Naren Arulrajah

	Do you know how much faster our brain processes video as opposed to text? 60,000 times! 

A combination of two words, “Video” and “Blogging”, vlogging is the practice of posting online videos that are editorial or personal in nature. Videos have been around for a while so why the hype over them now? But vlogging is much more than simply sharing visual content online. It’s about expressing thoughts freely, promoting and advertising to a much wider audience.

Vlogging takes videos to the next level—an interactive level. A few years ago blogs were the most happening way to communicate and network with audiences across geographic boundaries. The occasional podcast on these blogs were considered novelties and drew much attention and created greater impact. Now, thanks to vlogging, writing is taking a backseat and videos are doing what write-ups did five years ago. They are tools used to increase audience engagement and maximize the reach of a blog’s content.

From broadcasting daily events in their lives to sharing information online, vloggers choose to post everything via video instead of writing about them.

From their humble beginnings as blog enhancers, vlogs have transformed into standalone content. Thanks to advances in technology which make creating and editing videos a cost-effective option for any creator, and the multiple social media platforms offering video sharing options, vlogging has become a cultural phenomenon with mass appeal.

One reason for the success of vlogs is the ease of access. Thanks to persistent notifications from social media companies on our smart phones, tablets, laptops and other gadgets, all it takes is one click and the video is on!

A picture is worth a thousand words! Images are powerful. Not only do visual images remain in our memory longer, they also have the ability to make us react spontaneously making the exchange interactive.

Videos - The Biggest Bang for Your Marketing Buck

The Best Blogging Strategy: Engage Website Visitors with More than Just Text

Do you know how much faster our brain processes video as opposed to text? 60,000 times! Audiences are 40 times more likely to share images and videos than other content. Little wonder then that 2017 marketing statistics show that 71% of social media advertisers used them.

This onslaught of videos means that you may be exposed to 206 or more videos every month. Analysts have predicted that 84% of online interactions in 2018 would be through visual means and soon videos would take up 79% of all traffic on the internet!

Your dental practice can benefit in many ways from this powerful medium, including:

		Present your offerings in a more appealing manner

		Build an interactive relationship with target audiences

The process is as simple as setting up your channel on YouTube but becoming a popular vlogger requires some concerted efforts on your part. A staggering number of visitors (over 1 billion users per month) and a mindboggling number of searches (5 billion per day) on YouTube means that as a newcomer, you could be submerged under the heap of content.

Some things you can do to rise above the rest are as follows:

 What are they doing? From equipment to nature of content, learn from their success—and mistakes. Create a stirring video for marketing your vlog and most important of all&mdash;stay original.

 Capitalize on your strengths and pay attention to the smallest details, including the clothes you choose and the language you use. Have a peppy name for your channel and use 

 Use a tripod. Maximize the effects of light and colors. Good clear visuals leave a lasting impression but shaky unprofessional content may become memorable for the wrong reasons. Invest in quality.   

 Promote your work on every social media platform possible. Network with other vloggers and post frequently. It may be difficult at first, but with time you will get into the groove of things.

If you are skeptical about your prospects, you have read the situation well. But the benefits far outweigh the costs. Prepare for a future where vlogs play an integral role in all aspects of client relationship management for your dental practice. Take the plunge today. 

Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete internet marketing company that focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education, and the online reputations of dentists. With a team of 180+ full time marketers,

helps dentists who know where they want to go, get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call 855-598-3320 to speak one-on-one with Naren.

Articles

Need to give your content a boost? One of the unique trends in online content sharing for dental practices to take advantage of is vlogging.

Vlogging: An Innovative Video Promotion Strategy for Your Dental Practice

More than 51% of mobile phone users have found themselves engaging with a new brand after performing a search.

The world of mobile marketing offers thrilling opportunities, which are rapidly multiplying thanks to 

The ability to access a target audience at the right time and provide valuable information provides a greater change for client loyalty while also building better margins for the business. With this kind of an opportunity readily available, how can you begin to utilize mobile marketing for your dental practice?

There is a high possibility of a mobile device being picked up by a person to research, purchase or fulfill a requirement, immediately.

Being out there on the mobile platform can prove to be advantageous towards inexpensive brand building. Ensure your site is not only mobile-optimized, but also utilizing other mobile-only features.

Mobile users are less likely to stick with known brands! 

 of potential mobile buyers don’t have an exact brand in mind when they perform research. They are looking for who best answers their question.

One in three smartphone consumers to buy something other than what they set out to buy.

Mobile marketing can ensure patients have greater real-time access and more opportunities to engage with your practice. This builds trust over time and could lead to higher conversions and appointments.

If your brand or practice ranks higher in Google, 

 that awareness will also increase by about 46%. More than 51% of mobile phone users have found themselves engaging with a new brand after performing a search.

Suggestions to improve real-time mobile marketing

Following these three ideas will better your chances of making customized and appealing client interactions through mobile marketing.

Equally utilize outdoor and indoor location targeting

A lot of marketers treat their mobile presence as an additional channel for their product information and posts. The chance of being able to touch base with the client on mobile is considerably high, since potential clients have access to their phones about 90% of the time.

This means you cannot underestimate the importance of communicating the message at the correct time and correct place.

Establishing the location of the client is one way to increase engagement. Chances of conversions can be tremendously boosted if one utilizes client location details to create targeted and customized local offerings.

Is there a methodology of safely knowing aa client’s movements towards or away from their work or residences?

Surely a marketing professional cannot create a relatable promotion basis each client’s residence or professional location. Or can they?

Consider using an Artificial Intelligence-powered promotion in which Locations marked as ‘home’ or ‘work’ can be securely.

It is imperative that this information remains confidential, recognized by a device and stored there alone. A computerized communication can be initiated on approved devices using an exact prompt. Users opt-in or have their Location Services turned on to enable these.

Some common examples of where this information can be utilized include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and email.

Armed with pre-established locations, you can now design result-oriented plans based on a client’s location and actions taken at those points.

Seamless integration of mobile and other strategies

It isn’t advisable to roll out mobile marketing in a stand-alone manner. Social and segmented information from other sources, must be used incorporated in the marketing plans.

The mechanized marketing tool needs to work in tangent with other promotional and associated plans. Ideally all of these various networks should be assimilated within the same, multi-faceted automated promotional program.

Why? A single, robust program, that has consistent information across all outgoing promotional channels ensures a uniform customer experience. A multi-faceted marketing tool that works in tandem with the rest of your business systems will lead to higher productivity efficiency.

Most importantly, the brand experience should be a uniform and smooth experience for the client that reaffirms sales and brand commitment targets. 

Keep Your Patients Coming Back with Targeted Marketing

Five Important Imbound Marketing Trends for 2018

The key ingredient to conveying information to clients, in their time and space, is by using a “Mobile Engagement Automation” method, of which the most important aspects are:

		Target audience identification and administration

		Promotions and instant engagement methods

		Social and promotion analysis methodologies

Forrester Wave: Mobile Engagement Automation

 report, the next challenge for online marketers is to gain, service, and hold on to clients in this moment.

Your dental practice must offer customized materials in the time and place that the client expects.

Successful relationship building through the mobile is the very essence of that action!

How can you engage new clients on their mobile device? Targeted advertising and mobile-optimized sites are two important tactics.

Use Real-Time Mobile Marketing to Improve Client Engagement

Twitter can be a great tool to grow your practice, connect with people, and firmly establish yourself as an authority in your domain.

Up until a decade ago, most medical marketers would have rejected the idea of spending too much time on social media. Today, not only are an increasing number of physicians and their medical marketing partners using social media, but are benefitting immensely from it as well. Twitter, in particular, has proved to be one of the most effective social media platforms for medical professionals.

With well over 300 million active users, Twitter is one of the most popular and widely used social networking sites in the world today. It allows you to create a strong online presence, establish yourself as the foremost expert in your domain, expand your practice by attracting new patients, stay in touch with existing patients, connect and collaborate with other medical professionals, and stay updated on all the latest news, educational events, and policy updates.

One of the main goals of setting up a Twitter account is to gain a large number of followers. After all, if no one reads your tweets, what is the point of doing it in the first place? Fortunately, it is easier for medical professionals to gain followers on social media than professionals from many other fields. People generally trust medical professionals, look up to them, and rely upon them for guidance. The prefix ‘Dr.’ instantly gives you an air of authority and authenticity, which works to your advantage on social media.

Given here is a list of seven easy-to-follow, tried-and-tested strategies to increase your follower count on Twitter.

A solid bio is very important as it is the first thing people are likely to notice when they visit your Twitter account. So, you need to make sure your bio grabs people’s attention, but not in an overly needy, over-the-top manner.

The first thing you need to do is to upload a high resolution picture of yourself in professional attire. Casual attire should be avoided, as the goal here is to establish yourself as an authority in your domain. It is a good idea to give a human face to your practice, as it makes it easier for people to connect with you.

You should highlight your educational qualifications to let people know what your specialty is. You should include your location and also a URL to your personal website or blog, if you have one.

Your main goal should be to keep your Twitter account active. So, post regularly — at least two or three times a day – and make sure your posts are focused on general wellness as well as your particular area of specialty.

The timing of your tweets is also important. You should send out your most useful and educational tweets when your target audience is likely to have the leisure to spend time on social media — typically late afternoons and evenings. If you are not able to do so, you can schedule your tweets so that they are posted automatically at regular intervals. There are free services available, which allow you to schedule your tweets according to your preference.

Keep it simple and make sure your tweets are easy to read and understand. Do not limit yourself to your area of specialty. Tell people how they can lead a healthy lifestyle, share motivational health messages, and offer health tips that people can easily implement in their life.

Tweets with images generally tend to attract more eyeballs, so add relevant visuals to your posts whenever you can. Share links to medical journals, interesting articles, and policy updates to make sure your followers are well informed of the latest happenings in your field. If you have a personal blog, make sure you share links to your own posts as well.

The thumb rule of Twitter is that if you follow others, they are likely to follow you back. So, here is who you need to follow.

		Your existing patients and local community partners like drugstores and lab testing facilities.

		Prominent medical and health organizations like the American Medical Association.

		Prominent medical websites like WebMD, MedicinePlus, Healthline, and Prevention.

		Dentists from your own specialty as well as other specialties.

		Drug companies and brands that you usually recommend to your patients.

The conversations that take place on Twitter are categorized and organized with the help of hashtags. So, it is important to add relevant hashtags to your tweets. It could be the name of a medical procedure, an ailment, a medical institution, a field of specialty, a medical conference, or any other keyword that is relevant to your tweets. By using proper hashtags, you can make sure that your tweets reach a larger number of people — particularly those are in need of general medical advice. 

Do not use your Twitter account like a message board where only you get to post things. Respond to your followers from time to time. Understandably, you cannot offer medical advice on social media, but you can certainly answer general questions related to your field and practice. Be nice to your followers and try to respond to their feedback, criticism, and queries sincerely. While it is not humanly possible to engage everyone who follows you, a quick glance at your timeline will show you who deserves a response and who does not. 

Promote your Twitter account by adding a link to the same on your website, blog, and email signature. Add your Twitter handle to your invoices, payment receipts, and promotional material like brochures and posters. If you have other social media accounts on sites like Facebook, Google Plus, LinkedIn, and Instagram, you can promote your Twitter account through those pages as well.

You can also ask local community partners like pharmacies, health stores, and lab facilities to promote your Twitter profile on their social media pages.

Now that you know what you need to do to increase your follower count on Twitter, here are a couple of things that you should never, ever do.

		Do not buy Twitter followers for any reason. Let your follower count grow organically, even if it takes time. Purchasing followers is a violation of Twitter’s terms and conditions. So, your account could get suspended, which could dent your online as well as offline reputation. 

		Do not tweet anything that could violate your oath and ethics. Make sure you do not accidentally reveal the identity of your patients in your tweets. Do not get into arguments with anyone, particularly with fellow medical professionals. Social media arguments have a peculiar way of turning nasty before you even realize it. So, avoid quarrels at all costs.

Twitter can be a great tool to grow your practice, connect with people, and firmly establish yourself as an authority in your domain. If you tweet relevant, useful information on a consistent basis, you can increase your online reach greatly, enhance your professional reputation, develop contacts, and build networks that could last you a lifetime.

Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete internet marketing company that focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education and the online reputations of doctors. With a team of 180+ full time marketers, 

helps doctors who know where they want to go, get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call 855-598-3320 to speak one-on-one with Naren.

How can dentists gain more followers on Twitter? Take advantage of all the benefits the social media platform has to offer with these seven strategies.

Twitter Marketing for Dentists: Seven Effective Strategies to Gain More Followers

	For a dental digital marketer, it is not about how much data you publish on a website or a blog but how well the content is created and promoted.

Most dental website landing pages don’t seem to perform too well. Many fail to bring in queries that could be followed-up for potential conversion of sales. The reason? Actually, there are many. Whether it is an overly-cluttered layout or seeking too many details, a landing page can confuse the reader. Crowding the page with too many options can seriously hurt the readability and social sharing of your landing page.

For a dental marketer, their website cannot afford to have a low landing page conversion rate. That would mean that the buzz generated by their online marketing efforts stands nullified. Any underperforming landing page needs to be identified through Google Analytics and other assessment tools.

You might own a fleet of such web pages and it might be a good practice to re-groom them, considering your competitors will always come-up with new ways to lure readers and consumer sentiments can be fickle — often changing without a solid reason.

As a digital marketer, you should know the exact purpose of a landing page as it can vary. Some businesses don’t think of it as a direct sales funnel but just a means to gather data about users within and somewhat near to their consumer demographic. For others, landing pages are purely informational while some others might want to keep their landing page strategy highly versatile, always evolving to capture more leads.

Unless these priorities are clear, perfecting your page is nearly impossible. The anatomy of a landing page is such that it is constructed in tandem with your digital marketing goals. For instance, a landing page with a screen-popping discount tagline is meant to attract actual buyers.

A landing page with a snippet about the brand and its origins is more concerned about maximizing brand awareness, with sales becoming a secondary outcome. However, there are some landing page essentials that cannot be overhauled no matter what the expectations are.

For example, a contemporary landing page should have a clearly spelt-out, very compelling headline. This makes it captivating, boosts brand exposure and grabs attention of readers, even if they are not intent on actually buying the service or product. Typically, text-heavy landing pages don’t perform too well.

The exception being people from highly qualified academic fields and professionals who are more likely to spend that extra time in thoughtfully filling-up every bit of data field as they expect real value addition from the website.

Most readers like a landing page that is easy to navigate and does not demand too much data. Invariably, the page cannot have predictable or boring content. Only compelling content qualifies here and a landing page with interesting content and easy-to-do social media shares is more likely to deliver equally, across sales and for increasing brand awareness levels.

Another landing page essential that has universal application — the load time has to be at its bare minimum. Consumers are overburdened with clicking options and buying possibilities. Within a blink of the eye, your landing page can lose a likely sales lead if the web page is slow to upload – being incredibly fast works best!

For a dental digital marketer, it is not about how much data you publish on a website or a blog but how well the content is created and promoted. Developing a loyal audience for your blogs, emails or social media channels takes time. To convert regular or occasional readers into actual clients, you need to constantly raise the bar regarding the quality of your content.

Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete internet marketing company that focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education, and the online reputations of dentists.  With a team of 180+ full time marketers,

helps dentists who know where they want to go, get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year.  If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call 855-598-3320 to speak one-on-one with Naren.

It is a fair assessment that website landing pages cannot be perfect. There is no guarantee of a landing page converting each visitor into a serious query or a purchase request. However, there are ways to improve the probability of a landing page netting more leads!

Best Practices for Dental Practice Landing Pages

Per Facebook, users are three times as likely to view live videos rather than those that have been recorded previously.

Here are five important inbound content marketing trends in 2018 along with some suggestions for mixing up your dental content marketing:

	As per Facebook, users are thrice as likely to view live videos rather than those that have been recorded previously. However, according to a 2017 report by Social Media Marketing Industry, only 28 percent of marketers use live video.

Clearly, the area of live video marketing presents significant potential for growth. In fact, by next year, 61 percent of content marketers may be using live video services. Another 69 percent are likely to acquire more knowledge about live videos.

Including live videos within your 2018-19 inbound content marketing campaign can separate you from the competition. This is especially true with live video still in its infant stages. Through broadcasting live videos, you can connect with a larger audience base, establish domain authority, build brand image and customer relationships, and enhance conversions through establishing a call-to-action. Live videos lead to a sense of urgency. This offers users immediate gratification and creates opportunities for live feedback.

	Voice search platforms such as Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri, and Cortana are impacting the manner in which people engage with their devices. According to a 2014 survey by Northstar Research on mobile voice commissioned by Google, 55 percent of teenagers and 41 percent of adults in the US use voice search on a daily basis. Among those who use voice search, 89 percent of teens and 85 percent of adults in the US claim to do so as they view this technology as the future.

Get a leg up on the competition in 2018 by voice search content optimization. You are most likely already aware of keyword research for search engines. But what is your response to voice search? Very often, voice searches are location-oriented and employ a conversational tone.

On the other hand, keywords are usually longer. They require added emphasis on long-tail keywords. FAQ web pages are ideal for long-tail keywords as well as questions that are similar to real-life queries due to their conversational tone. Furthermore, you can optimize your voice search content through claiming a listing on 

which can make it much easier to share useful information over voice search.

Original content will continue its upward trend and will be extremely important in 2018. According to a 2016 Content Marketing Staffing and Tactics report by Curata, 75 percent of content marketers are putting in more investments in marketing technology. The most recent Content Marketing Institute (CMI) annual report highlights that 91 percent of B2B respondents are now using content marketing.

Inbound content marketing is the foundation for all types of marketing. It will be a key part of your marketing strategies in 2018. Each piece of content should strive to attract your target audiences at every phase of the buyer’s journey. Creating engaging and original content for buyers in the “awareness,” “consideration,” and “decision-stage” can enable you to diversify your audiences. It can build your brand’s reputation and promote it effectively.

Content marketers are increasingly using analytics to help them arrive at data-driven decisions. Ensure that you use an analytical approach in 2018 to develop, document, or alter your content marketing strategy. Detailed research along with marketing analytics tools can help you understand your target audiences better. It can offer you insights into their interests and influencers as well as the type of content that they prefer. Garnering this information can assist you in zeroing in on the advantageous objectives such as increasing your social following or organic traffic to your site.

Various marketing tactics must be a part of a successful marketing strategy. As per a B2B Content Marketing Benchmarks, Budgets, and Trends North America 2018 study, B2B marketers incorporate 6 diverse tactics for content marketing on the average. These popular tactics are case studies, social media posts, eBooks, pre-produced videos, illustrations or photos, and infographics.

Engage proactively in various platforms to drive more organic traffic. Ce

rtain experiences can be customized for the medium such as videos for Facebook and illustrations or infographics for email marketing campaigns. However, you should try to maintain consistency across various platforms in terms of language, graphical components, design, tone, and messaging. Developing innovative content and meticulously curated pieces will enable you to create a wider scope for your inbound content marketing initiatives in 2018 and beyond.

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How to Track Dental Practice Online Brand Awareness?

Three Ways to Bring New Patients to Your Practice

Follow these content marketing trends to fine-tune your dental practice promotion strategy.

Five Important Inbound Marketing Trends in 2018

Saavy practice managers should monitor forums, websites, and blogs and look out for what people are saying about their dental care services and brand. 

According to marketing experts, the consumers’ ability to recall products, services and brands significantly impacts their purchase decisions. Dentists must be prepared to make certain marketing efforts if they want people to recall their dental practice brand.

Practice owners should increase the awareness surrounding their brand while observing what people are saying about their dental services. They should be able to react to comments about their practice brand rapidly and comprehend the reasons behind the patients’ perceptions. So, what is the correct way to track brand awareness?

	Strategies for Measuring Brand Awareness

The power of social media cannot be underestimated. Facebook had more than two billion active users in the third quarter of 2017. Many potential patients are on Facebook; therefore, discussions about dental practices are inevitable. YouTube and Twitter are also social media platforms that should be monitored. If a dentist wants to review what patients really think about their practice, then it is advisable to follow social media platforms. Social listening is an excellent strategy for measuring brand awareness.

Saavy practice managers should monitor forums, websites, and blogs and look out for what people are saying about their dental care services and brand. Tools such as “SentiOne” can help monitor online discussions regarding their brand. Another effective way to do this is through Google Alerts. Setting up Google Alerts is simple. This system will send the dentist an email alert when their search outcomes are updated. Dentists can configure Google Alerts to receive immediate notifications of blog posts, new conversations, and new reports on your brand. 

Continually observing branded searches is essential in understanding if the overall awareness of the brand is changing. If there are specific searches happening about their practice, it probably means their online marketing endeavors are succeeding. “BuzzSumo” is a useful online tool that offers assistance in searching for keywords and provides various SEO and content marketing insights.

Dentists can make use of surveys by employing survey tools such as Google Forms and SurveyMonkey. It may be beneficial to engage a professional service company to conduct email and phone surveys for the practice.

	Dentists should review the information from various sources and use this analysis to take action. It is important to revise marketing campaigns based on the data collected from brand awareness tracking initiatives.

But accumulating information from brand awareness tracking alone will not suffice. It is important to be able to react to these outcomes. Dentists should be attentive to people's comments on their brand and make sure to take initiatives to improve their perception about the practice. Engaging with users on social media platforms is one of the simplest ways to enhance brand awareness and highlight to people that the dentist cares about their views.

The dentist can plan more effective marketing campaigns by tracking brand awareness across various platforms. Every brand awareness management tool has its limitations. Therefore, it is not suitable to employ only one tool or channel.

At the same time, focusing on just a few essential metrics rather than all parameters during marketing campaigns can help focus branding efforts. The marketing campaign should be able to achieve a few specific results, but these results should be exceptional.

Many practices fail to monitor their branding campaign regularly therefore neglecting their bottom line. This is a mistake! Practice owners need to stay focused on critical reporting metrics. It is important to always measure the outcomes of the brand awareness campaign across various channels. Remaining focused on the efforts to improve brand awareness will provide a significant boost to the dentist’s practice over time.

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Practice managers who focus exclusively on production and neglect brand awareness are missing an important aspect of growing their business. Utilizing social media and data analysis can clarify the focus of the brand.

Most dentists realize that word of mouth is the most potent source of referrals.

Getting new patients for the dental practice is a constant challenge for the dentist. While creating offline and online visibility for the practice is a primary factor to bring in more patients, dentists do not require a massive advertising budget to garner new business.

Three surprisingly easy and simple methods to promote dental practices and bring in new patients are as follows:

It does not require a complicated effort to implement referral programs especially when creating ways for patients to share and refer conveniently across various online platforms. Steps to ensure success for a referral program include:

a.    After establishing a referral campaign, make sure to provide the staff with the requisite training and information on why this program is advantageous for the growth of the practice. Ensure that the entire staff thoroughly understands the details of the program so they can address any questions or concerns patients may put across. Bring up the topic of referrals with patients during conversations and encourage administrative staff to engage in creating a culture of referrals.

b.    Determine how to keep referral programs top-of-mind for patients. Design and print brochures, referral cards, or postcards explaining the various aspects of the referral program. It would be useful to place these in areas where patients can see them conveniently such as the front reception desk, next to the dental chair or in the waiting area — display them in the front lobby of the dental practice. Alternatively, utilize these paper materials as stuffers for invoices, attach them to walk-out statements or hygiene bags.

c.     If email blasts or newsletters are routinely sent, include a small snippet on the referral program to remind patients. Engage with the website developer to create a visual call-to-action on the site. A visitor can click on it and go directly to a form to fill out for referrals. Develop a post asking patients for referrals and provide information about the new program. Spread the word and let patients help grow the practice.

Ensure patients are acknowledged and rewarded when providing a referral, specifically patients that regularly refer their acquaintances to the practice—it does not have to cost a lot. Use various cost-effective methods to reward patients such as small gift card, handwritten “thank you” notes, a customized mug, or any other products or giveaways created for the brand.The idea is to show patients that their referral is valued.

Most dentists realize that word of mouth is the most potent source of referrals. However, they may not realize that most of these conversations are happening digitally today. Creating a robust, appealing presence on social media platforms is critical.

It is essential for dentists to engage social media to bring in new patients. Social media platforms such as Facebook have millions of users communicating daily. They are an excellent source of word-of-mouth referrals. Dentists can tap into this pool if they actively use various social media platforms.

Social media allows for the dissemination of information regarding a practice, sending reminders to patients for seasonal consultation needs such as flu shots, kindergarten physicals, etc., sharing articles and videos on health and wellness, and highlighting a practice as approachable and friendly.

Communication is a vital part of the relationship with patients. Engaging patients on social media platforms is an excellent method to keep the lines of communication open. Other than regular social media channels such as Twitter and Facebook, be aware of dentist review platforms, they strongly influence people looking for a new dentist. Ask present satisfied customers to post reviews about their experiences and check ratings routinely.

Understand the changes in demographics within a patient population and community at large, and ensure services align with these changes.

For instance, when treating several adults with small kids, consider employing a dedicated pediatric dentist within the practice. If a large employer in the vicinity has just laid off many people, then consider offering cost-effective direct pay pricing alternatives to the newly uninsured ex-employees. Losing business to a small clinic at a drugstore? Then hire a dental assistant to conduct routine exams and prescribe antibiotics. Additionally, consider extending the hours of operation.

Furthermore, try to gauge the needs of the community. Win over patients and grow the business significantly by ensuring patients demands are promptly met.

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While creating visibility for the practice, dentists oftentimes don't require a grand advertising budget to garner new business.

Patient testimonials, before and after pictures, videos, and various honors and recognition you have received should be added to your website daily.

Branding will provide your dental practice a unique identity that will make clear to your patients everything you stand for. Your brand will reflect your vision, philosophy and purpose. Every practice is different from each other, as the dentists are different. It is the dentists who provide a unique value to a practice.

The patients will be interested in gauging that value, which will give them a compelling reason to choose your practice for a consultation. The daunting task of connecting and communicating with new patients and convincing them to select your services will be done by your brand.

The website for your dental practice will become your most valuable tool for building your brand. For a small or mid-sized practice with only one or two office locations, a website is the most effective promotion tool to maximize brand impact at minimal costs.

It is important that your website only promise what you can deliver. It will pay in the long run if all your claims on the website are completely honest. Great websites, like great businesses, have a strong foundation of uncompromising integrity.

Your goal should be to build a practice that will deliver more than what it promised and repeatedly exceed the expectations of patients. Your website should communicate that spirit clearly.

When your brand starts to grow, it will be important that your website, which will have become your most valuable online asset by then, also grow at the same pace. Make sure that the website is regularly updated with new technologies, procedures, and techniques related to your practice.

If you also have a blog, make sure to update it as often as possible with latest news and articles. If you decide to extend your presence to a social media network, make sure it is seamlessly integrated with your website.

Stay tuned to recent developments and new technologies in the world of graphics, videos, social media, web design and compatibility of mobile devices. Pay attention to what your competitors are doing with their websites to stay on top of things.

To project a powerful brand image for your practice, your marketing must be so good that others discuss your practice in such glowing terms as if you yourself are talking about it. In the highly connected environment of our times, you cannot afford to underestimate the power of social media in attaining your goals.

To build brand recognition for your health care practice that is both strong and sustainable, it is important that the story about your brand is consistent with what other people say about you.

Google has repeatedly stated over the last decade that an important criterion for determining rankings in its search engine is the branding of the business.

Eric Schmidt, the chairman of Google, once said that it is through brands that they sort the site rankings. According to Schmidt, brand affinity is hard wired and fundamental to the existence of humanity. He said that branding might have some sort of a ‘genetic’ component.

A branded service or product becomes a trusted source for consumers and search engine algorithms understand this fact. In a tactical sense for the online marketing strategy of your health care practice, building your brand and building the SEO profile of your website goes hand in hand. Your brand will signify the association of your practice with a set of values. Search engines focus on prime brands that have those values.

The SEO content for your dental practice must speak in the voice of the brand. The commitments and values that your brand stands for should be reflected in the search engine optimization process.

The pages of content on your website, newsletters, press releases, guest blogs, social media content and published articles should be consistent with the voice of your brand.

Your brand values will get highlighted as part of your SEO campaign in the number of inbound links for your practice’s website, patient testimonials, videos, images, and the overall presentation and design of the dental website.

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Dentist Fueled by Creating Experiences for His Patients

Dental Accounting Tips To Make the Numbers Work For You

Building brand recognition for your health care practice that is both strong and sustainable, creates a unique identity that will make clear to patients your vision, philosophy and purpose.

Brand Identity Isn't Just for Products

 Keeping the expenses as low as possible is vital to the success of any enterprise. 

It is imperative for dental practices and dentists to use in-depth, accurate techniques for business planning, bookkeeping, accounting and tax planning in today's complicated and challenging business environment.

Adhering to these easy accounting tips will significantly improve the possibility that your practice will thrive.

Introduce strategic measures for cost-cutting. Keeping the expenses as low as possible is vital to the success of any enterprise. Dental practices are constrained on this matter due to the inevitable need to buy expensive dental equipment. Although you cannot do away with buying costly medical equipment, you can significantly reduce the medical costs by employing an astute bookkeeper.

A DIY approach to bookkeeping is not recommended for dentists as it heightens the risk of financial losses due to lost chances to claim deductions and tax credits, preventable calculation mistakes, and embezzlement by employees as well. A bookkeeper is trained to identify these discrepancies, and they can alert you to any dubious activities.

Ensure you are knowledgeable about key financial terms such as the difference between cash flow and profits. While “profit” is the excess cash that remains after all of the practice’s expenses have been met, “cash flow” is the flowing in and out of your practice. A lack of appropriate cash flow can cause a deficit in the operating expenses which are high for a dentist, and the business may not be able to recover from this state. It is critical to garner a basic understanding of accounting and bookkeeping terms to avoid losses due to confusion on financial terminology.

Make use of widely available accounting software to assist you in managing your records. If you choose software accurate for the volume and size of your business, it could significantly enhance your ability to reduce the chances for error, increase efficiency and keep better track of your records. QuickBooks is the optimal software for smaller enterprises.

Review the finances frequently with professional accountants. You should always stay alert for internal embezzlement. You may not be able to identify the theft singularly. Just as you consult professionals for dental advice, you must engage professionals to audit your practice’s finances regularly. Monitoring your practice’s finances with a dental CPA on a monthly basis can help detect problems immediately reducing the likelihood of future losses.

The accounting requirements for your practice may be unusual or individualized. In this case, it will be more expensive to outsource the bookkeeping compared to employing your own accountant.

If you employ someone, you can determine the work they perform. Most outsourced services are not as customized which may be disadvantageous for your practice.

Hiring your own private accountant also offers a mostly forgotten attribute-loyalty. Outsourcing your work to an outside accountant means they will have other customers, and will not belong exclusively to your practice. Additionally, you need to consider information privacy issues when hiring an outside accountant.

 It's critical to garner a basic understanding of accounting and bookkeeping terms to avoid losses due to confusion on financial terminology.
