Dentists have started health marketing relatively late in the game and quite rightly wonder whether there is merit to the type of time and energy they are putting in to strengthen their brand, attract new patients and exert their authority.
This thought is being considered in every office across the country. Why not be the one who makes use of it successfully and stands out in the crowd?!
Quality Content Fills the Cavity
Did you know that content marketing is actually less expensive than traditional marketing? Just think of the money you spent on mailers that go into people’s homes and into their trash!
According to a study by DemandMetric, “The quality of work does not always correspond to the cash on hand. The difference? Great content trumps the size of a budget every time, and that comes when we blaze new trails, take leaps, and meet our audience where they are.”
5 Statistics that Highlight Successful Content Marketing
1. Mobile vs. Desktop
Studies show that viewers read from their mobile devices by more than 42% to 51% as compared to a desktop. (From SmartInsights).
Providing a consumer-friendly and efficient mobile experience for viewers gives you a leg up on your competitors who are failing to do so. The thing is, having your content creation formatted in a mobile-friendly way is neither difficult nor costly. The thing is, the format is not the same for both. Check out your content on a mobile device to see how it looks before losing your viewership.
2. Short vs. Long Copy
According to studies by SearchMetrics, the average word count of Google’s top ranking content is 1,140 – 1,285 words. SearchMetrics points out that “the importance of quality, relevant content cannot be understated.”
Long-form content is one way to create engaging informative and relevant content for your viewers and followers.
With all the health information now online, viewers and prospective patients want to arrive at a site that gives the whole picture of the topic they are searching for where all their questions are answered and the topic is covered in depth including the latest breakthrough news. A long-form guide accomplishes this. Just bear in mind that your content should be in sync with the services you provide.
3. Importance of Blogging
Unlike just a few years ago, dentists are joining the rest of the public in blogging.
Shockingly, there are 2 million blogs posted every day according to MarketingProfs. So it’s no longer effective to just post anything and everything that comes to mind or what you did socially.
In order to get patients to your site and attract prospective readers over your colleagues, you must be relevant, in sync with your field and your services and engaging. Remember, it may be easy to create content, but to create content that stands out so that you can dominate your blogosphere world, is not easy without effort. However, putting in the effort will be worth it, bringing in new patients, growing your practice and increasing your revenue.
4. Curate Your Content
It is not easy to be creative consistently. This is where curation comes in. According to Curata,
“82% of companies with over 600 marketers, have a specific process in place for repurposing content.”
By repurposing content, you can get the maximum use out of the content that you have already created. Taking a topic that is trending and writing a long form blog guide will also give you enough information to produce an ebook as a premium or bonus for a call-to-action like signing up for blogs or newsletters (which then enables you to include them into your ever-growing database). Consider also using it for video marketing, audios, info graphics, white papers and social media.
According to the SocialMediaExaminer “68% of business-to-business marketers and business to consumer marketers use blogging in their social media marketing.” Their studies reveal that this content actually ranked higher than both podcasting and video marketing- Good news for those that are not skilled in creating them.
Content marketing needs relevancy and in-depth information to strengthen you and your practice as a brand. Figure out what your patients want and give it to them- it’s that easy. After working with patients daily and weekly, you must have a good idea of what problems and questions they are struggling with. By giving them the solutions to these problems, you will be their hero!
5. Video Marketing
As health marketing becomes more sophisticated, new ways are constantly being added to attract prospective patients to grow a practice along with maintaining current patients.
Videos have been a great method of differentiating one practice and website from all others in their field. By watching a video, viewers can understand the scope of a dentist’s services, the way in which procedures are performed and why, or even what a patient may expect upon arriving at the dental office. It is far more memorable than reading a description alone.
Creating small videos with a smart device still works well; it’s not necessary to spend a fortune on professionally shot videos.
Benefits of videos:
- Video sharing increases your visibility and audience (92% of mobile video users share videos with others)
- Prospective patients are more likely to make an appointment with you rather than the dentist down the street (52% of consumers say that watching product videos makes them more confident in online purchase decisions)
- Sharing is likely (70% of consumers say that they have shared a brand’s video)
- As your video is shared, assuming it is engaging and captivating, those who view it will be more likely to check your practice out along with your website and make that appointment to consult with you.
A video of a webinar or an interview that you gave makes a great short video that highlights your services, and benefits, differentiating you from others in your field. Remember- “Perception is everything!”
Your next action
If you’d like to get more active in content marketing but it is too time-consuming for you, no worries…outsource it! Contact Barbara@TheMedicalStrategist.com and we can discuss your needs, customizing a stellar marketing program for you.
