In a previous Daily Grind post I discussed the Pareto Principle, whereby it is my contention that 20% of our practice success is due to our clinical knowledge and skills and 80% is from everything else. I like to talk about that 80%. (https://www.agd.org/about-agd/publications-news/daily-grind/the-daily-grind/2020/05/19/the-pareto-principle)
And knowing that Mindset + Systems + Consistency = Success, I talk about how we can create inexpensive systems, done consistently, with the right attitude, can transform our business for long term success. One of those systems, if done consistently, are what I call our Moments of Magic…whereby there are 10+ moments that we can do that changes how our patients respond to us and become raving fans who pay their bills, show up for their appointments schedule their next appointment, and refer their family and friends (what I refer to as Pay, Stay, Repeat and Refer).
In this blog series I will outline each one of those Moments of Magic. The second one is “our online presence”.
Our website is the hub of all our online marketing and presence. After looking at reviews, our patients will go to the website second and social media third.
I know some colleagues spend thousands of dollars monthly on SEO (search engine optimization). I think that is a complete waste of money. How many new patients do you really get that came directly from your website? Marketing professionals consistently say that you should get a 3:1 return on your marketing dollars. So if you spend $1000.00 on your website, it should garner you $3000 in new dental treatment.
Make sure your website looks great, has great design, and easy to navigate. Make sure it has video and reviews attached to it, as well as links to Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and whatever other social media you may be engaged in (LinkedIn, TikTok, Pinterest, Tumblr, others?).
Then make sure that your website is tied to Google Maps and Apple Maps. The majority of people searching for dentists, without any prior personal recommendations, is to type in ‘Dentist near me.’ If you have done your map connections correctly, and your clinic is physically close to the person entering the question, you will be near the top of the list on the front page, regardless of your SEO. And the best part? Listing on Google and Apple Maps is free! So is listing on Yelp. Personally, I like free.
Your website is your opportunity to tell the world about who you are, what you like to do, what is unique about you and your team, your interests, passions and more. Just make sure you do not make clear statements of superiority as you will fall afoul of your provincial or state regulatory body.
And then there is social media. Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Instagram all reach different members of my patient base. Most of our patients see us briefly a couple of times a year. Social media is a way to keep our patients connected to us when they are not in our office and are receiving all kinds of other marketing efforts from other providers.
But do not make all of your social media entries to be about dentistry. Using the Pareto Principle, 20% of your posts should be dental and 80% should be everything else. What should they be? In another previous blog (http://agdblogs.blogspot.com/2014/08/insights-into-communication.html) I discuss how our patients (team members and more) can be divided into 4 personality types based on the work of Hippocrates, Carl Jung and William Marsden. Our social media posts should reach all four types…and therefore a variety of posts need to be made.
Some will be looking for what we do from a leadership standpoint. What do we support? What do we stand for? What do we reject?
Others will be interested in what social events we have attended? Books we have read? Movies, concerts, plays we have attended?
Some will want to know about what charitable efforts we are doing? How are we making the world a better place, locally, state/provincially, nationally and/or internationally?
And yet others will be looking at how well coordinated all of our efforts are. Do they seem seamless? Professional? Organized?
You know the other thing I like about social media? It’s free! And it works, if you put the time in to make it work. Have fun with it and your patients will respond, comment and share.
The second moment of magic for someone who is new to our practice family is that they will be checking us out online. We need to put our best selves forward and be authentic, human, real (or whatever other buzzword is popular now).
Hope this helps. On the third Moment of Magic I will discuss the first phone call.
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