On occasion, I like to post a guest post on my blog from someone who has a message that I know you would appreciate. Today I am thrilled to publish a post by my friend Eddie Stephens (www.dentalcopywriter.com). He is Spot On with his comments about how to build your value as a Dental Professional. If you don’t already know Eddie, you should get to know him. He’s an awesome resource.
3 Ways Content Increases Your Value as a Dental Professional
By Eddie Stephens
Is expertise overrated? You build your dental practice on the qualification that you know what you’re doing as a dental professional.
But knowledge is no guarantee of filling your appointment schedule. Sharing your expertise is a more effective practice building strategy.
Before Charlie Steinmetz died in 1923 he held over 200 patents. Steinmetz spent most of his career working for General Electric.
When he retired in 1902 he took a teaching position at Schenectady Union College in Schenectady, New York. Henry Ford later called on Steinmetz to return to GE when a complex system needed his expert diagnosis and repair.
Steinmetz agreed to share his expertise. He returned to examine the broken system, located the malfunctioning part, and marked it with a piece of chalk.
Steinmetz submitted a bill to General Electric for $10,000. Henry Ford thought the bill was too high for such a simple diagnosis and requested an itemized invoice for Steinmetz’s brief consultation.
Steinmetz returned the following:
1. Making a chalk mark – $1
2. Knowing where to place it – $9,999
Making “chalk marks”
You diagnose, treatment plan, and treat patients. You build your dental practice on your expertise.
Practice building is essentially about communicating your knowledge. And successful dental practice marketing creates a platform that highlights your expertise to the masses.
3 Ways to Communicate Your Expertise and Increase Your Value as Dental Professional
1-Diagnose your dental website content
Brochures once dominated practice marketing strategy. And many dental practice websites are now nothing more than an electronic brochure.
Websites that resemble a brochure are ineffective at marketing your expertise. Smiling face images tell a story but most appear generic and aren’t compelling.
Diagnose your dental practice website by taking a fresh, critical look at your site’s copy. New and current patients find you these days via your website content.
Use Charlie Steinmetz’s approach on your web copy today. Two words are the “chalk mark” that determine whether or not people discard your website like a slick brochure (you have 3.5 seconds on average once they land on your website) or search your beneficial expertise.
Here’s your two-word diagnostic “chalk mark”: So What! Say those two words as you read your web copy.
Features (so what) tell. Benefits (your expertise) sell.
2-Showcase your dental blog
Blogging is an essential entry-point dental marketing strategy. Your blog page shines a brighter spotlight on your dental expertise than a generic smile image on your website home page.
Keep your blog simple. A dental blog is a place to inform, engage, and inspire without industry-speak.
Make a list of topics to post (write) about. What are your patients telling you about their concerns, fears, etc.?
Scan your reviews. What are patients saying on their post-appointment reviews?
Keep your voice conversational. Write like you would talk to a friend over drinks or dinner.
Deliver practical, actionable content on your blog. Readers will return for more, tell others, and fill your appointment schedule.
3-Be a social dental practice
Social media is here to stay. Avoid it, debate its effectiveness, or whine about your lack of time to maximize it – but it’s not fading away.
The days of solely marketing your dental practice via a direct mail postcard, a Yellow Pages ad, or – if budget allows – a radio or TV spot, are diminishing.
Why limit yourself? Social media has a proven return on investment when used and managed effectively.
Social media helps eliminate barriers. And it’s how consumers (your patients) are interacting with service providers, products, and brands.
Evaluate your social media presence. Do you have one?
Start with a Facebook page (expand later with Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, InstaGram, etc.). Update it daily with links to your blog posts, practice promotions, fun contests, team member profiles, etc.
Be creative and responsive to “comments,” “likes,” and “shares.” Seek help when necessary.
Your expertise is your capital. Diagnose, strategize and use these content tools to build your practice.
How are you most comfortable sharing your expertise as a dental professional?
