“As one dental client of mine said, “It’s not about hanging your shingle out front and waiting for new patients to come in the door anymore”. How true… Likewise, the future shows limited opportunity for sustained success with yellow page ads, newspaper ads and TV commercials. In addition, how many companies can continue to ethically contribute to landfills with wasted paper that some direct mail campaigns produce?

Today we have an abundance of fresh (environment friendly, green) marketing options available from internet marketing to social media to blogs- and referral marketing of course. The major difference between the direction marketing and advertising is headed, from that of the past, is conversation. In the past much of marketing and advertising sought to “target” new clients with specific messages. Think one-way communication. For example, you (the consumer) see what I have to tell you and then you call me (the business owner) and become my customer.

In the future (in fact, it’s happening already), the most successful marketing and advertising will be a two-way conversation. One in which businesses share authentic, relevant information with potential clients… information which allows the potential new client to research, share, interact or participate with- before they make a decision about whether they want to become your customer or not .

Some practitioners will see “conversation” marketing as a burden. For those business owners, it was easier to invest in the biggest yellow page ad or cut a check for direct mail. All that was required was building the ad and they would come- maybe. In the future, the dentists who enjoy conversation, are comfortable sharing their personality/authenticity, and are willing to invest time and energy in getting to know others will find marketing a breeze.

In the end, marketing as a conversation will allow patients to more easily find their ideal dentist. Likewise dentists who participate in marketing as a conversation will find they are more apt to attract their ideal patients- it’s truly a win-win for everyone.

What’s your opinion?

During times of economic hardship, many dental practices turn to marketing for relief. However time and again, some dentists find themselves overwhelmed with their day-to-day tasks and consequently their marketing lags behind.

If you find yourself regularly falling behind with your marketing duties, consider enlisting a “success” team. Enlist a motivated team member or dental marketing consultant to help you. In the book, “The Success Principles,” author Jack Canfield said, “Your goal is to find the top one, two or three activities that best use your core genius, bring you the most money, and produce the greatest level of enjoyment”.

If you don’t have the time or simply don’t wish to maintain your marketing, there is never a need to go it alone. Remember, the most successful marketing is a result of consistent, ongoing action. Do what you need to do- today- to protect your core genius and keep your marketing on track.

Do you need help? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com or call (303) 807-3827.

The number one best way to market is referral marketing. First and foremost, “relationship” marketing is a proven win-win for both patients and dentists. Patients won’t refer if they feel they were not treated well, and dentists who strive to provide the best patient care experiences will receive the most referrals.

The second best way to market right now is online. Online marketing is green… websites, video, online resources and social media won’t waste paper (unlike masses of direct mail, a tactic commonly used in dental marketing). Most importantly, studies show over 73% of consumers already perform online research before they make purchase decisions- which includes purchases from shampoo to cars to health care. This means it’s extremely important for you to be found online. Further once found, you’ll want to have a variety of information about yourself available. In other words, make it really easy for someone to see how great you are.

Referral and online marketing can work hand in hand for your practice. Online marketing will allow new patients to research and “shop you” before their first visit and referral marketing will help ensure a good patient experience- and, hopefully, a long term relationship built on trust (the type that motivates referrals).

So, what are you waiting for?  Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter, blogs and more await you. Don’t let the options overwhelm you, instead just choose one tactic to explore for now- and remember to have fun with it!

Have questions for Rita? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com.  Get a copy of the Referral System How-To Guidebook for Dentists.

Social media, blogs, podcasts, video… Have you heard about the massive tidal wave of marketing options that will affect us all? Dentists, marketers and businesses of every type are jumping into new territories- Facebook, LinkedIn, WordPress, YouTube, etc. But where does one go from there?

Despite all the fun, exciting new ways to technologically reach out to clients and their communities, it is still critically important to focus on the basics. Referral marketing has been, and always will be, a primary marketing strategy for most dentists. Yes, new technologies will help to enhance the relationships, referrals and practice community you already have. However technology cannot replace quality patient relation skills, communication and effective referral systems, and this is what continues to drive positive word of mouth and referrals.

Don’t let new technologies and options overwhelm you. Rather, be open, learn about and embrace new marketing opportunities. Above all else, remember referrals are evidence of good patient relations and people skills- both of which are strengths that may be enhanced by, yet never fully replaced by technology.

Need help? Contact Rita (303) 807-3827 or rita@tangiblemarketing.com. TangibleMarketing.com

Last week, the Rocky Mountain News closed its Colorado doors. As newspaper subscribers and advertisers continue to drop away, and additional newspapers fold, where do you think dentists will invest their advertising dollars?

Hopefully not in TV, with the use of DVRs, who watches commercials anymore? Note: I’m not even going to acknowledge the phonebook. My prediction is the internet and social media. Advertising and marketing is continuing to move in the direction of pull not push. Even the word pull sounds inappropriate… instead how about permission based, relationship focused, social and visible marketing where both personality and purpose matter.

The marketing of the future will allow patients to effectively “shop” a practice before their first visit. New patients will likely choose the most authentically appealing dentist they can find. Whether by word of mouth, referral or internet search, people will want to peruse research and literally see their potential new dentist online before committing to a first appointment.

They’ll want to see video of the doctor, hygienist and office décor. Patients will expect to get a feel for the personality of the practice to determine whether it is the best fit for them. Does this mean the days of going to see a doctor without knowing what to expect are gone?

Need dental marketing help? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com or call (303) 807-3827.

Remember when people were saying, “Someday every business will need a website”… or someday everyone will have a cell phone and email account?

Today, the new “must have” is a Facebook page. Are you on board yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Here are the statistics:

Growth

• More than 175 million active users
• More than half of Facebook users are outside of college
• The fastest growing demographic is those 30 years old and older

Engagement

• Average user has 120 friends on the site
• More than 3 billion minutes are spent on Facebook each day (worldwide)
• More than 3.5 million users become fans of Pages each day

If you haven’t yet embraced Facebook then you probably don’t know that other dentists, health care practices and even hospitals are getting established as we speak. The cost is free, plus your time or a team members time to maintain.

Set up a page, post photos, practice events, etc. Show some personality; however be sure to keep your postings and content consistent with your practice philosophy or brand.

Need help with referral marketing?  Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com or call Rita (303) 807-3827. Oh, and look me up on Facebook!

The correct answer is both mediums used together is best. Why? You might ask, “With so many marketing companies now offering e-newsletters, isn’t digital the best option?” The answer is no, for several reasons. Digital or e-communication (as much as I love it) cannot yet completely replace all the benefits of hardcopy.

Tangible newsletters allow people to experience news in a much different way than e-communication. Most importantly, hardcopies allow us to get away with longer articles, more photos and richer content than digital formats.

There is just something more sincere and warm about holding a tangible note, card or letter in your hands rather than scanning it on a screen… For similar reasons, highly personalized hardcopy newsletters are still key relationship and trust building tools.

At the end of the day, you want to be sure your patients have seen and absorbed all you have to convey. Ensure your marketing communication is achieving every important objective by including both email and hardcopy news in your 2009 marketing plan.

Need help with dental newsletters for yourself or your practice? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com or call Rita (303) 807-3827.

To thrive in these economic times it’s best to focus your marketing dollars on retention, case acceptance, word-of-mouth and referral strategies. Concentrate your efforts amongst those who already know and trust you rather than attempting new patient acquisition from unknown and potentially skeptical audiences.

What’s hot: Invest in improving the patient experience. Now is the time to impress patients, as more than ever they will scrutinize everything you do and say. Consumers are paying more attention to everything they spend their money on. Some may question whether they should keep spending their money with you or go elsewhere. Invest in training for you and your team and be sure your patient relations skills are finely honed. There has never been a better time to implement new techniques to increase your case acceptance rates.

Invest in referral marketing. If you don’t already have an organized referral program, get busy and create one. Actively promote your program- not just twice a year by word of mouth when patients are in your office. Be sure to promote the fact that you want referrals the whole year long. Ask verbally and in writing (No you won’t come across as a pest or seem desperate because most people are busy with life and won’t likely remember the last time you asked, even if you ask them many times per year). Make sure you invite referrals verbally, and also put your invitation in writing. Tangible forms of promotion help visual learners (about 65% of the population) to remember to refer. If you’d like to know more about this, check out my referral guidebook and learn step-by-step how to create a successful turn-key system for your practice.

Invest in your online reputation. Google yourself regularly and see where your website rates. Also be sure to police yourself… confirm the first few pages of your search come out clean, accurate and don’t contain any negative patient feedback. It makes no sense to invest in search engine optimization if you don’t even know that negative patient feedback could be found alongside your name.

Consider investing in social media. While not for everyone, when done well- and authentically, participating in sites like Facebook and other social spaces gives you an opportunity to get your name and face in front of potentially influential networks. Have fun with it. If you know nothing about social media, ask someone on your team who enjoys this to help you. Again have fun, but at the end of the day be sure whatever you or someone else posts about you maintains your personal and professional brand and represents you well.

In this economy, what’s hot now is the return you’ll get from marketing investments related to customers/patients who already know you.

What’s not hot: Investing in brand building or awareness marketing such as radio, television or expensive magazine ads. The first problem is that these mediums are not generally geographically focused. The second problem is they require much repetition and thus very large investments before they penetrate enough to work. Even in good economies these mediums can be expensive and risky investments. With a population scrutinizing every dollar, becoming more skeptical about who and where they buy from and holding-off unless it’s an emergency, it’s better to avoid these types of marketing vehicles for now.

Have a question or comment to share? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com. I’d love to hear from you!

Convert your website visitors into patient appointments and referrals… LinkboxTM is a website add-on that provides valuable marketing tools to any existing website. LinkBoxTM encourages website visitors to contact your practice, as well as refer friends. And because it’s a stand-alone product, LinkBoxTM doesn’t integrate with your current practice management systems in any way – so it’s simple to set up and start using right away.

I especially like the way the product opens the door for dialogue. Consumers today have become so accustomed to sharing their thoughts, opinions and requests through their computer keyboards… This tool gives potential new patients one more way to explore you, and gives existing patients one more way to refer you.

Watch a demo and learn more about their terrific no-risk 30 day trial here.

Lay-offs, rising grocery bills and a flood of bad economic news in the media are causing consumers to tighten their purse strings… How can dentists help to protect and even grow their practice in times like these? Here are a few smart recession marketing tips for dentists.

1) Be impeccable with the patients you already have. This includes phone, patient relation and case presentation skills. Need to know if you are impeccable or not? To diagnose your performance, try surveys, hire a ghost shopper or get an experienced consultant to observe.

2) Be REALLY impeccable with the patients you already have. How long has it been since you’ve brushed up on your case presentation skills or taken your team to a seminar or workshop about exceptional customer service. Now is the time to invest in learning everything you and your team can do to get more from the customers (patients) you already have.

3) Keep in touch. Follow up with patients- consistently and effectively. Patients will be putting off elective, cosmetic and non-emergency treatments, so make sure you maintain relationships with patients while they are saving up or waiting for some good economic news. Be sure you are top of mind when they are ready to buy dental again. This means calling patients to follow up (phone calls are quick, easy -inexpensive- and effective!), sending customized patient newsletters (consumers are now cocooning— staying home, nesting with family and they have time to read and learn more about you and your services), emailing (use email communication sparingly, make your notes brief and memorable).

4) Money, Money, Money- Make sure your fee quotes, insurance filing, payment options and related communication is flawless. People are more sensitive to money issues than ever before. Now is the time to be extra courteous, knowledgeable- and considerate of patient’s potential financial quandaries.

5) Internal marketing first, external second. Don’t spend thousands of dollars for a flashy magazine ad if you don’t have a patient referral system in place. Invest dollars to maximize internal marketing first (referral systems, sales training, newsletters, etc.), then look to external marketing tactics such as postcards, advertising, etc. This is even more important during a recession when external new patient acquisition becomes more challenging.

Need help? Or have comments to share? Email rita@tangiblemarketing.com