By Naomi Cooper, Chief Marketing Consultant, Pride Institute
Establishing an online presence is an essential marketing strategy for dentists today. There are several places to create an online profile, with some websites and social media sites providing a bigger return on investment of your time and energy.
YouTube is now the Internet’s second largest search engine, with over 2 billion views per day. Having several one- to two-minute videos on both the practice’s website and a YouTube channel can be an effective part of a comprehensive online marketing strategy, and can also be an epic win in terms of search engine optimization.
The videos play into Google’s algorithmic preference for rich media and fresh, relevant content, so your practice website is listed higher in Google searches for the keywords you tag in your videos, which helps you to reach a larger audience and more prospective new patients. And remember, Google owns YouTube, so this preference is no accident! Another benefit is that prospective patients are able to learn firsthand what the atmosphere and culture are like in the practice before ever stepping foot through your door — a huge advantage over a static, boring website.
1. Go to www. YouTube.com. If you have a Google account, or an account for the practice, log on to YouTube with your Google account information. If the practice does not yet have a Google account, follow the steps to create one.
2. Complete the Profile (also known as your Channel on YouTube) with information such as address, website, phone number, etc. Consider including your practice philosophy and/or practice mission statement.
3. Personalize your Channel by clicking on the Channel Settings link.
4. Choose your logo, or perhaps a photo of the dentist to use as the “Avatar,” similar to a profile picture on Facebook.
5. Upload any practice-related videos you have. This could include a video tour of the practice, a brief introduction by the dentist, or a welcome video. Be sure to hold off from using any videos that include patients until they’ve signed a Video Release Form (you can Google that term to find a sampling of forms online).
YouTube account best practices
• Keep your channel fresh by uploading new videos on a regular basis. Posting new videos consistently at the same time of the month will help build your YouTube following.
• Don’t worry about the video quality too much, an iPhone or FlipCam video will suffice.
• Strive to keep the videos less than two minutes. Large brands often post their television commercials on YouTube. Keep this in mind when posting your own videos, and keep them conversational, casual, and short and sweet.
• As soon as you upload a new video to your account, be sure to also post links to it on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn profiles, as well as your dental practice blog and website. This will maximize the reach of the video, while also providing fresh content for these profiles.
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Tuesday Tips from Pride Institute are provided weekly on their Facebook page as well as in this column in DentistryIQ. To ensure you don’t miss any of Pride Institute’s proven methods to take your practice to the next level, visit www.prideinstitute.com, and like them on Facebook.
