Akzis VIP Blog: Local Business Growth

How Dental Practices Can Use Visual Storytelling to Connect with Millennials and Why You Must

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Wed, 10 May 2023 07:36:24 GMT

Video Marketing Will Help Your Dental Practice Reach the Millennial Market

Your dental practice is a business and, like any competitive environment, you're competing for a slice of the 29.5 million patients who visit the dentist regularly. One sector that's often overlooked is the younger, digitally driven millennials who have grown up with YouTube, Netflix, and every conceivable method of instant streaming. Understanding how to market to this sector is a great way to gain their interest, and indeed their business, and the best way to do this is through video marketing.

So why is dental video marketing important?

Despite the reasoning behind using videos to attract a younger clientele, videos are both engaging and easy to digest. They can appeal to all markets and therefore should be used in conjunction with your other marketing efforts. Done correctly, video marketing conveys your message like no other marketing medium can, and gives your practice an authentic, friendly appeal.

Here are the types of videos that you will want to include:

An introduction or welcome video

This sits at the front and center of your website (the home page) and is usually the first port of call people land on when visiting. This is your chance to give a succinct overview of your practice and how you can help.

Some tips to get you on the right track:

Keep the video short and sweet (no more than 3 minutes in length)
Try to give a non-scripted authentic interview (you are the face of the practice after all)
Promote the look and feel of your practice and the technology used within
Keep it professional but friendly

Patient testimonials (social proof)

There's nothing that gives your dental practice credibility more than patient testimonial videos. Done right, they're a powerful way to build trust and position you as the 'go to' dentist in your field. People engage with people, and the best testimonials are the ones that tell a story. However, remember to keep them short and sweet. Use current patients if they're agreeable, and make sure that all testimonials are non-scripted.

Dental education videos that are short and helpful

This type of video uses computer generated graphics or diagrams to explain procedures and treatments in a patient-friendly way. They're designed to educate and prepare those who are either about to undergo a particular procedure or who are considering a particular treatment.

A typical dental education video might involve procedures such as dental implants, root canal therapy, or cosmetic dentistry methods such as the fitting of veneers.

Although it's a good idea that dental videos are created for all patients, creating videos specifically with millennials in mind is a smart move. The key is to focus on the experiences, features, and benefits that this age group are searching for.

So how exactly do you do that?

Keep it authentic and be yourself, after all, you are the brand!

Millennials are attuned to promotional content as it saturates many areas of their lives. As such, they can easily tell the difference between overly sales-y content and a general heartfelt portrayal of your dental practice. So, keep it authentic and make it more about them and less about you.

Show off your technology!

Tech-savvy dentists aren't necessarily sought out by millennials per se, but technology will usually catch their interest if they see it. After all, this is really the first generation to have never lived in a world without computers.

Therefore, if a dentist is seen presenting treatment plans on an iPad, it might relate better to a younger crowd.

Don't forget younger client testimonials!

If your video testimonials are full of older people, it isn't really going to relate specifically to a millennial. If, however, the videos contain younger 20 something professionals, then that initial connection becomes more immediate.

Be transparent and honest!

Everyone wants to know what they should expect, and millennials are no exception. Don't forget that this generation is used to being bombarded with marketing. Therefore, be upfront and transparent about fees and treatment times and avoid any misleading marketing material.

So now you know what it takes, how do you get your videos in front of your target audience? Here are some key findings...

Think about the whys, hows, and wherefores!

Firstly, consider where your target audience seeks information. Think about where and how they spend their time online and how they find out information about local events, amenities, and dentists. Chances are it will be on their smartphone or another form of handheld device. This being the case, the first thing you need to do is to make sure your website is mobile responsive. This way, you stand a greater chance of catching their attention.

Use social media!

As social media is used prolifically by most millennials, it stands to reason that you need to be using it too. Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter can all be used to point people towards your practice website where you'll have your great introduction video.

Don't ignore SEO!

Remember to utilize SEO to get your video to show up in the search results. To do this you'll need to write a short description of your video, targeting long-tailed, locally focused keywords, e.g. - affordable dental implant dentist in Lexington. You'll also need to make sure that the script is linked to the video so that the search engines can recognize the content to rank it properly.

Like any other form of marketing, if you want to attract more millennials, you need to create your video aimed specifically at their demographic. It’s all about getting inside the head of your target audience and thinking about what resonates with them.

If you can do this, and adopt many of the tips listed above, then you're well on your way to a winning combination.

3 Actionable Steps Every Dental Practice Should Take For Successful Marketing

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Mon, 08 May 2023 22:48:01 GMT

Dental practices don't grow because the service is poor, but because the marketing is.

It's estimated that 80% of all non-referral based leads within the dental sector starts with a major search engine. In other words, if you think that your potential patients aren't searching for you online, then you're wrong!

What this means is that if you even want to be 'in the game' let alone ahead of it, you'll need to spend a good percentage of your marketing budget on digital techniques.

The good news is that internet marketing for dentists really isn't complex and once you know the basics, it's relatively easy to establish an online presence.

Below are the actionable steps that dentists can take to grow a solid and successful marketing foundation.

Step 1 : Have a great converting website that’s created with your customers in mind.

Your dental website is your virtual shop window. In fact, pretty much all your marketing efforts should start with your website, so it needs to be right. When it's laid out correctly, potential clients should be able to navigate quickly and extract the information they need, without having to rifle through pages and pages of content. While I'm not going to go into specifics about what an excellent dental website looks like, it's worth going into some detail about what you should include. Things such as:

Quick and easy access to contact information (ideally it should be on every page).
Clearly communicated information about the various services you offer and how they can help the patient. This needs to be both SEO and patient friendly.
Testimonials that are easy to find and can be read.
The option to schedule consultations and appointments via your website.
Direct links to your social media pages such as Facebook and Twitter.
A blog page containing useful information (this should be updated regularly).

All of these are highly important if you're looking to maximize the potential of your dental website.

Step 2 : Become engaged in social media consistently.

Let's face it, a good percentage of your potential patients are likely to be using social media, especially on sites such as Google+, Twitter, and Facebook. Therefore, it stands to reason that if you want to attract them, this is where you need to be.

Before we go into the ins and outs of social media, here's a word of advice... There are a ton of social media sites that you can use, however, building up a good social media presence takes both time and effort. Therefore, it isn't going to be practical or possible to devote that much time to every single one.

Instead, pick just a couple of sites and run with them.

Now we've got that clear, what can you put on your social media pages to entice potential patients? Here are some helpful pointers.

Every time you post a blog, mention it on social media along with an access link back to your site.
Start discussions or pointers about good oral health, or reply/re-tweet other users that have done the same thing.
Talk about your day and what's going on in your practice. Don't forget to include photos, as people are genuinely nosey and love to know about that kind of stuff.
Promote events – If your practice is organizing an event or fundraiser, then mention it on social media.
Promote special offers – If you are offering a promotion on a certain treatment, then don't forget to tell your followers/friends.
Review dental products such as teeth whitening kits, aligners, toothbrushes etc. and post the findings.

Remember: The key to effective social media is to post content that people want to read . Make it less about self-promotion and more about offering something of value. Use social media to make them feel better about you, your practice, and your services, rather than trying to sell to them.

Step 3 : Use Pay-Per-Click (PPC) marketing because it works!

So, you've taken care of the organic search element with your website, content, and (hopefully) ongoing blogs, and you're now ready to drive traffic back to your website via your social media channels. So, what's next? How about Pay Per Click (PPC) marketing.

Dental practices can benefit greatly from a well-structured PPC campaign and when used correctly it becomes a great lead generator. That said, for it to work effectively it needs the following 4 elements:

Create groups of relevant keywords for tighter targeting and higher ROI.

Find out what keywords your prospects are typing into the search engines and base your ad around each particular keyword group. For instance, if your prospects were typing in words like " getting whiter teeth " and “ improving your smile ” you could create an ad based around teeth whitening. The more relevant your ad is to your target audience, the better ad positioning Google will give it AND, the lower the cost per click rate.

Create landing pages that really convert.

For every ad, you need to create a landing page. While the ad's job is to attract the attention of the reader, the job of the landing page is to build further trust and encourage a connection. Therefore, the landing pages need to be consistent with each ad so that the client experiences a smooth transition.

Optimize each ad for phone responses.

While Google charges for clicks, if you don't maximize your ad for phone responses, you're missing out. Simply make sure that each ad has your practice number prominently displayed so that visitors to the ad can call to make a booking or get some information about a particular treatment.

Use ad extensions to maximize character limits .

Because PPC ads have a very short character limit, you need to get your message across in very few words. Google helps by offering search extensions. They help to communicate important marketing information without counting towards your character limit. Whether it's a location extension, product extension, phone number extension or site link extension, it pays to use them.

So, there you have it!

Three actionable steps for successful dental marketing in 2023. While it's true that PPC marketing can deliver immediate results, it can also be costly because ads can quickly burn through your advertising budget. So, to get the best long-term results, Pay Per Click should be used in conjunction with the steps above for a well-rounded and effective marketing strategy. And PPC should preferably be researched, set up and managed by experts , so your dental practice sees a strong ROI month after month.

10 Reasons Why Your Local Business Needs a Newsletter to Drive Sales and Build Relationships

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Tue, 02 May 2023 04:58:30 GMT

If you're a local business owner looking for a new way to connect with your customers, offering a newsletter is a smart choice.

Newsletters provide a powerful way to build relationships, drive sales, and increase website traffic.

The experts here at Akzis VIP have a unique outlook on newsletters.

We recommend that you create a compelling email newsletter and send it the same day each week.

But, when a major holiday or huge seasonal sales period is approaching, include a quick note to your subscribers that your business is going to send out a very exclusive and special old-school version of your email newsletter directly to their home mailbox, and they need to do is provide their address.

This classic newsletter will include valuable information, news, and a special offer for your products or services that they won’t want to miss. Of course, it’s free to receive and only available to addresses in your service area.

You’ll be amazed at how many of your email subscribers sign up to receive such an unexpected throwback style of promotion. You’ll be even more surprised when you enjoy what that special promotion does for your sales!

Now, getting back to the topic at hand…

Here are 10 reasons why your local business should offer a newsletter:

Stay Top of Mind : By sending regular newsletters to your subscribers, you'll stay top of mind and remind them of your brand, products, and services.
Educate Customers : Newsletters are a great way to educate your customers about your business. You can share industry news, helpful tips, and stories that showcase your business and your customers.
Build Brand Loyalty : A newsletter is an excellent way to build brand loyalty by showing your customers that you value their patronage and are willing to provide them with helpful information.
Increase Website Traffic : With newsletters, you can direct customers to your website, blog, and social media accounts. This can increase visibility and drive more traffic to your site.
Generate Leads : Newsletters provide a great opportunity to generate leads. Use your newsletter to invite customers to sign up for a trial offer, join your mailing list, or follow you on social media.
Promote Special Offers : With a newsletter, you can promote special offers, discounts, and sales. This is an excellent way to capture more leads and drive more sales.
Reach a Wider Audience : Newsletters can help you reach a wider audience outside your local area and even internationally.
Engage with Customers : You can use your newsletter to engage with your customers by asking for feedback, answering questions, and sharing customer success stories.
Track Results : Newsletters provide measurable results that allow you to track your campaigns' success. You can measure open rates, click-through rates, and other metrics to determine how well your campaigns are performing.
Cost Effective : Newsletters are cost-effective and easy to manage. You can easily create, send, and track your campaigns without breaking the bank.

Still not convinced?

Take a look at these statistics:

Email marketing has an average ROI of $42 for every $1 spent. But the average ROI is closer to $44 for local businesses. Why? Because the recipients recognize the name, know the business is near them and is involved in their community and so, there’s more interest and trust.

86% of consumers prefer to receive promotional emails from companies they do business with at least monthly, and 15% would like to receive them daily. This shows that customers are receptive to hearing from businesses via email, and that sending regular newsletters can help keep your business on the forefront of your customers’ minds.

If you’re a local business doing business with other local businesses, you should know that email is the third most influential source of information for B2B audiences. This highlights the importance of email marketing, including newsletters, for B2B businesses looking to connect with potential customers and drive sales, particularly in their own communities.

64% of decision-makers read their email via mobile devices. This is why your website and emails should be optimized for mobile devices, to ensure that your content is easily accessible and readable for most of your audience.

59% of consumers say that marketing emails influence their purchase decisions. By including promotions, special offers, and other sales-focused content in your newsletters, you can increase the likelihood of customers making a purchase from your local business typically within 36 hours.

90% of email gets delivered to the intended recipient's inbox, whereas only 2% of Facebook followers see your posts in their News Feed. Simply put, this proves the value of email marketing, including newsletters, for reaching customers directly and avoiding the limitations of social media algorithms.

If your local business is not currently offering a newsletter, now is the time to start.

Offering a newsletter is a smart and effective way to stay connected to your customers throughout your community and drive more sales for your local business.

Think of it as continued brand building while educating, engaging, and promoting your services to your customers on a regular basis. Fill that newsletter each week with local valuable content and your customers will always be pleased to see it appear in their inbox.

You May Enjoy : 5 Foolproof Useful Ways to Build Your Local Email List And 5 Real-Life Examples of Local Businesses That Saw Great Results

Boost Your Patient List on a Budget: 9 Smart and Affordable Strategies to Attract New Patients to Your Practice

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Mon, 01 May 2023 05:16:36 GMT

Small Budget, Big Results

Let's face it, not everyone has a marketing budget the size of the national debt. Yet in a competitive industry such as dentistry you still need to market, especially if you're looking to grow. So, the question is, how can you market to potential patients without blowing your conservative marketing budget clean out of the water?

9 Ways You Can Market Your Practice Without Breaking Your Budget

Make Yourself Known, Get Visible!

Networking is a great way of getting yourself known in the local community. What's more, it really doesn't cost anything bar a slice of your time. Seek out key influencers and try to join their circles.

Are there business clubs in your area or networking events that you can join?
What about going into schools and chatting to the kids about children's dental care?

All these things can help to spread the word about your practice and put you firmly on the local map.

Team Up With Other Local Businesses

There will be many businesses in your area that have a distant link to dentistry. Businesses such as fitness clubs, health spas, and hairdressers, for example, are all in the business of helping people to look and feel good.

Why not talk to them about displaying their promotional material in your practice, if they reciprocate with yours. Not only is it a win/win situation, but it’s also zero cost too.

Use Low Cost Incentives Aggressively

Incentives are frequently used in marketing circles, and not without good reason. Studies show that people are more likely to make a purchase or use a service if they know they're getting value. Incentives help to maximize that value .

As a dentist, for example, you might be able to offer say $50 off a patient's next treatment when they introduce a new patient to your practice (great referral marketing right there!).

Alternatively, how about giving away a free clean and polish when a new patient registers. The trick with incentives is to think low cost but high-value perception, so be original and make it interesting.

Social Media Can Do Amazing Things For Your Practice

It seems that everyone's on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok these days, and dental practices should be no exception.

Seek out the person you know who is most experienced in this field and get them to head your social media activity. Over time, as you use your socials to grow your practice, you'll be able to hire (and you'll want to) a social media expert like Akzis VIP.

The trick is to provide engaging and informative content that people want to share, not just fill it with a lot of self-promotion. If done right, social media is an incredibly powerful marketing tool for any business.

Make Sure You Have A Google (and Patient) Friendly Website

It's not enough to simply have a website these days. Instead, it needs to be filled with informative patient-friendly content, but it also needs to be Google friendly too. Did you know for example that more than 75% of new patients make an online search the first port of call when looking for a new dentist in their area?

After word of mouth, your website is the most powerful marketing tool you have in your arsenal, so make sure it's fully maximized. Okay, so this mightn't be low cost, but it is a necessity .

Always Maintain A Strong Professional Physical Appearance

Ask yourself this... How visible is your practice for passer's-by? As silly as it sounds, many practices don't have sufficient signage so that they can be noticed from the road. Even when they do, it isn't always clear what their business actually does.

Why not take yourself a few hundred feet down the road and walk past your practice? Don't forget to be honest and cast a critical eye.

Flyers & Mailings Do Work

Would you like to know why, in the age of digital marketing, you still receive postcards advertising various local businesses in your mailbox? Because it works!

Yes, the mailings from twenty years ago have not gone cold. In fact, they work better now, as very few businesses use them. It makes your practice stand out and it gets attention.

Public Relations for Local Publicity

If you're a new business in town you'll have a story to tell, so why not contact your local news affiliates, radio stations, local micro-influencers and bloggers and ask them if they would do an interview with you.

Explain how your dental business stands out from your competition and entice them to give you a try. A little PR goes a long way.

If your budget isn't as tight, or you're willing to grow your practice aggressively, we can guarantee local publicity and a boost in local authority for your practice.

Hold An Open House, Event or Mixer

Finally, how about holding an informal, relaxed event where people can come along to your practice and look round, meet the staff, and maybe get some quick advice.

You could also include quick demonstrations on how to best to brush, floss, and care for your teeth, plus of course, the obligatory glass of bubbly. It doesn't have to cost a lot to set up, just a little PR (see above) and a little organization.

So, there you have it, 9 great ways to grow your practice without blowing your marketing budget.

Remember, if you're prepared to do what others won't today, you can achieve what others can't tomorrow!

Get More Smiles in Your Chairs: 4 Simple Strategies for Orthodontic Practices to Attract New Patients

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Thu, 27 Apr 2023 05:16:56 GMT

Adults searching for orthodontic care is surging. Don't let your competitors snag most of those new patients.

Are you an orthodontic practice struggling to keep up with the growing demand for adult braces? You're not alone. As more and more people prioritize the appearance of their smile, the demand for orthodontic services is skyrocketing.

In fact, over 5 million adults are currently searching for dental treatments to perfect their pearly whites. That’s a significant increase, 29% to be exact, from just five years ago.

But with so many practices competing for their business, how can you stand out and attract new patients to your local practice? That’s where strategic dental marketing comes into play, and it’s not as difficult as you may assume.

Check out these easy and cost-effective strategies for growing your orthodontic practice and reaping the rewards of the booming adult braces market.

Set New Patient Goals

Ask yourself this... When was the last time you set patient goals with your team? If the answer is 'never' or 'a long time ago', then you might want to consider it. Remember, getting new patients through your doors shouldn't be your sole responsibility. That's a lot of weight to carry on your already heavy shoulders. Instead, spread the load by making it a team effort.

By setting realistic and achievable goals with your team, you can pull together to achieve greater results. After all, several heads are better than one right!

Why not run a competition to see who comes up with the best ideas and pulls in the most new patients. You can also reward the people who deliver the best results. As well as creating a good team spirit, it also communicates an important message to your staff that you need a steady stream of customers to thrive.

Get Proactive & Offer Special Treatment Deals

As competition gets tougher, orthodontists may need to think outside the box to prevent patients from going elsewhere. This includes offering special treatment deals. Everyone likes to think that they're getting a bargain, and nothing shouts bargain more than a good old-fashioned deal.

How about offering free laser teeth whitening when a patient undergoes Invisalign treatment, or a 15% reduction in cost when a patient opts for lingual braces?

You can be as creative as you like, in fact the more creative you are, the more likely you are to draw new patients in.

Hint – If you're a bit stuck for ideas, it's worthwhile checking out other websites and seeing what your direct competition or other out-of-area orthodontists are offering, and then trying to better it.

Have A Great Website Built For Patients

Nowadays it isn't enough that you have a website. Instead, it needs to be filled with targeted, informative, patient-friendly content.

You likely know that most people will look up your dental practice’s reviews online before giving your office a call to set up an appointment. But, did you know that nearly 65% of all people who look up your dental practice, will go to your website as a means of establishing an opinion.

Is your website new and modern looking?
Does it scream out that you’re an authority who can be trusted?
Does it have valuable information in an easy-to-understand format?
Are there any videos of your office, yourself, and your office staff to create a personalized feeling for the potential patient?
Is your About page up to date and full of helpful information?
Do you have a billing page that makes submitting payments easy and hassle-free?
Do you accept payments or work with insurance?

As such, it isn't just your virtual storefront, so-to-speak, it's a powerful marketing tool!

Visitors to your site will go there to find out not only what orthodontic treatments you offer but, in addition, they'll also want to find out information about a particular treatment as well.

For this reason, an informative website should not only contain the usual welcome messages and photos of the team and your practice, but also detailed treatment pages telling patients everything they need to know about a specific treatment. Whether that's Invisalign, lingual braces, fast orthodontic treatments, or the Inman Aligner, the information needs to be content rich and helpful.

You might also want to include before and after pictures to help patients visualize what their teeth will look like post treatment. The other factor is that as well as being helpful to anyone looking for orthodontic treatment, a detailed orthodontic website helps to position you as the 'go to' dentist in your area. As such, great website content can make the difference between one or two extra patients a month or twenty.

Hold An Event or Open House

Have you ever thought about holding an event or open day at your dental practice? If not, then it's a good way of getting new patients through your doors.

Potential patients can come and meet the team, take a look at the orthodontic facilities at your practice, and get a better understanding of the treatments involved.

You can even hold a quick question and answer session, giving patients the relevant information, they need to make an informed dental decision. It doesn't have to cost much aside from some quick refreshments and a slice of your time.

Of course, you'll market your practice's open house on your Facebook page and website, and you may want to include a charity tie-in for more exposure (Akzis VIP can walk you through that). If only a handful of people show up, that's great! Make sure you have photos to post online across your socials and on your website of you answering questions, giving a tour of the office, letting a few young children play orthodontist or dentist for a few minutes. Those photos are engaging, and each of those people are highly likely to share them on their own social media accounts if you upload and tag them correctly.

You may be surprised how a small showing at a short local office event can produce actionable content that you can use to market and grow your practice.

Ultimately, the most successful practices are the ones who tend not to stand still when it comes to marketing their services.

So, with this in mind, what are you going to do differently from now on to maintain your new customer growth?

Revamp Your Dental Website To Get Your Piece Of The Millennial Money: How To Win Over The Digital Generation

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Wed, 26 Apr 2023 07:34:55 GMT

Unlock the Largest Demographic in the Country to Your Dental Practice with a Killer Website

As a dental practice owner, there could be one group of people your dental marketing efforts are overlooking and that's the millennials. According to Statista, Millennials are now the largest generation group in the U.S. with an estimated population of 72.24 million and 13.8 million in the UK, with 7.9 million in Canada. Born between 1981 and 1996, Millennials recently surpassed Baby Boomers as the biggest group, and they will continue to be a major part of the population for many years.

But what does that mean to your practice? Serious cashflow!

But that generation requires a bit more strategic effort if you want to become the go-to dental practice for all Millennial needs. Baby Boomers and Gen X are known to choose and stay loyal based on convenience, price, and familiarity.

However, Millennials require a complete digital marketing campaign that includes brand building, and most importantly, reputation management, along with a modern and useable website, and (almost most importantly) video marketing.

That may seem like a lot of work to snag your share of your local Millennial demographic, but what choice do you have if you want your practice to thrive for years to come. Millennials are aging up, and that means they’re looking into more expensive cosmetic dental procedures. In truth, this generation is changing the face of dentistry.

What Procedures Are Most Popular With Millennials?

This generation has spent much of their adult lives making decisions to compensate for an overall lack of funds, but that’s beginning to change. Millennials are pushing to make more money, build up their savings, and even begin to invest.

And now, they’re looking to feel better about their oral health (it is a form of self-care, after all).

According to the data, here is where the millennial generation is spending their money, which centers heavily around smile makeover procedures:

Professional teeth whitening
Cerinate one-hour porcelain veneers
Tooth-colored fillings
Teeth reshaping
Same day crowns
Porcelain tooth inlays and onlays
Cosmetic tooth bonding and contouring

Can your practice afford to send hundreds of millennials with their credit cards ready to your competitors each year?

Well, that’s exactly what you’re doing by not actively marketing to them.

Just how do you go about targeting millennials? It all starts with your dental website…

Millennials are undoubtedly the first true digital generation, and as such are arguably more tech-savvy than any other age group. As a dental practice looking to target this group, it stands to reason that one of the fundamentals is to have a great looking, modern, informative, and professional website.

Remember, millennials spend an average of 14 hours a day online, so they'll know what a well laid out dental website should look like; but what should it contain?

How to Build a Dental Website for Millennials: What You Must Have To Attract Them

Informative Engaging Content

A good dental website needs to be content rich with text that engages with the reader. It needs to be professional but patient-friendly with plenty of helpful information about procedures, answers to popular dental questions, and information and pictures about you and your team. In terms of dental SEO, content needs to be well-optimized, but not to the detriment of the text. Pages should also contain a relevant call-to action.

Let’s get into some specifics here, so you can plan out your content strategy (or hire Akzis VIP, and we’ll handle it for you).

So, we know that millennials are the number one source of smile makeover patients right now, and that’s not likely going to change anytime soon. And we also know that that generation will go to your website and look at everything you have on smile makeovers – if you have less than your competitors, you’ve lost them.

You’ll need a page detailing the smile makeover process with clear social proof (testimonials, videos, imagery, etc.) and you’ll want to include a video (at least one, preferably more) on the process itself along with the answers to the commonly asked questions.

We also advise dental clients to include a quick video, three minutes in length, taken with a phone, so it appears more personal and explains what they should expect in a smile makeover consultation including the dental exam, dental images that will be taken, and a brief explanation of billing procedures and costs.

Social Media Cannot Be Ignored - That's Where Your Target Audience Is Right Now

It may come as a surprise, but while 91% of US millennials use some form of social media daily, only 30% of dental practices regularly carry out dental marketing using social media platforms.

If you want to attract this digital generation, then you must advertise in the very places where your target audience is likely to hang out. We’re talking platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok are a must, but don't forget others such as Pinterest, Snapchat, and Facebook.

Having relevant social media links on your dental website, it's a great way to show people that you are active across a variety of platforms where they can connect and engage with you if they wish.

Good Searchability & Strong SEO

Although dental office marketing should never be solely about optimization, the benefits of having a Google-friendly website are obvious.

And if your practice doesn't have a highly optimized Google Business Profile by now... stop reading and either hire experts to do it for you or get started on it yourself because without it your dental practice has no hope of appearing on Google Maps, Google Search, Google Posts or anything else relating to Google.

For example, the term 'Dentist in Richmond' is Googled on average 1,800 times per month. While not every searcher will be specifically looking for a dentist, potentially that's 21,600 customers a year that could be attracted using a well-optimized website.

Okay, so those searching may not all be aged between 26 and 41, but it stands to reason that because millennials are the first true digital generation, they are far more likely to be searching for a dentist online than their older counterparts.

Video Content Is Everything with Millennials

Did you know that over 80% of all successful internet traffic is now video based? Videos are something that millennials tend to respond to, more so than content; so, if you're looking to attract this demographic, then videos need to be an important part of your dental website. So, what do you make your videos about? Some suggestions include:

A quick video that introduces your office and support team so potential patients can put a face to the voice on the phone or the email signature.
Meet the doctors and discuss your professional background and give it a glimpse into your private life, thereby making you relatable.
A tour of your dental practice, focusing on the newest technologies you have.
Patient reviews and testimonials that can be a mix of photos displayed and integrated video snippets.
An honest and transparent conversation about billing and possible payment plans (very important to millennials).
Patient-friendly explanations of procedures (one video per procedure)
Answering popular FAQ's.
Short videos (also good to post on social media) that discuss what to expect and how to prepare for upcoming consultations and procedures.

The important thing to remember is not to make them as overly slick and sales orientated. Instead, concentrate more on genuine, honest videos that portray a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. You want your videos to appear a bit amateurish – not quite TikTok-quality, but not up to par with a professionally produced YouTube video for a major brand.

Now, all this effort may seem daunting, and it can be especially for busy professionals but remember that Akzis VIP is always here to take this off your shoulders allowing you to go back and focus on your patients while we focus on the growth of your practice.

If you decide to go in alone, just keep in mind that by having a well-designed, well-optimized professional dental website, complete with engaging patient-friendly content, links to social media, and video presentations, you're far more likely to grab a slice of the over 72 million millennials than your competitors.

Successful businesses never stand still; so, to stay ahead of your competition, put the wheels in motion to implement the changes necessary and see the difference it can make to your dental business.

From Little League to Local News: The Power of Creating Relevant Content for Your Local Business

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Thu, 20 Apr 2023 02:04:22 GMT

Connecting with Your Community:

How Local Content Can Drive Traffic to Your Website

Blog about Local Events

As a local business owner, one of your top priorities should be to connect with your community, stay connected and drive more traffic to your website. One of the most effective ways to do that is by creating local content.

Local content is any content that is specifically tailored to your local audience. This can include blog posts, videos, social media posts, and more. By creating content that is relevant and interesting to your community, you can increase visibility and brand awareness for your business.

Every community, big or small, has events that are important to the locals. Whether it's a small town festival or a big city parade, these events offer the perfect opportunity for you to get involved and showcase your business.

As a business owner, you should be aware of these events and find a way to write about them that ties back into your business!

How? By blogging about the events!

Not only will this help you connect with your community, but it will also drive more traffic to your website and social media pages. Plus, it's a great way to showcase your involvement in the community, which will grow your brand awareness among potential new customers.

If you're planning to sponsor a booth at the event or local street fair, writing about it will be easy.

You can share your experience, pictures of your booth, and talk about the customers you met. But even if you're not directly involved in the event, you can still write about it from the perspective of a community member.

Don't limit yourself to just writing about big community events, either. Local charity events and holiday celebrations offer the opportunity for you to talk about your community and why you love it. Share stories about the people you meet, the food you eat, and the fun you have. Make it personal and engaging for your readers.

Try to go beyond just writing about the event, share photos and even videos of it on your social media pages. This will help you reach a wider audience and get more people excited about the event by increasing engagement and interest. You can even create a hashtag specific to the event and encourage your customers, and social media followers, to use it in their posts.

So, if you're looking for a way to connect with your community and drive more traffic to your business, start blogging about local events that are related to your niche. It demonstrates to your community that you care and that you’re proudly a part of the local fabric.

Talk about Local News

Did your local little league team make the playoffs?
Did a high school student win a contest?
Is there a new business coming to town?

Any of these things could be turned into blog posts, and they’re especially effective if you can find an organic way to relate the story to your business.

Keeping up with local news and events is important for any business that wants to stay connected to their community. Whether it's a local little league team making the playoffs, a high school student winning a contest, or a new business coming to town, there are always stories to share.

As a business owner, you can use these stories as inspiration for blog posts. By finding an organic way to relate the story to your business, you can create content that is both interesting and informative for your readers.

For example, if you own a restaurant and a new business is coming to town, you could write a blog post about how the new business will impact the local community and the dining scene.

Or, if you're a retailer and a local little league team makes the playoffs, you could create a post about how your store is supporting the team by offering discounts on team merchandise.

Talking about local news not only helps you connect with your community, but it also helps to position your business as a thought leader and a valuable resource for your customers. By staying up to date on the latest news and events in your area, you can show your customers that you care about their community and are invested in their success.

In addition to blogging about local news, you can also share the stories on your social media pages and email newsletters. This will help you reach a wider audience and get more people engaged with your content.

There’s also the more advanced version of using news stories to raise your local visibility and promote your business , known as newsjacking . You can learn everything you need to know to get started effectively using the newsjacking tactic in this article here.

Develop Case Studies That Are Relevant To Local Prospects

As a local business owner, it's important to show your customers that you care about their specific needs and concerns. That you can relate to what they’re going through on the local level like if a neighborhood is irate about a possible new development transforming their community.

If you serve multiple neighborhoods or towns in your area, developing case studies can be a great way to demonstrate your expertise and knowledge of the local area.

And local case studies are well liked by Google, to increase your local search rankings and your Google Business Profile placement!

What Is A Local Case Study?

A case study is a detailed analysis of a specific situation or problem, and how it was solved. By developing case studies that are relevant to your local prospects, you can showcase your understanding of the area and any unique circumstances that might affect your customers.

For instance, if you're a landscaper in [YOUR AREA], you could develop a case study that talks about the risk of weather changes and how you helped a customer to prepare their lawn for a sudden storm. Or, you could create a case study on how you successfully eliminated a specific type of pest that's common in your area.

Developing case studies not only shows that you care about your customers, but it also helps to build trust and credibility. When prospects can see that you've successfully solved similar problems for others in their community, they're more likely to trust you with their business.

In fact, according to a recent survey, 78% of B2B buyers said that case studies were an important part of their decision-making process when choosing a vendor. So, not only will case studies help you connect with your local prospects, but they can also help you win more business.

In addition to sharing your case studies on your website, social media, and email marketing campaigns, you can also use them in your sales pitches and presentations.

Meaning, you could turn them into an engaging video for your social media accounts and even YouTube.

Look at it this way, a five minute case study video made using PowerPoint can easily be cut into 10 Instagram Reels!

By demonstrating your knowledge and expertise in your local area, you'll be more likely to close deals and win new business.

So, don't be afraid to develop case studies that are relevant to your local prospects. It's a great way to show that you care about your community and are committed to providing exceptional service.

Find out what your audience is interested in and then write about it!

Of course, you don’t want to stray too far from your business, but there is nothing wrong with getting excited about the things your audience cares about.

For example, you might write about an upcoming holiday or the year’s first big storm.

A great way to get ideas for your local content is to stay plugged in to your local community online.

You might follow your local Chamber of Commerce on Facebook or subscribe to your local paper and stop into your local library to see what new flyers have been added to the bulletin board.

The key is to make your local content relevant to your business and to your target audience. You can still share general content too, but local contents a must if you want your business to grow!

Best Practices : How to Create Compelling Content That Resonates with Your Audience

Stay up-to-date on local events and news : Keep tabs on what's happening in your local community and use it as inspiration for your content.
Tailor your content to your local audience : Write about topics that are relevant and interesting to your local audience. This can include local events, news, and stories that are unique to your area.
Use local keywords : Incorporate local keywords into your content to help improve your visibility in local search results.
Develop case studies : Analyze specific situations or problems that your customers in your local area face and share how you solved them. This can help build trust and credibility with your audience.
Promote your content on social media : Share your content on social media platforms to reach a wider audience.
Collaborate with other local businesses : Partner with other local businesses to co-create content and cross-promote each other's businesses.
Keep your content engaging : Make your content interesting and engaging to keep your audience interested and coming back for more.
Use local imagery : Incorporate local imagery into your content to make it more visually appealing and help your audience connect with your content.
Show your support for the community : Use your content to show your support for the community, whether it's by promoting local events or showcasing local businesses.

Do your best to stick to these best practices. They will help you create local content that resonates with your audience, increases visibility for your business, and strengthens your relationship with your community without coming across as spammy or trying too hard.

Maximize Your Dental Practice's Phone Appointments: 10 Tips to Turn Inquiries into Patients

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Wed, 19 Apr 2023 07:53:22 GMT

Did you know that one of the most powerful tools at your dental practice is your telephone?

To help you harness the potential of your practice telephone, here are ten great tips on how you can turn simple inquiries into fully blown 'in the diary' appointments.

10 Top Tips to Boost Your Dental Practice's Inquiries from Phone Calls

1. Get your whole team on board.

The first step to making it happen is to get your whole team on board. Tell them that as a business you're actively looking to convert more leads into inquiries and would be keen to draft in some expertise to train staff up.

As an incentive, you could also give a prize to the highest weekly/monthly achiever, making it more attractive to employees to perform. Make sure you give positive praise for good results and o ffer motivation when the going gets a little tough. Do this and your team will (A) like working for you and (B) will more than likely get results.

2. Use KPI's regularly.

KPI's or Key Performance Indicators are a great way of not only measuring performance levels of individuals, but they're perfect for gauging where individual strengths and weaknesses lie. A simple way to do this is to document any new appointments and where they come from on a spreadsheet.

This way you can see immediately which members of your team are doing what, and more importantly, how. KPI's also make it easy to spot any shortcomings and to identify any vital gaps in skills or knowledge. This in turn can help to laser-focus training, making it less time-consuming and more beneficial to those that need it.

3. Have the right people in the right place.

Your reception desk is usually the first impression everyone gets of your practice, so for this reason it pays to put people there who are confident, customer focused, and have a great telephone manner. By having your most confident and strongest people in the right places, you'll be surprised at the difference it makes.

4. Be contactable all day.

Unsurprisingly, the lunch hour is the most convenient time for many working people to contact their dentist, so it pays for you to be contactable during this time. Why not stagger the desk team's lunch breaks to provide sufficient cover? This ensures that you can be easily reached throughout these busy periods.

5. Your team needs to be confident.

It's no good telling your reception team that you really need them to do A or B when they aren't entirely confident at doing either. Rather than having reception staff being drawn into lengthy dentistry based conversations with callers, what you really need is for them to promote the benefits of a consultation appointment and get a booking in the diary.

To achieve this, you'll need to provide staff with the relevant knowledge through regular training. Once they know exactly what to say to callers, not only will it boost their confidence, but will also (hopefully) increase leads.

6. Define and outline key benefits of a new patient consultation.

One point that many practice owners fail to do is to define what a new patient consultation entails, and to share this with the team. You might want to consider the following factors:

How long the consultation lasts?
What's entailed?
How much it costs (if not free)?
What does it enable the patient to do?

Not only are these key benefits that can be used by your team to leverage bookings, but for any pat ient thinking of booking a consultation, they now have an important yardstick with which to compare to other practices in your area.

7. Maintain the right frame of mind.

It's a fact that around 70% of all communicated meaning is visual, but when talking on the telephone the opportunity to observe body language, or indeed any type of facial expression, is totally lost. For this reason, what you say (verbal) and how you say it (the vocal tone) are highly important.

Before answering the phone, reception staff need to be in the right frame of mind. Doing so is far more likely to impact positively on the caller, giving them more incentive to book a consultation.

8. Don't forget your answer machine message.

Bearing in mind the visual, verbal, and vocal factors, these need to also be present in any answer phone messages you have. Remember, because someone can't get hold of you when they need to, it might already put the caller in a negative frame of mind. Therefore, when recording your message ensure that it's clear, concise, empathetic, and includes a reference as to when the call will be returned.

9. Prepare responses and practice them.

I'm sure that when working in a dental practice, most of the questions asked are ones which have been heard many times before. To ensure consistency, make sure your team are well-versed in answering them. Get your team together and come up with some 'stock' responses.

It's important that these responses are personalized and not scripted, and should provide a confidence boost to the reception team. This in turn should result in a positive impact on the overall conversation.

10. Empower your team!

Finally, like any slick, well-oiled team, it needs ongoing training. How about authorizing the highest performers in the team to train the rest.

Everyone loves a bit of empowerment and in fact, it's regarded as one of the bi ggest reasons for job satisfaction. By giving the highest performers greater responsibility, you'll not only have a better team that can turn inquiries into leads, but you’ll also have a happy team who really want to work for you.

5 Tips to Get the Most from Your Local Business Blog

Wed, 12 Apr 2023 07:58:21 GMT

Microsoft. Disney. Google. IBM. Nike. Kroger.

What do those huge companies have in common besides being publicly traded?

They all have a blog!

Blogging is one of the best, and cheapest, ways to drive traffic to your website and attract new clients, customers, or patients, particularly for local businesses.

After all, a local business has an advantage that those massive corporations don’t – locality. Community. Neighborhoods. A strong understanding of the region.

That advantage is marketable. Google knows this and that’s why local content with strong authority can, and often does, outrank large nationwide (by that, I mean, generalized) content.

Here are 5 actionable tips to improve your local blog, starting right now:

1. Create and Stick to a Blogging Schedule

It wasn’t long ago that experts recommended blogging at least twice a month. Times have changed! Millions of new pieces of content are uploaded on an hourly basis, and Google loves consistency.

Simply put, if you can’t blog at least once a week, don’t even start.

The more you blog, the better, provided your content is valuable, local, and relates to your industry or niche.

Keyword research, particularly long-tail keywords and phrases, are very important, especially for that high-converting local search traffic.

The best advice I can offer is to create a blogging schedule. Do your keyword research and brainstorm topic ideas on Thursday and have your weekly blog article ready to be published by the weekend. Or whatever works for you.

And remember, you can always hire a writer to create blog posts for you. My advice, beyond hiring Akzis VIP of course, is to choose a native English-speaking writer with a proven track record of local SEO writing.

A generalized or national blog can easily get away with non-native English speakers pumping out content, but, local audiences expect a local voice, their local voice.

2. Give Your Posts Compelling Titles

It turns out that titles can make a big difference when it comes to generating traffic, social shares, and backlinks. If you're looking to boost your website's performance, consider these pointers:

List posts tend to perform better than other types of content on social media. That's why sites like BuzzFeed have so many lists. People like them, and you can use that knowledge to grab more traffic for your site.

Give your posts longish titles . One study found that blog posts with titles that had between 6 and 13 words performed the best.

Ask a question . Another blogging study found that blog titles which asked questions got 23.3% more social shares than posts without a question.

Be provocative . Saying something surprising or controversial can get people to click, even if they're not inclined to read blog posts. There's a reason they say curiosity killed the cat!

Use numbers : Titles with numbers tend to perform well, as they provide a clear idea of what to expect from the post. For example, "10 Ways to Boost Your Productivity" or "5 Tips for Better Sleep".

Use power words : Words like "amazing", "ultimate", "proven", and "surprising" can help to make your titles more attention-grabbing.

Make it clear and concise : Your title should accurately reflect the content of your post and be easy to understand. Avoid using jargon or obscure words that might confuse your readers.

Consider your audience : Think about who you're writing for and what their interests and pain points are. Use language and topics that will resonate with them and provide value.

By following these tips, you can create titles that not only attract more traffic, but also provide real value to your readers. Remember that the title is often the first thing that people see when they come across your content, so it's important to get it right!

3. Check Your Word Count

If you want to get your content to rank locally (and you do), the "sweet spot" for blog length is between 1,200 and 2,000 words. Studies have shown that longer posts tend to get more engagement, backlinks, and social shares than shorter ones.

However, it doesn't mean that every post has to be long. Shorter posts still have their place, and they can be effective in providing quick tips or updates to your audience. But if you're in the habit of cranking out 300-500 word blog posts, you'll want to write a long post occasionally to reap the benefits of a more in-depth and comprehensive piece.

A longer post allows you to provide more value to your readers by diving deeper into a topic, offering more examples, and providing more insights. It also gives you the opportunity to showcase your expertise and establish your authority in your niche.

But writing a longer post can be a daunting task, especially if you're not used to it. Here are some tips to help you get started:

Choose a topic that you're passionate about but is directly related to your business and that your audience will find valuable.

Break up your post into sections with subheadings , which makes it easier to read and digest.

Use examples, case studies, and anecdotes to illustrate your points and keep your readers engaged .

Include visuals such as images, infographics, and videos to help break up the text and make your post more visually appealing.

By following these tips and writing longer posts occasionally, you can increase your chances of creating a "power post" that generates traffic on social media and Google, while also providing value to your audience.

4. Add Compelling Images

In addition to the important role of length in generating engagement and backlinks, adding images to blog posts is also crucial for driving traffic and keeping readers engaged. While it may seem like a simple step, it's surprising how many businesses overlook this key element.

After all, we're all human and we're all drawn to visuals first. If the content doesn't grab our attention visually, we won't consume it.

Research has shown that people are much more likely to retain information when it is presented with a visual aid, rather than just text alone. By incorporating relevant images (try to use local imagery when possible to connect with your customer base) into your blog posts, you can help your readers better understand and remember the information you're sharing.

But where can you find images for your blog posts?

Two great options are Pixabay.com and Pexels.com, which offer a wide selection of high-quality, royalty-free images that you can use at no cost.

Just be sure to check the licensing requirements and give proper attribution when necessary. It's important that when you use an image on your business website that you have the legal authority to do so. If you don't, you risk a lawsuit.

So adding images to your blog posts can greatly enhance their effectiveness and help you connect with your audience on a deeper level. Don't overlook this simple yet powerful tool in your content marketing strategy.

5. Add Social Sharing Buttons & Widgets

Adding social sharing buttons to your blog posts can greatly increase their visibility and reach. However, it's important to be strategic with which buttons you include.

For example, if your target audience primarily uses Twitter, including a Twitter button and using the "Tweet this" widget to highlight key quotes can be more effective than including a full menu of social sharing buttons.

On the other hand, if your business is a commercial cleaning company or crime scene cleanup service, there's little point to including a Pin This button as your clientele is most likely not on Pinterest.

Additionally, it's important to consider the overall user experience when adding social sharing buttons. Including too many buttons can clutter the page and overwhelm readers, leading to a negative effect on engagement and sharing. A simple and streamlined approach is often more effective.

Another strategy for encouraging social sharing is to include calls-to-action within your blog post itself.

For example, at the end of your post, you can encourage readers to share it with their network by saying something like, "If you found this post helpful, please share it with your friends and followers on social media."

Ultimately, improving your business blog is all about understanding your audience and creating a strategy that works for you. By regularly publishing high-quality content, optimizing for SEO, including visuals, and making it easy for readers to share your posts, you can increase your blog's reach and impact.

In conclusion, a local business blog that focuses on your related content is a very effective tool to boost your online presence and attract new customers.

By following some simple tips and strategies, such as writing longer posts, adding images, and making social sharing easy, you can make your blog stand out from the competition and drive more traffic to your website. Remember to stay consistent with your blogging schedule and track your results to refine your approach over time.

With dedication and effort, a well-crafted local business blog can help you achieve your marketing goals and grow your business.

Newsjacking Your Way to More Customers: A Practical Guide for Local Businesses

Mon, 03 Apr 2023 07:58:22 GMT

Local Newsjacking For More Local Visibility

As a local business owner, you're always looking for ways to increase your visibility and reach new customers. One way to do this is by using local newsjacking. Newsjacking is the art of taking a current news story and tying it to your brand to gain media coverage, social media buzz, and traffic to your website. When you do this on a local level, it's called local newsjacking.

Local newsjacking is a great way to create buzz for your business, but it's not always easy. In this article, we'll discuss how to use local newsjacking to drive visibility for your business.

Understand the News Cycle

Before you can start newsjacking, you need to understand the news cycle in your local area. Keep an eye on the news outlets that cover your area, including local newspapers, radio stations, and TV channels. You can also use Google Alerts to keep track of relevant news stories.

If you own a local dog grooming business, for example, you may use the following keywords for Google Alerts to monitor relevant news stories:

Local animal shelter
Pet adoption
Pet grooming
Pet care
Dog grooming
Cat grooming
Pet events
Pet rescue
Pet health
Local pet news

Of course, you’ll set up these alerts to be local only based on your own location. Think of it as a touch of handy automation to make your day as a business owner-operator a little easier.

Now, with your Google Alerts set up and with a strong understanding of your local news cycle, you'll be able to identify stories that you can use to your advantage.

Stay on Top of Current Events

Newsjacking requires you to be on top of current events. You need to be quick to respond to breaking news stories that are relevant to your business. This means you need to be plugged into social media, news alerts, and local events.

One way to stay on top of current events is to create a social media calendar. This will help you plan out your social media posts in advance and ensure that you're always ready to jump on an opportunity.

Create Content That Ties into News Stories

When a news story breaks, you need to act quickly to tie it into your brand. One way to do this is to create content that is relevant to the news story.

For example, if a new restaurant opens in your area, you can write a blog post about the best places to eat in your neighborhood. You can also create social media posts that highlight your own restaurant's unique features.

Be Authentic and Relevant

When you're newsjacking, it's important to be authentic and relevant. Don't try to force a connection between your business and a news story if there isn't one. This can come across as disingenuous and turn off potential customers.

Instead, focus on stories that are genuinely relevant to your business. This will help you create content that is authentic and resonates with your target audience.

Leverage Local Influencers

Local influencers can be a valuable asset when it comes to local newsjacking. These are individuals who have a large following in your community and can help you amplify your message.

Reach out to local influencers and see if they're willing to share your content. You can also offer to collaborate on a piece of content that ties into a local news story.

An Example : How to Use Local Newsjacking to Boost Your Business Visibility

Let's say you own a pet grooming business in a small town in the Midwest. We’ll say Lima, OH.

One day, a news story breaks about a local animal shelter that's overflowing with dogs. The shelter is in desperate need of help from the community to find homes for these animals.

There is a clear opportunity here to tie your pet grooming business into this news story, so you take it as any good business owner would!

Here are the exact steps you’ll follow using local newsjacking to drive visibility for your business based off this local news story:

1. You Understood The News Cycle

Because you were paying attention to local news outlets, including newspapers, radio stations, and TV channels, and you had set up Google Alerts to keep track of relevant news stories in your niche with keywords including Lima Animal Shelter, Local Pet Adoption, etc., you saw the news story almost immediately.

2. You’re Always Plugged In Locally

You're plugged into social media, news alerts, and local events in your community and the areas that your business services. This means you're ready to act quickly if a news story breaks that's relevant to your business.

3. You Jump Into Action And Create Content That Ties Into The Local Story

As soon as you see the news story about the animal shelter and their struggles, you immediately posted on social media or reposted the story to your social media account, which ties your business into the story.

You create an image that shows a happy, well-groomed dog, with a caption that reads, "If you're thinking about adopting a furry friend from [Insert Name Of Local Shelter Here], let us help you get them looking their best! Bring your new family member to us with the official adoption papers from the shelter for a free grooming session." You tagged the shelter in your post and sent them a direct message making them aware of your offer.

This gave them the opportunity to double-down on your offer and publicize it across their own socials, which increased your visibility. When the shelter responds, you offer to help even more by giving a few of their hardest to adopt dogs a free makeover which, of course, you’ll post the before and after to your socials.

4. You’re Authentic and Relevant

Your post is authentic and directly relevant to the news story. You're not trying to force a connection between your business and the animal shelter, but rather offering a helpful service to those who are thinking of adopting a pet.

This ensures that your business comes across as generous and sincere, and not merely a local brand trying to get publicity for itself.

5. You’ll Leverage Local Influencers To Help

You reached out to local pet influencers, such as popular pet bloggers, social media influencers and veterinary clinics with Facebook and Instagram (or even TikTok) followings. You offer to collaborate with them on a piece of content that promotes the animal shelter and your pet grooming business, along with their own brand.

Together, you create a video that shows the pets at the shelter getting groomed and ready for their new homes. The video ends with a call to action to adopt a pet and bring them to your grooming business for a free grooming session.

By using local newsjacking, you were able to tie your pet grooming business into a relevant news story and create buzz for your business. You were authentic and relevant, and you leveraged local influencers to amplify your message. And in the process, you were able to help a worthy local cause that desperately needed some assistance. It’s a true win-win!

And keep in mind, this is just one example of how local newsjacking can be a powerful tool for your local business when you’re looking to grow brand awareness and reach new customers.

The catch with local newsjacking is that the opportunities happen without any notice, so you’ll want to be ready to get involved quickly. After all, you can’t schedule this type of genuine and organic free publicity!

Timeline Of A Well Executed Newsjacking

Local Newsjacking Best Practices To Maximize Your Local Reach

It’s important to remember that this strategy only works if you’re 100% sincere and never come across as if you’re taking advantage of a fellow local business or organization. Stick to these guidelines, and you’ll know that you’re approaching local newsjacking the right way:

Stay Ethical : When newsjacking, it's important to stay ethical and not exploit tragic or sensitive news stories for personal gain. Always be respectful and considerate of the situation, and avoid coming across as insensitive or tone-deaf.

Keep It Local : As a local business, your focus should be on local news stories that are relevant to your community. Avoid jumping on national or international news stories unless they have a direct tie to your business or community.

Act Fast : When it comes to newsjacking, timing is everything. You need to be quick to act and respond to relevant news stories. This means having a plan in place for monitoring news outlets and social media channels, so you can respond quickly.

Be Creative : The key to successful newsjacking is creativity. Think outside the box and come up with unique and creative ways to tie your business into relevant news stories. This can help you stand out from the competition and generate more buzz for your business.

Measure Results : It's important to track and measure the results of your newsjacking efforts. This will help you understand what's working and what's not, so you can adjust your strategy accordingly. Use analytics tools to track engagement, traffic, and conversions.

Don't Miss Out on New Patients: How Dental Newsletters Can Grow Your Practice And Build Your Brand

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Fri, 24 Mar 2023 07:35:26 GMT

The Power Of Connection: Dental Newsletters Are a Game-Changer

When it comes to dental marketing strategies, email newsletters are woefully underused. In fact, only 9% of US dentists are reportedly using them, and in the UK, only 17% of dentists have a newsletter as part of their marketing and branding strategy.

Such a shame! What a missed opportunity! After all, they're also one of the most efficient and cost-effective forms of marketing you can implement.

Actually, very few dental practices utilize email marketing to grow their practice, which is unfortunate as opt-in emails coupled with a strong lead magnet and landing page sequence averages a 40x return on investment. That's the highest return in all of digital marketing!

While many other types of dental advertising are self-serving, newsletters are different because they provide quality information that your potential and existing patients want to read. For this reason, they already have the edge over traditional 'practice-centric' methods, which are often viewed with a degree of suspicion by those seeking dental treatment.

Aside from this, there are some other advantages to newsletters that dental practices can also tap into:

They Help Maintain Your Relationship To Your Patient

By sending out regular dental marketing newsletters to your opt-in list, you will be reaching out to 3 different target groups. These are...

Those who already visit you like clockwork every 6 months.
Those who have previously made inquiries (leads) about your services but haven't yet taken it any further.
Those who have used your services in the past but, for whatever reason, no longer do.

By targeting them with a regular newsletter, you'll be reminding them that you are still here and open for business. This way, the next time they need dental treatment or need to recommend a dental practice to friends and family, they're more likely to pick you.

You Can Promote Upcoming Events & Promotions

We've already mentioned that dental office marketing in the form of newsletters shouldn't entirely be about practice advertising. However, they are a great way to promote upcoming events. This might mean an event in your local community, or an event or promotion that your dental practice is planning.

The truth is that many of your patients won't visit your dental website to see what promotions or events you have coming up because, well, they’re already your patient. Your website exists to brand you, consistently funnel new patients to your practice, and provide effortless billing (patients require this these days).

But your newsletter speaks to your current patients, those you want to keep! And according to Salesforce, 82% of people will open a newsletter from someone they know and/or trust, particularly a medical practice they recognize.

In other words, if you're advertising something like the following:

20% off the cost of laser teeth whitening when patients have a teethcleaning

There is no better way than with your newsletter to spread the word and get those appointments rolling in!

Newsletters Are Perfect For Sharing

Any dental marketing company worth their salt should suggest that you run a periodic newsletter campaign. Why? Because just like social media, newsletters are easily shareable.

In a study carried out by Wired Wealthy Report, 42% of respondents surveyed said that they'd forwarded a newsletter to friends, family, and acquaintances. So, if you want to get your information out there fast, you could do a lot worse than sending regular dental practice newsletters to your patient’s email inbox.

So now you know why you should use dental marketing newsletters, let's look at the components that make up a newsletter.

Components Of A Good Dental Newsletter

Firstly, all dental newsletters should incorporate the essentials. These include things like...

Dental and oral health tips
Information on new and existing treatments
Events or marketing that your practice has been involved in
Any special offers
Latest patient testimonials
Any recent news associated with oral health that your readers may find interesting – The alarming sugar levels found in certain take-away coffee drinks; or the 'does flossing baby teeth actually matter' debate springs to mind.

In addition to the essentials, you might also want to showcase your fun side. This may include:

A jokes section (clean of course, think along the lines of Dad Jokes )
A related cartoon or comic strip (properly licensed, as you don’t want any legal issues)
Competitions and/or quizzes
Maybe even a 'Kid's Corner'

The whole thing should be somewhere between 2–4 pages in length and should be accompanied by pictures. Remember a newsletter is supposed to be an easily digestible document and not something academic and heavy going like a white paper, so it should be light, and relatively compact.

Akzis VIP suggests to our dental clients that they provide an email newsletter to all patients with easy sign-up forms throughout their website, social media accounts (we handle this for you), and a specially designed subscription funnel with powerful lead magnet (something else we handle for our clients) to power up those email leads. We also suggest that on rare, special occasions, growing dental practices announce a limited edition printed newsletter mailed directly to residents who request it. This edition can be for the holidays or to announce a major event in your practice, such as opening a new location.

So, there you have it.

In short, dental marketing via newsletters works. If you need help organizing and planning your newsletters or are considering setting up a newsletter campaign, let's talk about how we can help.

5 Foolproof Useful Ways to Build Your Local Email List And 5 Real-Life Examples of Local Businesses That Saw Great Results

Thu, 23 Mar 2023 07:58:22 GMT

Did you know that 99% of consumers check their email every day?

Moreover, email marketing is the greatest driver of customer retention for 80% of retail professionals, and 87% of marketers use email campaigns to nurture their audiences.

With stats like these, it’s clear why building an email list is crucial for any local business.

How about a few anonymous examples (some online social media digging would likely unmask the anonymity) of some short wins where a local business turned their email list into a new profit stream?

Building a local email list can be a game-changer for many local businesses. Here are some real-life examples of businesses that saw great results:

Restaurant in Pittsburgh

A local restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh started collecting email addresses from their customers and sending weekly newsletters with special promotions, menu updates, and upcoming events. This helped the restaurant build a loyal customer base and boost their sales.

Personally, I would advise an Akzis VIP client to take it one step further by creating a secret email list subscriber-only menu with two selections featured at a time that must be ordered using a secret phrase shared only with subscribers.

My team would also advise the restaurant owner to put together dishes that maximize profit based on unused supply in stock.

Clothing Boutique in Ann Arbor

A small boutique clothing store in Ann Arbor, Michigan used social media to promote their email list and offer a discount to customers who signed up. They then used email marketing to promote new arrivals, seasonal sales, and exclusive discounts to their subscribers, resulting in a significant increase in online and in-store sales.

I would take it one step further and offer an annual subscriber-only, after-hours event held at the store where admission is granted only upon the digital confirmation of the attendees’ email address as a subscriber.

The event could feature a charity auction tie-in for local visibility (and to help the community) as well as appetizers and drinks and a sneak peek of the latest trends and/or products.

Gym in Bismarck

A local gym in Bismarck created an email list and used it to send workout tips, nutrition advice, and motivational messages to their subscribers. They also sent out exclusive offers and discounts on personal training sessions and gym memberships, which helped them retain customers and attract new ones.

Coffee Shop in Bangor

A Bangor, Maine neighborhood coffee shop, with plenty of much-larger competitors, created an email list and used it to promote their weekly coffee tastings, game nights and live music events. They also offered a free cup of coffee to new subscribers, which helped them build their list quickly and attract more customers to their shop.

Bookstore in Denver

A local bookstore in Denver with several locations used their email list to send locally focused book recommendations, unique author interviews, and updates on upcoming book signings and events. This helped them build a community of book lovers and boost their sales both online and in-store, which, so far, has kept their independent stores popular and thriving in a very difficult time.

In the example above, you'll notice the main heading is a question. That immediately grabs the attention of the would-be subscriber, who is then led to decide whether he or she is, in fact, an adventurous eater. This was used on a restaurant's website, social media (remade into posts), and eventually as local ads.

As you can see, building and using a local email list can be a powerful tool for any local business.

Whether you're a restaurant, boutique, gym, coffee shop, or bookstore, email marketing can help you build a loyal customer base, drive sales, and grow your business.

But I know that you already have a lot on your plate, and the idea of building a list can be overwhelming.

That’s why the Akzis VIP team came up with some quick and easy hacks to help you out:

Train your cashiers to ask for email addresses during checkout , and let customers know they’ll get early access to sales or special coupon codes if they subscribe.

Post about your list on social media and include a link to your opt-in form. Consider adding an incentive like a discount or special promotional offer like an upgrade.

Add email addresses that you’ve collected from your loyalty program or other sources to your main email list, and include an opt-out option at the bottom of the email.

Partner with other local businesses to mention each other to their respective email lists and attract more customers for both. This is a marketing partnership strategy of sharing authority and trust.

Put opt-in forms on every page of your website (s), including your home page. Experiment with static opt-in forms on the margin of the page, as well as pop-ups and light boxes, to see what gets the biggest response. Don’t just slap a generic, “Join our newsletter” opt-in form on your site. Give people a real reason to subscribe! Make it specific like offer a targeted checklist, or actionable quick workbook, or even a handy printable. Use it to showcase your expertise and understanding of what your customers desire the most from your brand.

Primanti Bros. kept it simple. A quick reason (or bribe) to join their email list with an easy-to-understand pay-off the new subscriber can enjoy next visit.

The Ultimate Local Email Marketing Bonus Tip

Add an enticing ‘P.S.’ at the bottom of your emails to upsell your next email and build anticipation. Mention what content the subscriber can look forward to tomorrow or later in the week, and stick to it. Give them a reason not to hit that unsubscribe link at the bottom!

Remember, email marketing has one of the highest ROIs of any marketing technique, and we highly recommend it to all our clients. These local email marketing tips will help you build a robust list, create content your subscribers will love, and grow your business, but you must put them into action starting today.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to reach out to us anytime .

Attention Dentists: 3 Reasons Why Embracing Online Patient Reviews Will Boost Your Practice

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 05:18:03 GMT

Over 85% Of Prospective Patients Look Up Your Online Reviews Before Making An Appointment

Aside from a great website, patient-friendly content, and informative blogs, one of the best ways to create a virtual foundation for your dental practice is through online customer reviews. Apart from giving you a well-deserved confidence boost (after all, who doesn't like something good said about them) they have many other benefits. And they will grow your practice by funneling new patients on a weekly basis!

Let's take a closer look...

1. Positive reviews build trust.

Perhaps one of the most difficult factors that dental practices must deal with is one of trust. Let's face it, for many patients, a trip to the dentist probably isn't one they're likely to relish. Instead, some people (as many as one in three, if sources are to be believed) suffer from some degree of anxiety leading up to an appointment. Therefore, when a person visits your site, and they see or hear examples of REAL patients talking about REAL dental experiences positively, it creates an air of trust between the dentist and patient and is something that will in turn resonate with them.

While dental reviews are a powerful way to bridge that all-important trust gap, they can also present you as the experienced 'go to' dentist in your area. When you look at it from this perspective, it's easy to see how, when done correctly, patient reviews are one of the best weapons you can have in your marketing arsenal.

No doubt you’re already aware of the #1 most looked at review source online – Google! Second up, is Yelp, of course.

If you’re not consistently working to grow your practice’s positive reviews on both of those platforms, your competitors are outmaneuvering you. In fact, have you noticed one of your competitors skyrocketed on Yelp recently? Did that unexpected jump cost you some worthy patients? It’s highly likely that the competitor in question is using our legal and ethical Yelp Boosting Service .

2. Positive reviews are great for the team.

It's fair to say that the success of any dental practice is only as good as the team within. However, being a customer-facing business it's inevitable that you're going to come across patients who are let's just say.... out to make life a little more challenging. This can in some instances lower the overall morale of the team and make your job that much harder.

Conversely, patient reviews have the opposite effect. Because the patient has cared enough about your service to feel compelled to write and tell you, it makes you feel worthwhile. Also, it offers a psychological boost for you and your team.

What's more, positive reviews can often be traced back to a particular person or service that they gave, so you could offer a small prize or bonus to that person for doing a great job or going above and beyond the call of duty.

Aside from making your employees feeling valued, it also makes your practice a fun place to work, and who doesn't want that?

3. Reviews help with SEO.

Getting a massive virtual 'thank you' in the form of a positive review is not only good for the morale of the team, but also benefits the mechanics of your business.

Did you know, for example, that patient reviews are also useful for search engine optimization? Google, Bing, and Yahoo love reviews and tend to rank sites higher than those who don't have them.

Ultimately, when online competition is tough, it may make the difference between acquiring ten or twenty new patients through your doors a month, as opposed to just one or two.

So, there you have it... 3 compelling reasons why online reviews for dentists’ work!

The bottom line is that positive patient reviews can help to bridge the gap of trust between dentist and patient, as well as positioning you as the 'go to' dentist in your area. They can also boost team morale, which in turn can have a direct link with an improved and better performance.

Finally, customer reviews can also affect the virtual mechanics of your business by helping with search engine optimization. When you think about it, it's amazing how something so simple can have such a positive overall impact on your business.

The question is... are you going to take action today?

Ready for More Cosmetic Dental Patients? Try These 3 Strategies for Following Up on New Inquiries

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Fri, 10 Mar 2023 06:17:16 GMT

Inquiries are leads, and a good marketer knows not to waste a good lead.

Over the last few years, the cosmetic dentistry industry has exploded as increasing numbers of dental patients are starting to explore a wide variety of aesthetically enhancing treatments such as teeth whitening, gum contouring, and smile makeovers. For dentists who offer this service, it's good news, as they continue to receive an increasing number of inquiries. However, it's also bad news, as a higher demand means greater competition. The question is:

“How can dental practices land patients looking for cosmetic dental treatments before their competitors?”

The answer: “By having a follow-up procedure in place!”

Did you know that according to a recent marketing survey, 48% of businesses never follow up with a prospect? In dental terms, this means that rather than a patient sitting in your dental chair, they're sitting in someone else's. That’s not something we want to see!

To prevent this from happening, here are three very actionable ways that any dental practice can follow up on new cosmetic dental leads effectively.

1. Push The Follow-up Emails

Follow-up emails don't have to be long, lengthy affairs; indeed, it's better if they're kept short and sweet. In essence, they're there to achieve a purpose, and that purpose is to get the recipient to take some sort of action. That action could be calling you for further information or booking a consultation to discuss the types of cosmetic treatments you offer.

Here are some key pointers:

Avoid skirting round the subject and get straight to the point.

Let's face it you're not simply 'checking in' or 'just checking to see' instead you're trying to accomplish something, so you really need to clearly state your purpose.

How about something like....

'Hi (insert first name here),

I'm following up on an inquiry you made a few days ago regarding cosmetic dentistry treatment. I'd just like to let you know that we offer all patients a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss their cosmetic dentistry needs. If you'd like to make an appointment, or to call us for any further information on how we can help, you can do so by contacting us on (insert number here).

Thanks again and on behalf of (mention the name of the lead dentist or practice owner) we look forward to hearing from you.

Immediately, it gets straight to the point. It tells the patient right away what the email is about and more importantly, what they need to do to take action.

Highlight any benefits you offer!

You'll also notice that I've mentioned a benefit in the form of a free, no-obligation consultation. If you do offer this service, you'd be crazy not to tell the recipient about it. In fact, any benefits you have over your competitors, such as discounts on teeth whitening treatments or wrinkle reduction, should be included. Don't merely list features or add-ons.

Remember, you're a local business, and you're marketing locally and that makes you, at least partially, a marketer. Think like a marketer! Focus on the potential buyer and use benefits instead of features. What makes your practice different from your competitors? Why should someone choose you over another dentist nearby? Use this to also highlight your social proof with links to your online reviews to build trust .

Craft a great subject line!

The final piece of your follow-up email should be the subject line. Like the email itself, it should be kept short and sweet, but also catchy enough to pique the reader's interest.

In a recent survey of over 6 million emails, it was found that those subject lines that contained…

Concrete numbers and/or times
Urgency words such as 'tomorrow'
Personal names

were more likely to be opened and read, as opposed to those that didn't.

2. Give Them Answers & Show Off Your Expertise

Most people inquiring about cosmetic dental treatment are looking for specific answers, so how about giving the information to them in the form of a helpful report or guide. Here's how it works.

The patient makes an inquiry about cosmetic dental treatment via email.
You send them a report or helpful guide to their email address
After reading your helpful guide or report, the customer likes what they hear and books an appointment.

Well, that's the theory anyway...

So, what should these reports or guides contain?

Let’s say that you have a helpful guide on teeth whitening. It should contain all the information a patient needs to know. Topics such as background information, types of treatment, the sort of results patients can expect, and what they may experience during the treatment, are all key features of a good report or helpful guide.

The idea being that it gives them enough information to make an informed dental decision, but moreover, it tells them that you are the 'go to' cosmetic dentist for this particular treatment.

The main benefits of following up with a guide or report is that it can be sent quickly alongside a covering email, so it isn't a time-consuming job. In addition, the guide only must be written or commissioned once, after which it can be sent repeatedly to a multitude of patients, so it's cost-effective marketing too.

You can also have a series of guides for specific treatments, meaning you can laser target each guide to the needs of each customer. If used properly, this is an effective way of converting follow-ups into leads.

3. Reach Out Personally

The final tip is to reach out in person. This is less commonly used simply because it can be time-consuming. However, it's very effective. Imagine if you were the person making the inquiry and one or two days later you received a call from the dentist in question thanking you for your inquiry and inviting you to a free, no-obligation consultation. It's difficult to resist, right!

To be most effective, the call needs to come from you personally, rather than your receptionist or office manager. Very few people deny feeling special and important when the actual doctor or medical practice owner contacts them personally. Now that's demonstrates a high-level of patient involvement! Try to keep it friendly, and like the email, keep it short and sweet.

The conversation may go something like this:

“Hi (insert name) I'm doctor (insert name) from (insert name of dental practice). I noticed you made an inquiry about teeth whitening recently, and I'd really like to help you get a brighter, whiter smile. I'd like to invite you to a free, no-obligation consultation with me sometime this week to discuss how we can work together to make you very happy with your smile.”

Unsurprisingly, this method of follow up is dramatically underused, but research has shown that warm prospecting like this always delivers outstanding results.

Start small by setting aside 15 minutes a day to make 3-5 follow-up phone calls to strong leads. You'll be surprised how many of them convert, simply because none of your competitors are taking the time to call them personally. If only one converts per day, that's 20 extra patients a month, and all it cost you was a few minutes of your time per potential patient. That's good business and it's great marketing!

So, there you have it. Three examples of how you can effectively follow up on new cosmetic dental inquiries to land more patients. If you're prepared to do what others won't and use one or more of these methods above, then there's no doubt that your patient base will increase.

The Secret to Growing Your Medical Practice? Reputation Management via The Power of Patient Reviews

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 06:17:40 GMT

Reputation Management For Medical Practices Has One Of The Highest Rates of Return For Time Spent

We live in the age known as the knowledge economy, with instant access to any form of information or medium we want. Quick question, the last time you took your family out to a new restaurant, did you look up its online reviews first?

Statistically speaking, you did. Most people do, and that’s just for a quick meal. Would you buy your car from a dealership without checking out their online reviews?

You see where I’m going with this!

Online reputation management is essential for any medical practice that wants to attract and retain patients. Patients now can share their experiences and opinions about their healthcare providers on a variety of online platforms, such as Google, Yelp, and Healthgrades. These online reviews can have a significant impact on a medical practice's reputation and bottom line.

In fact, studies show that nearly 80% of patients read online reviews before choosing a healthcare provider. Therefore, it's crucial for medical practices to have a solid reputation management strategy in place to ensure that they are portraying a positive image to prospective patients. In this article, we will explore the dos and don'ts of reputation management for medical practices and provide tips on how to effectively manage your online reputation to attract new patients and retain existing ones.

As a medical professional, you probably prefer to see the data of it all, the raw facts and figures. We’re obsessed with data too, so we understand.

Online reviews are a critical factor in patients' decision-making process . According to a survey by Software Advice, 82% of patients read online reviews when searching for a new healthcare provider .

Positive online reviews can help attract new patients . In a survey by BrightLocal, 93% of consumers said that online reviews influence their purchasing decisions , and 68% said that positive reviews make them more likely to use a business.

Online reviews can improve search engine rankings . Search engines like Google and Bing take online reviews into account when determining search rankings. According to Moz, online reviews are the third most important factor in local search ranking .

Negative reviews can harm your practice . A study by PatientPop found that 70% of patients would choose one provider over another based on online reviews . Additionally, 53% of patients said they would consider driving a farther distance to see a provider with better reviews .

Responding to reviews can improve patient satisfaction . According to a study by the Journal of Medical Internet Research, providers who respond to reviews have higher patient satisfaction scores than those who do not.

Most patients expect providers to have online reviews . A survey by Software Advice found that 72% of patients expect providers to have a minimum of 10 reviews , and 84% said they would be more likely to choose a provider with reviews .

One can't easily argue with cited statistics!

It's simple, positive reviews will attract new patients and improve search rankings, while negative reviews will harm your practice. Responding to reviews can improve patient satisfaction, and most patients expect providers to have online reviews. By actively managing your online reviews and encouraging patients to leave feedback, you can help improve your practice's reputation and attract new patients.

Still not quite convinced of the importance of reputation management to your business’s growth? Well, who doesn’t like a few real-world examples!

Real-World Examples of Medical Practices That Have Grown By Building Up Their Online Reputation Through Reviews

Midwest Dental Sleep Medicine

This dental practice in Illinois increased its revenue by 34% in just six months by focusing on online reputation management. They implemented a review management system and asked patients for reviews, which led to an increase in positive reviews and improved search rankings.

Westwood Dermatology

This dermatology practice in Los Angeles increased its patient volume by 31% in six months by implementing a review management system and focusing on online reputation management. They also responded to patient reviews and used patient feedback to improve their services.

Advanced Orthopedics of Oklahoma

This orthopedic practice in Tulsa, Oklahoma, increased its patient volume nearly 25% in six months by implementing a review management system and actively managing its online reputation. They responded to patient reviews, improved their services based on patient feedback, and encouraged patients to leave reviews.

The Skin Center Medical Spa

This medical spa in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, increased its revenue by 44% in one year by implementing a review management system and focusing on online reputation management. They asked patients for reviews, responded to patient feedback, and used patient feedback to improve their services.

These examples demonstrate the power of online reputation management for medical practices. By actively managing their online reviews and using patient feedback to improve their services, these practices were able to attract new patients and increase revenue.

From Good To Great: How To Ask For And Get More Online Customer Reviews

Make it easy for patients to leave a review : Provide patients with clear instructions on how to leave a review on your preferred review platforms such as Google, Yelp, or Healthgrades. You can also include links to these platforms on your website or in email communications with patients.

Ask patients directly : After a patient has had a positive experience, ask them if they would be willing to leave a review. You can do this in-person, via email or text message, or through a follow-up survey.

Provide incentives : Offer patients a small incentive, such as a discount on their next visit or a free teeth cleaning, in exchange for leaving a review. Just make sure that the incentive is not contingent on the content of the review.

Send automated review requests : Use an automated review management system to send review requests to patients after their appointment. This can save you time and make it easier for patients to leave a review.

Respond to reviews : Respond to both positive and negative reviews to show that you value patient feedback and are committed to providing quality care. This can also encourage patients to leave reviews in the future.

Use signage and social media : Place signs in your office or on your website asking patients to leave a review, and promote your review profiles on social media to increase visibility and encourage reviews.

Remember that online reviews can have a significant impact on your dental practice, so it's important to try to encourage patients to leave feedback.

The Dos and Don'ts of Reputation Management for Medical Practices

Now you know how to go about getting those valuable business-building reviews from your patients, but knowing why you need them and asking for them isn’t everything you must know.

Let’s go over some dos and don'ts of reputation management for medical practices because there are a few things you’re going to want to avoid during this process.

Do's:

Encourage patients to leave reviews : The more positive reviews you have, the better your online reputation will be. Encourage patients to leave reviews on popular review platforms such as Google, Yelp, and Healthgrades.
Respond to reviews : Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, shows that you care about patient feedback and are committed to providing excellent care. Always thank patients for positive reviews and address any concerns raised in negative reviews.
Monitor your online reputation : Use tools such as Google Alerts or social media monitoring software to track what people are saying about your practice online. This will help you address any negative comments or reviews quickly and proactively.
Use patient feedback to improve your services : Take patient feedback seriously and use it to improve your practice. This will not only improve patient satisfaction, but also lead to more positive reviews.
Stay compliant with HIPAA regulations : When responding to reviews or engaging with patients online, make sure you are following HIPAA regulations and protecting patient privacy.

Don'ts:

Create fake reviews : Creating fake reviews, either positive or negative, is unethical and can harm your practice's reputation if discovered.
Ignore negative reviews : Ignoring negative reviews can make the situation worse and lead to more negative comments. Always address negative reviews in a professional and respectful manner.
Respond to reviews emotionally : Responding to negative reviews in an emotional or defensive way can harm your practice's reputation. Always respond professionally and address the patient's concerns.
Violate patient privacy : When responding to reviews or engaging with patients online, make sure you are not sharing any patient information that could violate HIPAA regulations.
Assume all reviews are fake or malicious : While there may be some fake or malicious reviews out there, assuming that all negative reviews are fake or malicious can harm your practice's reputation. Take all reviews seriously and address them professionally.

In summary, managing your medical practice's online reputation is important, but it's important to do so ethically and professionally. Encourage patients to leave reviews, respond to reviews, monitor your online reputation, use patient feedback to improve your services, and stay compliant with HIPAA regulations.

Avoid creating fake reviews, ignoring negative reviews, responding emotionally, violating patient privacy, and assuming all reviews are fake or malicious. If you follow that advice, you’ll save your sanity, your valuable time, and your practice’s reputation while building your patient roster.

But the fact is that managing your online reputation can be a daunting task, particularly for busy medical professionals. That's where Akzis VIP comes in. With Akzis VIP, you can have a team of experts manages your online reputation for you, saving you time and ensuring that your practice is portrayed in the best possible light online.

Akzis VIP offers a Done-For-You service of reputation management that includes monitoring your online reviews, responding to reviews on your behalf, and providing you with regular reports on your online reputation. By using Akzis VIP, you can focus on providing excellent care to your patients, while leaving your online reputation in the hands of experienced professionals.

In today's competitive healthcare market, a strong online reputation is essential for attracting and retaining patients. Don't let a negative online reputation hold your practice back. Consider partnering with Akzis VIP to ensure that your practice is portrayed in the best possible light online.

Get Your Dental Implant Marketing Strategy Right: 3 Key Factors Your Patients Must Hear For Success

gswassum@akzis.com (Gerald Wassum) — Thu, 02 Mar 2023 06:42:53 GMT

The dental implant market is projected to reach $5.9 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.8%. Don't give up your share!

Did you know that effective dental implant marketing is a powerful driving force that can bring swathes of potential patients through your doors? The hardest part however is spreading the word.

This is where great content in the form of well-balanced blogs, newsletters, reports, ads, or videos, comes in.

First, the good news...

There are a multitude of people looking for effective solutions to missing teeth right now. While implants haven't always been the preferred option for missing teeth replacement, advances in technology now means that they've fast become a seriously attractive choice for patients. Not only this, but they’re also even more attractive to your bottom line.

Now for the bad news...

Patients looking for missing tooth solutions won't be coming to you unless they know of your existence. Even when they do, they'll need to trust you first. This is what good dental implant marketing does. If executed well, it can bring in a slew of new patients AND present you as the 'go to' dental implant dentist in your area. How's that for a win/win situation?

So just how do you approach dental marketing for best results? Here are 3 key factors to help you make a connection with your target audience.

#1: Getting The Right Message Across

When business owners consider marketing the first thing, they think about are the types of marketing streams they might want to use, e.g., TV advertising, video, PPC, blogs, etc. While it's crucial to get this right, it's even more crucial to consider the message you want to convey.

In other words, it's what you say that's as important to potential clients as where you say it.

So how do you make sure that what you say is appealing?

Simple - consider the fact that you're marketing to the everyday person-on-the-street and not to other industry professionals. In other words, if you can create the message you want to convey in patient-friendly terms, you're halfway there.

Okay, but how do you do that?

Tune into what potential patients really care about. Think about how dental implants will make them feel and how it's going to change their life for the better. So, remember to speak their language and give them exactly what they want.

#2: Spell Out The Cons Of Competing Tooth Replacement Procedures

Often people choose more traditional tooth replacement treatments for the simple reason that it’s ‘better the devil you know'. Your job is to make them open up to other (and, let's face it, better) solutions.

For this reason, you'll need to convince people who are wary of change, that change can be a good thing.

One way to do this is to draw their attention to the disadvantages of conventional forms of tooth replacement when compared to dental implants.

To accomplish this, you might want to include the following points:

The issues associated with other forms of missing teeth replacement – Such as the failure to halt bone loss, embarrassing dental slippage, ongoing replacements, and maintenance, etc.

The cost vs the risk factor – The initial cost of a dental implant is arguably one of the biggest stumbling blocks that prevents people from choosing them. Your job is to get them to see the bigger, long-term picture. Convey the fact that the patient could be taking more of a risk with their overall dental health by opting for other methods of missing teeth replacement. In addition, you might want to also mention that in many cases payments can be spread over several months, so cost really doesn't have to be the single deciding factor.

Predictability vs unpredictability – While dental implants are overall relatively predictable, other treatments, such as root canal therapy, dental bridges, and dentures, can all have unpredictable outcomes for patients. These are factors that patients really need to know.

#3: Promote The Benefits Implants Have Over Their Counterparts

There are many compelling benefits that dental implants have over their counterparts. Factors such as:

Convenience
Longevity
Comfort
Improved bite functionality
Restored confidence
More youthful appearance
Improved oral and overall health

Those are all key drivers in the promotion of dental implants over other forms of missing tooth replacement. It's well worth expanding on these and going into more detail but remember to keep it patient-friendly. It's also a good idea to include patient testimonials reiterating some of the above benefits?

So, there you have it, three important rules to delivering effective, patient-friendly, dental implant marketing.

Remember, it's all about getting into the head of your patients and thinking about what resonates with them. What affects them, what they care about, and what they fear. If you can tap into those basic feelings, then you might be well on the way to increased patient numbers and a healthier looking balance sheet.