Think beyond social media: Ross Idzhar shares tips on how to unlock the power of great content to use further than Instagram and Tiktok.
Engaging content is the cornerstone of effective dental marketing. But more importantly, anything crafted by a marketing team on behalf of your dental practice should also be highly versatile. To achieve greater reach, it must be designed to serve various purposes beyond the most popular social media platforms.
Maximising online reach
The digital realm offers a plethora of avenues for connecting with potential patients. From your practice website to email marketing campaigns and paid advertising, each channel serves a distinct purpose in fostering engagement and driving conversions.
Content optimised for these diverse platforms is paramount. For instance, while Tiktok thrives on bite-sized, behindthe- scenes content, your website may demand more comprehensive testimonials and case studies to captivate visitors and instil trust.
Beyond cyberspace, offline collateral such as brochures, flyers and reception/ in-chair screens also present invaluable opportunities to showcase expertise. Therefore, repurposing existing content, such as meet the team or treatment journey videos, can enrich the patient experience.
Picture this: a patient sits in the chair post-implant placement, greeted by an informative video about postoperative care instructions. It’s not just a moment of patient education; it’s a testament to your commitment to comprehensive care. Testimonial videos from past clients can be shown in the chair while patients wait and instructional videos can also be shown. All might be content created initially for digital platforms.
Empowering patients
Education lies at the heart of patient empowerment. By commissioning content that educates and informs, dentists can position themselves as trusted allies in their patients’ oral health journey.
Whether it’s that postoperative implant care video or a compilation of flossing tips, educational content is a beacon of knowledge across various touchpoints – from postoperative email follow-ups to social media shares and website resources.
There are several ways this type of content can improve a dental practice’s marketing. For instance, it:
- Builds trust: this type of content can showcase the practice’s knowledge and areas of expertise. For example, content about maintaining Invisalign aligners is crucial for achieving the best results and keeping patients’ oral health in check
- Enhances engagement: great content educates patients and empowers them to take control of their oral health by providing valuable information on preventive care, treatment options and lifestyle habits. This increased understanding leads to greater engagement with the dental practice, as patients are more likely to schedule regular check-ups, follow recommended hygiene routines and seek timely treatment when needed
- Demonstrates authority: consistent delivery of high-quality content can establish the practice as an authority in oral health, attracting patients seeking knowledgeable care
- Addresses concerns: content addresses common patient concerns, alleviates anxieties and builds confidence in the practice’s services. Blogs on topics such as ‘Demystifying the implant process’ and ‘Five things you didn’t know about composite bonding’ all help to create a sense of transparency and trust between the dental practice and its patients. By breaking down the implant process or explaining the benefits of composite bonding in easy-tounderstand language, patients can approach their dental appointments with greater confidence and peace of mind
- Improves SEO and referrals: by consistently producing high-quality, informative and engaging content across all media channels, dental practices can improve their SEO performance, attract more organic traffic and generate valuable referrals, ultimately leading to increased visibility, credibility and patient acquisition. Engaging content establishes your practice as an authority in the field, fostering trust among users and encouraging social media amplification, further expanding your reach and driving referral traffic.
Aligning content with your brand messaging
Consistency is vital to amplifying brand messaging and achieving marketing goals. Whether spearheading an Invisalign campaign or promoting general dental services, tailoring content to align with specific brand messaging is non-negotiable. Every element, from imagery to language and influencer partnerships, should seamlessly reinforce your practice’s identity and value proposition. As a marketing team, we define the brand’s values, messaging and desired perception as early as possible.
With this clarity, we shape the tone, pace and style accordingly. Dentists typically aim for professionalism with a touch of personality conveyed in a subtle yet confident manner. It is important that your marketing team is adept at striking this balance, delivering polished content with an intact personality.
Navigating content creation
Streamlining content creation necessitates leveraging cutting-edge tools and technologies. There are several useful tools to help, so we’ll try to distil it down a little.
With the advent of AI software, it’s becoming increasingly viable for practices to create content inhouse. Platforms like Canva empower marketers to design eye-catching visuals effortlessly, while smartphones are versatile content-creation hubs. Investing in online courses can equip teams with the skills to navigate the evolving digital landscape with finesse.
It is worth dividing the content creation process into the following areas:
- Planning: create a content calendar. Organise content ideas and schedule posts with tools like Trello, Asana or Google Spreadsheet. Consider keyword research and utilise tools like Semrush or Google Keyword Planner to identify keywords for SEO
- Capture: with some know-how, a mobile phone is an excellent option for practice content capture. Canva can help create visually appealing graphics and designs with its easyto- use platform. Additionally, tools like Jarvis by Conversion.ai utilise AI to generate content ideas, headlines, blog posts and more based on provided prompts. Also, Grammarly offers AI-powered writing assistance to improve grammar, punctuation and readability
- Editing: Adobe Creative Cloud’s Premiere Pro is ideal for video editing, and Photoshop is great for image editing, offering comprehensive editing capabilities. Mac users can utilise iMovie for basic video editing needs, and the Capcut app also works well for video editing
- Scheduling and posting: similar to Buffer, Hootsuite allows for scheduling and managing social media content. Later, it is handy for Instagram scheduling, offering visual planning and analytics tools
- Analytics: track website traffic, user behaviour and content performance with Google Analytics, or consider Sprout Social, a comprehensive social media management tool that includes analytics features for tracking performance across platforms.
Driving collaboration and communication
Successful collaborations between marketing agencies and practice owners hinge on clear communication and shared vision.
Regular dialogue facilitates the exchange of insights and ensures that content resonates with the practice’s target audience.
Tailor content strategies
Developing a content strategy tailored to your dental business entails a holistic approach encompassing online and offline channels. By conducting a comprehensive audit of existing assets, identifying target audience personas and setting measurable objectives, you can chart a course that maximises visibility and engagement across all touchpoints.
Consider these key things:
- Inventory and categorisation: compile and categorise all existing content assets by format, topic and platform
- Performance analysis: evaluate content performance using analytics tools to identify top-performing pieces and understand audience engagement
- Content quality: review content quality and relevance, updating or removing outdated or inaccurate content
- Audience segmentation: segment the target audience based on demographics and interests, analysing which types of content resonate most with each segment
- Gap analysis and optimisation: identify content gaps, opportunities and keywords relevant to the audience, optimising existing content and planning future content to fill these gaps. We recently saw a great use case for Adveronix. It allowed the user to download all of the practice’s Tiktok videos, output them as a PDF and upload the data to Chat GPT. They could then use Chat GPT to analyse the data, asking it to recommend the best type of content, content gaps, best times of day, performance, etc. The power of Chat GPT could provide beneficial insights and suggestions to build on.
Your content’s educational value makes it a valuable patient resource. To inform your audience further, you can use it on social media and in-practice materials. Any content should be a valuable asset that can be utilised in various ways to help achieve your marketing and business goals.
This article first appeared in Private Dentistry magazine. To receive a copy, sign up to Dentistry Club.
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