How a Dental Copywriter, Covid-19, and Genghis Kahn are Related - A Lesson On Getting More Patients
Genghis Kahn, arguably the greatest conqueror in the world’s history, began humbly in China, then spread his wrath and influence across most of the world in the early 1200s.
History has recorded his reputation for murder and plunder.
Yes, Ghenghis Kahn was certainly a menace, but he also left some things improved in his wake. For example, he established a universal writing system and also an international post system, dramatically affecting communication within the empire.
Today, we're dealing with a rather persistent little virus. The coronavirus of 2019 is like a microscopic version of Genghis Kahn.
Covid-19, tiny as it may be, has left a path of devastation for millions of people who have lost the lives of loved ones. At the same time, it has also paved the way for the widespread acceptance of remote work and telehealth – new ways to communicate.
Due to covid-19, the internet has quickly become the universal, global convention center for meetings, work, doctor appointments, learning, and play – 24/7.
Now that basically everything is online, more and more people are open to learning about their health on their mobile devices and desktop computers. People are searching for their healthcare provider's service offering online.
It’s becoming more normal by the day to have a doctor's appointment virtually. Clinical teams in all healthcare sectors are adjusting to seeing their patients both on-screen and in person.
This shift was happening gradually before the pandemic, but now it’s suddenly the norm.
So the question is, are you poised to be a provider who comes out the other side of covid-19's wrath better? Is your practice in the right place to adopt new technology and offer comprehensive options for patient communication?
Offering comprehensive communication options in your own practice means you have options for people to get their oral health needs met in as many ways as possible – online and in person.
Hiring a Dental Industry Copywriter to Write Your Dental Website Content Helps You Communicate Better With Patients
This blog post discusses how writing for your website (aka copywriting) can get you more web visitors which in turn gets you more visitors to your physical office.
Does your practice website merely contain facts about you, your years of experience, the dental services you offer, and a contact page?
While this was enough a decade ago, now potential customers are going to stay on websites that include unique content about dental health.
Potential patients want to learn about themselves from your website.
An expert copywriter helps your website become a learning resource for your patients while also including promotional material that gets more patients to schedule with you.
Whether you have a brand new website or an already optimized website with tons of good content, you’ll want to make sure your website copy includes the right words to compete in the world of SEO.
What is SEO? SEO is search engine optimization. That means having the right keywords included in your website copy that match what potential patients are searching for. A skilled copywriter will do keyword research to make sure they're writing about what people are searching for.
Good dental web copywriting will not only help your site rise in search rankings but also build trust with your client base.
One of the best ways to stay connected with your target audience is to continually update the web content on your dental practice website with web pages dedicated to blog posts.
The best way to make the most of your dental marketing is to have a skilled writer on your team. A good copywriter writes great content that helps you attract a steady stream of new patients.
Dental content is really best when it comes from skilled dental writers with first-hand experience in the dental field. It only makes sense, right? If you’ve worked in one industry for more than a few years, you understand that there’s a familiarity and depth of knowledge that comes with that experience.
Hiring a dental writer, also known as a dental copywriter, who has first-hand clinical experience is extremely valuable to your online presence.
You could write your own content and your own copy since you're a dental expert yourself, but most dentists don’t have time to commit to building out a robust library of web content, let alone continually update it.
Writing when you have a busy schedule is no easy task.
Read more here about how a professional dental copywriter can help you grow your practice.
Dentists who understand how prospective patients use search engines like Google understand that it’s no longer just optional to have a stellar website.
Especially astute dentists understand that a spectacular website must be chock full of original content that answers questions around patients’ specific needs.
Maybe you already have an updated dental website and lots of social media posts. But are they helpful for your patients? When patients search for anything related to dentistry online, it’s usually because they have a problem they need to solve.
Put yourself in the shoes of a patient who needs you and you’ll have a good idea of what type of content should exist on your website.
What would you search for if you had no dental knowledge and had a broken tooth? Probably something like “dentist near me” or “broken tooth, what to do.”
That means your website needs to be optimized to come up in that search. Having a section on your dental website that includes the phrase “what to do if you have a broken tooth in Anytown, USA” would help that person find your office and learn what steps they should take to see you.
That’s SEO.
Your Website is Your Brand Voice
Have you thought of yourself or your dental practice as a personal brand? In the 2020s, running a dental practice and business requires an online presence that solidly portrays you and your brand.
Patients are looking to search engines the way they once looked to their peers for recommendations for doctors.
Being searchable online is great because it allows you to show up to more people than are in your existing network of patients.
But it also poses a challenge because a lot of other practices are showing up well online too, showcasing their personal brands and philosophies.
It’s easier now than ever for patients to compare providers and make a decision about who to schedule with based on what they see online.
A new dental website, dental blogs, and specific pages on your website called landing pages are all necessary to showcase you and your clinical team as subject matter experts. Expert clinicians who are able to meet the specific needs of patients must show up well online.
Appearing to prospective patients near the surface of the deep sea of Google requires your website to have original content that answers the questions and meets the needs of your prospective patients.
Create Backlinks to Your Dental Website
Once you have a site full of helpful content about your practice and services, the next step to making it more searchable is adding backlinks.
What is a backlink? A backlink is a live hyperlink within your website that a user clicks to go to another website with related information.
How do backlinks help your dental website's search engine optimization?
While you want to keep your patients on your site, you can also provide a lot of valuable information by including links to other sites with educational content you want your patients to know about.
For example, you might have a section on your website that explains the importance of seeing the hygienist regularly to keep your gums healthy. You should definitely have your own discussion of gum disease on your website, but you can also include a hyperlink like this to the American Dental Association’s page about gum disease.
Relevant backlinks give you credibility, make you more searchable on Google, and give your prospective patients more good content to read.
Communicate With Your Existing Patients to Increase Revenue
What about communicating with the people who are already your patients? Sure, you always want to be attracting new patients, but existing patients are already tuned in to you and are receptive to your message.
Don’t miss a highly valuable opportunity to deepen the relationship and trust your patients have in you by sending them regular emails. You'll retain patients for life and get referrals for new patients the more dental clients trust you as their best source of information about their oral health.
How do you foster a great patient relationship when you only see each other once or twice a year?
I recommend sending valuable information to your existing patients once or twice a month. Regular emails will keep you (and oral health) fresh in your patients’ minds and will pay off dramatically over time.
And you know what else happens when you make regular contact to share health insights with your patients? You establish your personal brand and patients come not only to expect wisdom from you but also look forward to it.
There’s a lot of space between dental visits where you can pop into your patients’ email inboxes and provide valuable information that they’ll appreciate.
The inbox is where you can educate patients about the health benefits of dental treatment - in a calm, relaxed space where they have the time and mindset to absorb it.
It’s hard to say everything you want to say while a patient is in the chair. You’re already on a tight schedule, and most likely, your patients don’t retain most of what you tell them. Not because you’re not a good communicator, but because a lot of people are mentally distracted when they’re in your office.
Patients are worried about whether they’ll be in pain and how much everything will cost. And they might be feeling embarrassed about their oral health.
It’s just not the ideal time to have thorough conversations.
If you’d like regular educational content, so that all you have to do is copy and paste it into your office newsletter template, then try out a KBC Oral Health subscription free for the first month.
Subscribing to our newsletter that's written for patients about dental care, oral health, and overall health helps you connect with patients between appointments.
Make Your Practice Stand Out to New Customers
When you have new patients arrive at your office, your physical space should be as comprehensive as your website. If you have a professionally done, new dental website but your office has outdated furniture and technology, your new patients will feel as if they’ve been tricked.
Invest in a beautiful office design so your patients feel like they’re getting a special service when they walk through your front doors. The setting is so important to create a mood of relaxed confidence.
Avoid being stuffy or overly ornate. Neat, up-to-date, and clean will do the trick. Music that matches the mood of your office, aromatherapy, and ambient lighting in the reception area also help your new patients feel comfortable right away.
Use the Best Dental Software and Tools
Using practice management software should be a no-brainer by now. Running your practice without a robust patient management platform like Henry Schein One or RevenueWell would be like driving a horse and buggy for your regular transportation.
Find the software that works best for your practice and then stay current with updates and new offerings that can enhance what you already have.
Maybe you’ve been using the same software for years now. But new companies like Dental Dash are popping up to enhance your existing workflow so everything is easier.
New and upcoming technologies are arriving to make the business of dentistry a smoother process – which in turn allows you to see more patients and provide a higher level of care.
Summary of 5 Dental Writing Tips for Marketing Your Dental Practice
Use phrases and words that patients are likely to search. For example, patients don’t search for “periodontitis” nearly as much as they search for “bleeding gums”.
Link to other helpful websites that patients can learn from. Giving your patients plenty of learning resources makes you a more trusted provider and it helps your website’s SEO.
Keep in touch with your patients with a monthly email. Sign up to get regular content and send it to your patients to keep them informed and educated about their oral health.
Hire a professional dental writer to create the content that gets you to the top of search results, positions you as an expert online, and gets you more patients.
Make sure your practice is up-to-date with the latest technology. Practice management software and tools make you stand out as being on the cutting edge of your industry.
Interested in subscribing to KBC Oral Health? Click here to subscribe and get patient education content written for you every month. The first month is free!