express the fact this medium should be treated like no other marketing medium in the past.

Whether Facebook or a newsletter, patients enjoy learning about people—and they socialize, interact and build relationships with people, not things.

Patients won’t refer their friends to you because of your Cerec© technology.  Rather they’ll refer to you because of your relationship, the way you make them feel and the trust they have in you.

So go ahead, be personable.  Mix a little fun in with your marketing and your interaction with your patients.  Keep in touch on a regular basis, be authentic, have a genuine interest in your patients as individuals, and watch your word-of-mouth referrals grow.

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