At the end of the day, content marketing for dentists and dental practices is all about quality
Once upon a time, there was a dental practice, and it was very successful. This dental practice knew that the secret to winning more business and growing their brand was to produce quality content for their patient base and their patients' families—content with the power to engage, persuade, and gain trust. The dental practice thrived, and they all lived happily ever after. The end.
If only it was like that in the real world. Unfortunately, when it comes to content, so many marketing agencies and dental professionals focus on metrics, measurements, and monthly results rather than quality. It’s true that clicks, likes, follows, and traffic referrals are important, but if you really want to experience optimal conversion rates, quality is where it is at. That’s right. Content is king!
The Hallmarks and Benefits of Good Quality Content
Search engines are getting better and better at sniffing out poor quality content. Algorithm updates, such as Google Penguin, are designed to give users a better search experience. If your content isn’t up to snuff, you may drop off of Google’s radar completely.
It’s difficult to curate and generate your own content. You may not be a proficient writer, you may not understand where to start, you may be blogging but not effectively using keyword structure, etc. Truth be told . . . creating content is hard. Creating consistent dental content is harder. Creating dental content to engage, inform, and inspire current and future patients is hardest.
Fortunately, there are many ways you can keep Google and your target audience happy. Here are some ways to deliver consistently good quality content across your marketing platforms.
Keywords Are Important, but Use Them Only When Necessary
Not only will too many keywords make your content seem like spam, but you could get penalized by the search engines or even removed from search engine rankings altogether. Use keywords when relevant, and research the most effective keywords so that you get the best returns from your content. Also, try to develop content that isn’t self-serving. Bring value to your end user. Give them something that enriches and improves their life. This develops trust and begins to solidify you and your dental practice as an “authority” to not only the Google algorithms, but to the public.
Write Social Content
By creating content that is attractive to social media users, you create a buzz and have a better chance of your content getting shared far and wide. Make your dental content fun. Don’t make a blog post that reads like a textbooks and delves into every scientific, multisyllable word you can remember from dental school. Keep it short, simple and easy to read. Throw in a sense of humor and give the reader some insight into your personality. There may be thousands of dentists out there, but there is only one dentist like you. Find out what about you, your practice, your treatment options, etc. makes you different. Better. What gives you an edge? Once you find it . . . blast it! Start building your dental marketing strategy and content strategy around your uniqueness. People want something that resonates instead of repeats.
Create Useful Content
By creating content that is of great use and interest to your target audience, you generate trust and give your visitors a reason to return. Content that solves a problem or gives away useful information for free will make your website irresistible to search engines and visitors alike. Quality dental content doesn’t have to be boring. Make it fun! Everyone needs a dentist in their life. Thanks to technology, you have the opportunity to engage and interact with your patient base all-day, every-day. Keep your patients informed and making healthy dental choices. Show them you care. That you want to provide them quality care from a genuine motivation of concern for their health. People want that connection and care. Give them that. Use your content to convey that, and watch what happens in your practice.
Write Engaging Content on Other Websites
Writing guest blogs on good quality websites is a great way to generate interest in your website and also get traffic by way of back links. Just make sure you choose relevant and reputable websites so that you target the right audience and protect your reputation. Look into what dental publications are out there and offer to write a feature for their site. Contact local publications and ask if they’d like an oral health feature. Put your content on LinkedIn or Pinterest. Whatever you can think of, go for it! Put yourself out there!
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me! I have options available for any of your dental content needs and would love to help you find your practice’s voice.
Sean Hamel is marketing director for HinrichsZenk+Pesavento LLC (HZP), with responsibility for marketing programs, content and web development, brand management, public relations, digital marketing, ad buying, and corporate sponsorships. He is served well in these roles by his experience as a marketing coordinator and time in corporate accounting, financial advisory services, and real estate. Hamel thrives on challenges, particularly those that require outside the box thinking, and finding solutions to drive HZP into the new age of digital media and inbound strategy. His content development system provides a vast library on a variety of topics to engage readers and support HZP as an authority in the business of dentistry. He can be reached at [email protected].
