Ask Jan Hill

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Here’s the deal – if your dental practices is like most practices, you’re still operating in the old-school model of self-promotion.  Maybe you’ve ventured out a bit and advertised in the newspaper, or have an ad in the yellow pages.

The cold truth is the heyday of Yellow Pages is behind us.  When is the last time you picked up a telephone book?  Most people “Google” when they need a telephone number, or when they are researching a subject, like a new dentist.  What you need to succeed is the formula for marketing in the technological, economic, and cultural climate of 2012 and beyond.

The web isn’t just for geeks anymore. It is how we ALL find information anymore, whatever the topic.  It’s where your patients and prospective patients are and it’s where you need to be too.

The Google Test

Here’s a good example: Your potential new patient gets two recommendations and goes to Google to check you both out. The dentist down the street has a website. Maybe a nice website.  You, on the other hand, have 20 pages of search results filled with rave reviews, expert articles penned by you, photos of your fantastic work, video clips of your practice and raving testimonials.

Who do you think this prospective new patient is going to choose?

It’s NO CONTEST!

What You Can Do To Be That Practice

I regularly have dentists and office managers tell me they just don’t know how to navigate through the new Web 2.0 – how to use Facebook and Twitter.  They ask me if it’s even worth it.

My answer is an emphatic: YES!  In fact I would go so far as to say that marketing on the web is almost becoming a necessity.  Here are the top 5 things you should be doing online in 2012 to attract new patients to your practice:

1.      You need an interactive website platform.  An interactive website platform is a website that you can change – and that you do change often.  It’s where you educate your patients, share new products, offer referral incentives and develop relationships.

You NEED to be on the first page of Google and to get there, you need to be updating and changing the information on your website. If you don’t, your website will be buried on page 10 of Google and no one will ever find you.

2.     You need Video.  Google loves video and so do your potential patients.  We are not talking epic movies here, just short informational videos (less than 3 minutes) that will educate and endear you to your new and existing patients.

3.     You need Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Your interactive website needs to be optimized so that Google can find you.  Let’s face it – if you are not on the first page of Google when someone is searching for a dentist in your area, chances are your beautiful website will go unseen.  When is the last time you looked beyond the first page of results when you were searching for something online?

4.     You need a Facebook Page. You need to be where your patients are, and I guarantee that 75% of your patients are on Facebook – take a poll this week- ask your patients if they have a Facebook account.  Keep track of the numbers and let me know what you find.

5.     You need to register with local directories.  This is very important – this is one of the key ways your patients will find you ‘locally’ on the web.

Don’t stay in the past – update your website to a new interactive platform – and if you don’t have a website yet, what are you waiting for?  For more information on interactive websites, video marketing, Geo Targeting Facebook and all kinds of other great tips and techniques, Go to our Facebook page and sign up immediately!  You will also receive our monthly newsletter with online marketing tips you can use.  Click here to go to sign up on Facebook.

We are always interested in your comments and suggestions.  If you liked this post, make sure and let us know below in the comment section.

Make it a Great Day!

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