The internet revolutionizes both sides of the equation.

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media sites are marvels of the modern advertising world, because the cost to be seen by a large local crowd is virtually zero. When you can nurture a prospect into a patient for nothing, it doesn’t take much to give you a killer ROI, right?

On the other hand, legions of unsophisticated marketers are getting both sides of the equation wrong.

They invest a lot in hoopla, spin and hype to get strangers to notice them (once), and then, once they borrow a little attention, they put everything into a one shot transaction, which few people engage in, and those that do create little value, because the permission asset is then discarded.

Dates, not singles bars. Subscriptions, not vegomatics.

Did you know that 48 hours of video are uploaded every minute to YouTube, resulting in nearly 8 years of content uploaded every day? It’s true… The fast-movers and early adopters (as they prove time and time again online) will take the Lion’s Share of the new patients, while the rest watch the “video train” rush by, wondering when their turn is.

Leveraging your video properly includes so much more than just putting it on your website! Integrating your video into your social and mobile marketing strategies is paramount to your success.

Here’s what YouTube says about how their video gets spread around:

  17,000,000 people have connected their YouTube account to at least one social network (Facebook, Twitter, etc)
  100,000,000 people take a social action on YouTube (likes, shares, comments, etc) weekly

  YouTube Mobile gets over 400,000,000 views a day (13% of their total views)

  150 years of YouTube video are watched daily on Facebook

  Every minute more than 500 tweets contain YouTube links

Please leave your thoughts below!!

Dental marketing isn’t about “branding” or “impressions” — it’s about putting qualified patients in your chair that accept treatment. “Hits and clicks” on your website and Facebook simply do not do that.

Your dental marketing firm should be showing you, beyond any shadow of a doubt, that your marketing is attracting qualified patients into your practice.

We provide all our dentist clients with our industry leading phone tracking system, Zetetics™. With Zetetics™, we can track not only the phone calls all your marketing generates, but consults scheduled, cases presented, which patients move forward with case acceptance, and real dollars generated into your bank account.

Here’s 3 of our top dentist clients and some of their results the last 30 days…

Click to enlarge (65 calls)

Click to enlarge (31 calls)

Click to enlarge (98 calls)

Albert Einstein once said “insanity was doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

If you’re not happy with (or you have no idea what) your dental web marketing is doing for you right now, stop the insanity and call us at 888.741.1413.

Many dental marketing firms out there make social media marketing seem like “rocket science,” and are leading their dentist clients to invest their marketing dollars in the hype of Social Media, leaving them [the "dental marketers"] as the only one with cash in their pocket when the music stops…

And Here’s Why:

Facebook is revolutionary, but in order to “Friend” someone, you have to know them first. Even on your Facebook Business Page, for them to “Like” you, they have to know you. Would you “Friend” or “Like” a complete stranger? Of course you wouldn’t.

Facebook is a FOLLOW-UP Medium… a way to keep in touch with patients and prospects that you already know.

So Where Should You Focus Your Time?

EyeTrackShop just completed an eye tracking study of people browsing various social sites. Why does this matter? Because it definitively shows you exactly where your prospective patients are looking. And where people are looking is where you want to be…

Here’s What Really Matters to Dentists in the Social Media Arena

1. Profile pictures matter, and attracted the most attention on Facebook.

You can see clearly (right image) the main focus of where your patients are looking is on your profile picture and your most recent status update. Notice the LAST advertising position gets more eye-views than the top position. In the left image, take notice of the path their eyes follow.

(Click images to enlarge)

2. Job title garnered more attention than profile photo on LinkedIn.

In fact, it got more attention than anything else on the page.

(Click images to enlarge)

3. Who you know does matter.

People always look at those little thumbnails of friends that appear on many social profiles. You can see this in the data from the Facebook, Twitter, & Google+ profiles.

(Click images to enlarge)

4. Content is still king.

The further your posts are down the page, the (exponentially) fewer number of people look at it.

(Click images to enlarge)

Want to Learn More About
How to Leverage Social Media Marketing
To Find More Qualified New Patients?

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Big thanks goes to our friends at EyeTrackShop for putting this eye-tracking study together.

They certainly don’t compare to the big ticket items found in other places of the store, but they are big money makers. Even though WalMart might sell a $599 snow blower in one department and a $1000 flat screen in another, based on square footage, the checkout line is the most profitable real estate in the store. The last time I checked, WalMart merchandise was selling at a rate of $5.00 per square foot on regular shelves and $28 per square foot at the checkout isle.

Why? Because That’s Where Everyone Is

A snow blower might be bypassed, and in reality they don’t sell that many compared to the number of gum packs in checkout isles. Everyone has to go through a relatively small space to get out, and while you are standing there, you are a captive audience. WalMart also knows the last minute decision in a checkout line is immediate and swift.

“Mom, can I have a pack of gum?”

How many times have you heard that and the parent, probably you included, has succumbed to the ease and immediacy of throwing a pack of gum on the conveyor belt?

Being where people are at and allowing them to satisfy their need for “immediacy” is important!

If someone is searching for a dentist, especially in today’s world of quick internet searches, instant gratification, and the prevalent use of smart phones, YOU HAVE TO BE SEEN IN THE MOST VALUABLE PIECE OF ADVERTISING REAL ESTATE OR YOU WON’T GET THE BUSINESS!

Today that means you have to be seen on the web. Your website displays information about your dental practice. You can emphasize your specialties and let your prospective patients spend some time getting to know you via your website and videos… but not if you aren’t there AND NOT IF YOU CAN’T BE SEEN.

At the same time remember we’ve already discussed well established facts and trends.

• Well over 95% of people looking for a dentist, or any local service for that matter, will search online and on their mobile phones.
• 86% of them will immediately pick up the phone and call, symbolizing the power of the “checkout isle” phenomenon.

It’s a simple concept but an important one: Provide the information when and where people are looking for it and be the best at it… or drop down to the $5 a square foot rent district.

People act quicker today than they ever have before. Technology has spawned a global “checkout isle” mentality. Turning that into a lucrative, patient attracting medium means you have to be there and be seen.

We can help… Talk to us about how you can capture the “checkout line” mentality and make it work for you and your dental practice. You will get the lion’s share of qualified patients who are searching.

The next time you go through the checkout line in your favorite store, think about the marketing angle and remember this blog.

Click the image to read our article in TPD:

Download the winter 2011 publication of The Profitable Dentist here.

Of course, the page was a fraud, but that didn’t keep whoever put it up from getting 7 days of laughs out of it before it was taken down. An organization the size of Bank of America you would expect would be very protective of their brand…

So how are you protecting your brand?

We hear from dentists occasionally that they are not embracing social media, they don’t have a Google Places page, and they aren’t using reviews online. Unfortunately, burying your head in the sand and avoiding these sites doesn’t mean your patients will too.

We hear from dentists like this occasionally, usually after they find negative reviews online about themselves. They are in a panic about what they should do and how to “get them deleted.” Unfortunately at that point, options are limited. These problems are much easier prevented and avoided completely.

BrandJacked! If it Can Happen to BofA, it Can Happen to Your Dental Practice

Imagine these two scenarios:

Scenario 1) You have an unhappy patient. It happens to all of us, don’t kid yourself. That patient runs home, gets on Google and leaves you a scathing review. It’s the only review on your Places page, and Google displays and syndicates those terrible words all over the internet. Anytime a patient searches for you, they find Susie’s hateful remarks.

Scenario 2) You have an unhappy patient. She runs home, gets on Google and leaves you a scathing review. But this time you have 35 GLOWING reviews already there from patients that are ecstatic with your dentistry. Google knows everyone gets a bad review from time to time, and that 1 negative review gets buried amongst 35 positive ones. Next time a patient searches for you online, chances are they’ll never see the bad one.

“It’s too much work” or “I don’t know how to get started”

If you’ve tried before and found it to be too much work, you probably didn’t have a system in place to automate it. If you have no clue how to get started, don’t worry, we’ll show you.

For beginners, we have a step-by-step guide available at no charge on our website. This 30 page free report “The New Yellowpages” is perfect for those dentists wanting to dive in and get started now.

For those more seasoned dentists looking to supercharge their online reviews and Google Places, grab a copy of my latest book (110pgs) “How to Stay In Front of Your Patients Until They Are Ready to Buy: The Authoritative Guide to Social Media & Drip Marketing for Dentists.” It’s available at no charge from our Facebook page (http://www.whypatientsdontbuy.com).

Keep Moving Forward.

Prospective patients are looking for the answers to these 3 burning questions:

 
If you want your website to generate phone calls, you must grab your prospective patient’s attention and answer these 3 questions.

Tell ‘em You’ll Be Their Hero

If you answer their three questions, you’ll become their hero… and they’ll pick up the phone and call you.

So how do you do this?

Easy answer: VIDEO

Video on your dental website will demand their attention, show your sincerity, and give you a “foot in the door” to answer the 3 questions every patient has, no matter if they are looking for dental implants, perio, sedation, cosmetics, or a simple filling.

If your website doesn’t give your patient what they want, don’t expect any phone calls, no matter how great your SEO, Facebook, Bio or credentials are. They are going to keep searching until they find a dentist that does…

Do you want to attract qualified patients in the dental niches that you have advanced clinical training? Fill out this short form, we’ll contact you within 24 hours and show you how…

Practically any search you do for a local business, you’ll find that the higher ranking businesses always have lots of positive reviews.

So How Do You Get Reviews?

You could simply ask for them, but chances are, your patient has a very busy life, kids, job, spouse, etc.. and leaving that online review for the stellar work you did is at the bottom of their priority list.

Here’s our strategy for getting reviews:

 
If you’d like to see the email we give to our dentist clients to get reviews from their patients, shoot me an email (colin [at] smartboxweb.com) and I’ll send it to you.

[If you haven't ordered your copy yet, you can grab one here]

As of Monday we’re completely out of both of our latest reports “The 9 Simple SEO Secrets of Google Panda” and “The New YellowPages.” We’ve already ordered another batch from the printer, but it will be a few weeks.

The digital PDF editions of all the books are, of course, always in stock.

 
If you’re not sure what your ROI is, or you want to hone in on what advertising is really producing for your dental practice, it is critical to track your phone calls.

If you’re still relying on your patients to remember where they saw your ad, you’re guaranteed to be wasting marketing money (our phone tracking proves they are terribly unreliable).

We’re running a limited-time 30 day zero-risk offer to try out our phone tracking system, Zetetics™.

To learn more click here. There is no obligation or contract, which means only positive things for your bottom line.

Summit Practice Solutions was founded in 1991 by highly-successful dentist Dr. Michael Abernathy and entrepreneur Max Gotcher.

Summit offers practice management assistance to dentists across the U.S. and Canada, with their primary objective being to help doctors achieve greater levels of success, profitability, and enjoyment in the practice of general dentistry.

Summit is hosting a free 2 day seminar “The 180 Degree Dental Journey” on January 27-28, 2012 in Dallas, Texas. Learn more

Don’t forget to Like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter!

Here are some outlets that have mentioned us recently:
 

There are ways to reach the prospects YOU want that need treatment in the niches that YOU provide.

Hint: It’s not Facebook or PPC… and here’s why:

Facebook is revolutionary, but in order to “Friend” someone, you have to know them first. Even on your Facebook Business Page, for them to “Like” you, they have to know you. Would you “Friend” or “Like” a complete stranger? Of course you wouldn’t. That’s why Facebook is a FOLLOW-UP medium, a way to keep in touch with patients and prospects that you already know.

Let’s talk about AdWords (Google’s PPC program). AdWords allows you to get your dental practice to the top of the search results by just bidding more than your competitor.

Sounds great, right?

The problem here is two fold:

There are ways to attract qualified patients in the niches that you want to specialize in.

Do you want to know more about successful web marketing? Contact us, we’re here to help.

SEO, in a nutshell, is presenting your site to search engines in the best possible light. There is no magic road to great search engine optimization… and anyone who tells you differently is simply lying. One key factor to getting good ranking in the search engines is quality content.

This new special report will give you all 9 secrets you need to know to survive “the Panda.”

Click here to Download the press release (PDF)

Every month, Google reports many medium sized U.S. cities see 75,000 to 85,000 searches for dentists and dental related keywords!

The effectiveness of your Local Search strategy makes all the difference when it comes to getting your dental practice seen by these potential new patients in Google Places and the local search.

Click here to Download the press release (PDF)

Spending in the Yellowpages was down 16.2% in 2010, it’s 3rd consecutive double-digit decline (YP has declined every year since 2003). The 2011 outlook is similarly negative, and they are estimated to be down another 12% to $12.8 billion.

I checked in with Google to get their take on the situation, but they had no comment… I assume they were too busy growing 34% since last year and are on track to a $40 BILLION 2011.

When was the last time you opened the Yellowpages to find something?

Looking for new patients? They are searching online too. We’ve been pioneering the way dentists market themselves on the web for over a decade. Submit your information below and we’ll contact you in 24 hours.
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Last year, we blogged (three times actually) about Google’s changeover to Caffeine, which allows them to update their indexes extremely rapidly, much much faster than in previous years.

Faster is Better (on the web, atleast)

Fresher results means more relevant results. But Caffeine was only an infrastructure change (to make sure Google has the ability to index, crawl and return searches faster). Now Google has changed their search algorithm to show fresher results — fresher than ever before.

35% Of The Searches Have Been Impacted

To put it in perspective, the Panda updates that flipped the net upside down earlier this year only impacted about 12% of the searches… This new Caffeine algorithm update is affecting upwards of 35% of all the searches on Google. While they have different names, Google’s reasoning behind both updates is the same [learn why in my latest free report...].

Why Google, Why?

Google’s self-stated goal is to provide users with the most relevant results and a great user experience.

Delivering the websites that people are searching for faster and better increases user satisfaction and keeps them coming back to Google (Google is on track to make 40 BILLION this year in advertising, up 35% from 2010). Google knows that stale websites don’t make people searching happy, so now they are simply blocking them out.

Why Dentists Needs to Take Notice

No longer is it just enough to have a static “brochure” dental website on the internet. If you plan to dominate your local area and get the lion’s share of new patients, your dental website needs to be a honed and sophisticated sales funnel, turn-key with lots of video, systems to keep in touch with your prospective patients after they leave your website, and most of all – it must have FRESH and RELEVANT content.

The Fall of Boilerplate Websites

If your dental website looks the same as the guy down the road, why would a patient choose you? Maybe now the better question to ask is, why would Google rank you? With Google’s intelligence growing exponentially, it won’t be long until those still hanging onto old (stale) websites & marketing tactics are completely left in the dust…

Avoiding the Google-Slap

There is one “for sure” way to get penalized & de-ranked by Google — and that’s by doing nothing. Google wants fresh, relevant & unique content. So give it to them!!

Download a copy of my latest free report (no games, instant PDF download) and find out what we’re doing with our best dentist clients to keep them at the top of Google. I’ve broken it down (step-by-step with lots of how-to images) into 9 simple tactics to avoid the Google-Slap. You can download it here.

Far too many dentists are waiting until the 3rd story of the house is ablaze and no amount of miracle marketing is going to keep the backdraft from taking them out. Don’t wait until it’s too late to take action…

Update 11/7/11: Google has clarified their initial impact statement and now says “noticeably impacts 6-10% of searches depending on the language and the domain you’re searching on.“

It’s one quality that makes their products the best in the world. But it can also hurt you if you’re not staying up to date on your Search Engine Optimization strategies.

Last year, Google announced they are now using the time it takes your website to load as a factor in how your website ranks in the searches! They even developed a tool to measure your site’s speed. Here’s Google’s take on why your website’s speed matters:

Google’s goal is to provide users with the most relevant results and a great user experience. Fast sites increase user satisfaction and improve the overall quality of the web (especially for those users with slow internet connections)…

What this means to you is, if you have a lot of flash, rotating images, background noise, or un-optimized code on your website, you’re being penalized by Google!

Here’s a screen shot of SmartBox’s website Site Speed results:

We highly suggest checking your Webmaster Tools (including Site Speed) regularly.

Google’s Webmaster Tools offers tons of critical information such as the search queries your prospects are searching for, errors within your website, crawl rate, and much much more.

You can see if you’re being penalized for having a sluggish website by going into your Webmaster Tools > Labs > Site Performance.

Click to enlarge this infographic

Click to enlarge this infographic

All the credit goes to our friends over at MDG!

Are you marketing for “branding, impressions and exposure,” or are you marketing to bring in the new patients with money to spend?

The downside to all of these is neither tells you EXACTLY how many dollars came back into your pocket.

Last Friday I had several monthly strategy calls with our dentist clients. We embrace phone call tracking with every piece of marketing we do, so naturally they are a hot topic for conversation during these monthly calls.

Here are the results from two practices we’ve been working with for about 4 months. Think about it.. …
 

Practice 1 – July 1-Sept 31, 2011 189 Phone Calls from Website Only 143 Calls from Newspaper Print Ads	Practice 2 – July 22-Sept 31, 2011 140 Phone Calls from Website Only
Click to enlarge this image Click to enlarge this image	Click to enlarge this image Click to enlarge this image

Interested in getting a landslide of new patients into your dental practice? Send me an email at colin@smartbo

Click to enlarge this infographic

Click to enlarge this infographic

Credit for this goes to our friends over at Brafton!

But Why Does Your Patient Care?

If I told you I held numerous certifications, including CCNA, MCSE, & GCP does that really mean anything to you?

Industry specific credentials only matter to those in the industry (and I doubt most of your patients are dentists)…

How To Exude Expertise

Text on a page [i.e. your website] has inherent limitations. No matter how great your copywriting skills are, or what font you use, or what color/size you make the words, it’s still just words on a page that have to be read. There is no emotion, no tone, no personality.

Video is the game changer that fills all these gaps.

Making a series of short videos to replace your “bio” or “about us” page is a great to show your prospective patients your sincerity, personality, and expertise.

Take a quick look at couple series of videos we produced for two orthodontists.

What did Dr. Schmidt & Dr. Surber think about our video work? Click here to hear…

Interested in getting video for your dental practice? Enter your information below, and we’ll contact you within 24 hours. Or for faster service, call us at 888.741.1413.
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Otherwise, you wouldn’t see Proactiv hiring teen superstars Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Mandy Moore to endorse their skin care products, you wouldn’t see Tiger Woods earn almost a billion (yes, with a B) from General Motors, Titleist, General Mills, American Express, Accenture, and Nike over his career, or how about the incident last year when Weatherproof Garment used a photo of President Barack Obama wearing one of their jackets on a billboard without his knowledge?

I could go on and on, but you get the point…

Is Your Dental Practice An Exception?

I can say with 100% confidence that we haven’t and probably never will have Tiger Woods or President Obama endorse any of our dentist clients, but that’s no excuse not to get your own patients to endorse your dental practice.

Gathering video testimonials from your existing patients is an extremely powerful way to supercharge your website. It’s not uncommon for us to see a practice’s phone calls DOUBLE or TRIPLE after just adding videos to their web presence. Video adds a more personal experience for the visitor and puts a face to your dental practice. If the homepage of your dental website isn’t covered in testimonials, it should be (you’re losing patients).

Here’s a recent video shoot we did for some Orthodontists in northern Indiana with 7 locations, capturing what their patients are saying…

What did these Orthodontists think about our video work? Click here to hear…

Interested in getting video for your dental practice? Enter your information below, and we’ll contact you within 24 hours. Or for faster service, call us at 888.741.1413.
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Video Testimonial from Dr. Randy Schmidt, Orthodontist with 7 Locations

“Colin and his team have been doing local search marketing for us for the past 60 days and generated 141 phone calls for us!

The entire experience has been great, I’d recommend them to anyone.”

Dr. Randy Schmidt
Orthodontist in the Greater Chicago Area with 7 Locations