YOU’VE PROBABLY NEVER THOUGHT OF YOURSELF as a television mogul. So what does a TV station and dental social media marketing have in common? Content.
Let’s pretend there’s a TV station called The Dr. Jones’ Dentistry Network. The program director insists on running commercials 24/7. Examples of the commercials are, “25% Off Any Dental Service!”, “Come On Down For A Smile Makeover!”, “FREE Whitening For Life!”, and “Why Dr. Jones Is The Greatest Dentist On God’s Green Earth!”.
Ratings for The Dr. Jones’ Dentistry Network plummet because NOBODY wants to watch a self-absorbed TV station that only runs commercials trying to sell stuff. The program director is fired.
The new program director understands the value of content. She’s passionate about dentistry and recognizes many related topics that are interesting, informative, useful, fun, and relevant. And of course, she knows that she must include a little bit of smart advertising too. Ratings soar.
ALL Of Your Dental Social Media Content Should Point Toward Your Practice’s Story Line
Here’s an example of content (think of it as a Sunday night, two-hour TV show on The Dr. Jones’ Dentistry Network) that isn’t a commercial. It’s interesting to people and garners huge prime time ratings:
Action Item:
Now it’s your turn to be the station program director and put together your “Fall Lineup”! I know you’re passionate about dentistry—you just haven’t thought about it as a marketer before.
What are the stories you can tell? Is there a “mini-series” to produce? What are the interviews you can air? Take some focused time this week to brainstorm these (and other) topics with your team:
- Advances in patient comfort.
- Patient case studies where lives have been changed.
- Technologies that improve your service.
- Anxiety management products and techniques.
- Community happenings (even if they’re not dentistry related).
- Aspects of your practice culture that are interesting.
- Team member accomplishments.
- Dental-related, “whole body health” topics.
You get the idea…
Your dental social media marketing platform is your TV station. Your “shows” are blog posts, tweets, Facebook page posts, YouTube videos, Pinterest pins, email messages, and Instagram photos. However, you don’t need to start with all of them. Pick a couple and focus on those first.
Be patient and consistent. If you need some help, get some. You can create a TV station that patients and prospective patients will want to watch.
What are some other topic ideas I’ve missed? Please share your thoughts below, or on our Facebook page! Thanks!
Adrian Lefler is the CEO and Co-Founder of My Social Practice and a recognized dental marketing expert with nearly two decades of experience. He is a trusted voice in dental marketing, AI in dentistry, and emerging technology, and he hosts BYTE SIZED, a podcast focused on dental AI, innovation, and technology.
