Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2017 02 Target Patients 1
Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2017 02 Target Patients 1
Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2017 02 Target Patients 1
Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2017 02 Target Patients 1
Content Dam Diq Online Articles 2017 02 Target Patients 1

It’s important to customize online content to your target audience: your dental patients

Feb. 1, 2017
Knowing your dental patients is important when it comes to creating online content. Finding out what their interests are will help determine the direction of your content on your website and other online dental locations.

Knowing your dental patients is important when it comes to creating online content. Finding out what their interests are will help determine the direction of your content on your website and other online dental locations.

Choices. Your online audience has become spoiled by the choices they have when they’re online. People no longer pay attention to general online content like they once did. Your dental practice can generate maximum impact and online engagement when you identify the segment of the population that you want to connect with, and address their unique requirements through your content.

Once you analyze your audience and learn to talk to them in a way they understand and appreciate, you’ll be able to meet their needs and satisfy their expectations. However, developing custom content for a focused group is easier said than done. You need a close engagement with the audience to understand their specific needs, and then create that effective content. So, just how do you do that?

ALSO BY SUSAN HUTSON & VIKAS VIJ
Can you help create thought leadership in dental marketing? Yes, you can
Another great idea to help you build your personal brand as a dentist—LinkedIn

Define your target demographic segment

In order to connect with relevant audiences through your dental website and other online content, the first requirement is to clearly define who they are.

Analyze the demographic profile
You need answers to these questions: Who is your target audience? What is their age? What percentage of them are male and female? What is their average income profile? Once you have some answers, it might surprise you to know there are several subgroups within that market segment, but they fit your target audience profile closely.

Appreciate their basic values
Try to understand and appreciate what matters most to your target audience. What kinds of concerns do they reveal in their conversations? What is their predisposition toward dental treatment? What kind of procedures do they prefer? What are their esthetic aspirations?

Where do they converge online?
Your target audience will be engaging online in a variety of ways. Your goal is to identify the most influential and active points of convergence. Some of the common places where your target market segment is likely to congregate include:

Blogs—You can find your target audience in concentrated numbers on some of the widely read blogs related to dentistry. You may share your content with these blogs regularly and gradually build an influence with the audience.
Online discussion forums—Some of the leading online forums related to dentistry can put you in direct contact with your target audiences. You can address their questions effectively and disseminate useful information in order to build strong engagement.
Social media networks—You should explore online groups on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Yahoo, YouTube, and others with a focus on dentistry. Social media provides the widest opportunity to reach a large target audience and develop meaningful engagement with them over time.

Tailor the content to fit your target demographic
Content development should begin once you’ve defined your target segment. Your goal should be to get the audience keenly interested in the content. The audience should want to engage with the content solely on its own merit. This happens if you create compelling content that grabs reader attention. The content should not be boring or complicated because you’re creating it for potential patients, not dental professionals.

Matching goals
You should come up with a wide range of content ideas that will meet your marketing goals as a dentist and satisfy the interests of your audience. Make sure that your content meets the requirements of your target demographic.

Assess content quality
Once you’ve listed content ideas, you should test each one to be sure that it resonates with your audience and presents a cogent argument. Ask the following questions:

Does the content match the needs and aspirations of your target demographic?
Is the content unique, original, and from a fresh perspective?
What are the most effective outlets to present the content in addition to your website?
Will the content fulfill your marketing goals as well as the goals of the target audience?

Generate empathy through personalization
Personalized content that establishes an emotional connection with your audience will have better authority and make a stronger impact. The content should have the capacity to empathize with the audience and move their emotions in positive ways. A feeling of hope and optimism should pervade through your content.

Improve content stickiness
Various elements of content stickiness can help your audience relate more effectively. Content should generate curiosity, interest, surprise, and hope. It should have a concrete purpose and logical theme. Language should be simple, yet interesting. Most importantly, the content should reflect a sense of authority. Readers should feel assured that they can rely on the content for its authenticity and accuracy.

For the most current practice management headlines, click here.

For the most current dental headlines, click here.

Susan Hutson is vice president of marketing at Ekwa.com, a complete Internet marketing company that focuses on SEO, social media marketing, and the online reputations of dentists. Vikas Vij is the marketing manager for Ekwa Marketing. Visit the website at ekwa.com.