10 Hidden Benefits of Marketing on Social Media for Orthodontists

Sep 5, 2022 | Dental Marketing, Social Media

10 Hidden Benefits of Marketing on Social Media for Orthodontists

Is your Orthodontics practice making the most of social media? Social media marketing use is widespread, with 51% of US adults visiting Facebook multiple times a day. Expanding your marketing reach to include social media can have incredible results for your business, some more subtle than others.

But don’t just take our word for it. Read on for 10 hidden benefits of marketing on social media for orthodontists.

1. Increase Brand Awareness and Legitimacy

Two of the biggest benefits of any business is the boost to brand awareness and legitimacy. As an orthodontist, this is something you and your practice can cash in on too! If potential customers don’t know you exist, how can they come to you?

73% of small businesses are now investing in social media, and it is easy to see why. Once you’re out there, it’s a great tool for legitimizing your brand. Show off your activity by keeping an up-to-date social media page with regular, new content.

You’ll have access to unfiltered conversations between potential customers and competitors alike. Understand what your competition is doing well, and their customer complaints.

Your target audience’s activity can also tip you off on any emerging trends. You can tap into those trends via social listening. It’ll show you what customers are thinking when they talk about your business.

This can tell you what products and services your customers enjoy most. It will also highlight any areas they might think you’re lacking in. This way you can make a move to rectify any issues.

3. Competitive Analysis

Social media marketing allows you to spy on your competition. What are they promoting? What sort of ads and campaigns are they favoring? How is your campaign strategy different?

By analyzing these things, you can open up new avenues for your content and advertising. They might be putting a lot of resources into Facebook but not Instagram. You could then focus on user-generated content or influencer marketing to stand out.

4. Better Customer Service

Social media has become the go-to for consumers to voice any concerns or questions. Unlike phone calls and email it is quick and easy.

It’s important that you have positive experiences on show as the whole world can see them. People will know you’re committed to providing a great service if you’re quick to respond.

People are also more likely to want to use your services if they can see you treat other customers well. People want to know they’re valued and can get the answers they need in a prompt manner.

5. Positioning Power

Having an active online social media marketing presence will give your business positioning power. But you have to be active. If your competition has an active Facebook page while you’ve neglected yours for months, it’s not going to look good. 10 Hidden Benefits of Marketing on Social Media for Orthodontists

Be consistent in uploading new customer stories and relevant content. This could be meet the team segments, or a tour of your practice. You could even do a ‘how it’s done’ video.

This will show you’re open and active to new, potential customers. Your social media page may well be the first thing they see after a Google search.

6. Better Search Engine Presence

Ad click-throughs and shares flag up to Google as ‘positive searches’. In short, the more browsing via social media, the bigger the boost to your search performance. Social media can present a huge traffic source for your business.
As a content distribution source, you don’t want to ignore social media.

A relevant, engaging piece of content could score hundreds of likes and shares. This can then see a huge upturn in traffic to your site. More traffic means more potential customers.

7. Appeal to Younger Audiences

It isn’t only the younger generation that social media attracts, but they are the ones more likely to need corrective work done on their teeth.

As these will be your future clients, you’re going to need to adapt to this trend to keep up. Otherwise, you might be losing out on business. Without a fresh intake of new clients, your practice won’t have longevity.

To attract this segment of the market, you’ll need to go beyond ads or TV commercials. The current place to be is Instagram. Most Instagram users are 30 years or younger.

8. Humanize Your Business

It’s a trend these days to ditch the stiff, suit-and-tie approach and show something more human. Getting personal with customers on social media is a product of this trend.

People don’t expect businesses to take a more casual tone or show a human side. As they don’t expect it, it’s refreshing to see and increases engagement with your content.

You can also achieve this through activism or charity work. Are your elastics made of sustainably sourced latex? Yes? Then shout about it. People would love to know how you’re practicing sustainability in the orthodontic field.

9. More Leads

This point is a simple one, but the key to any business’ success – more leads. With billions of people engaging in social media daily, your audience is waiting. Through social media content or paid ads, you’ll be reeling in more leads.

People’s purchasing decisions are highly influenced by what they see via social media. Having a positive, active social media presence introduces more people to your services. This, in turn, will convert to more sales as your reputation builds.

10. Build Customer Content and Stories

As an orthodontist, it’s natural to want to show off your great handiwork. But did you know it could boost your business too?

Customer success stories and photos are key to getting higher conversion rates. Social media marketing is the best place to find these and use them to your advantage.

By monitoring tags and mentions, you can share positive customer reviews and stories. This will help reinforce your brand and people will know you’re good at what you do.

So there you have it! Your orthodontics practice could easily be enjoying the benefits of marketing on social media. Don’t delay and see what a difference a social media presence can make to your business.

You’ll see brand awareness and legitimacy grow. Post regular, engaging and relevant content. Customer stories, meet the team and practice tours are a good choice.

Now you know the importance of marketing on social media, be sure to get the most out of it by checking out our article on choosing social media that works for your business.

8 Ways Local SEO Services Will Improve Your Dental Practice

Sep 2, 2022 | Dental Marketing, Search Engine Optimization

Online optimization gives every business a better chance to succeed.

If you own a dental practice, you might not have considered how your online presence affects the way your business runs. After all, you offer a service that’s absolutely fundamental to living in our part of the world.

However, it’s still cutthroat out there and other practices are always competing to get patients in their doors. That’s why you need to do your best to show those potential customers that you exist and that your practice is the best choice. Local SEO services will help you do this.

Today we’re going to talk about the different ways that SEO services, typically associated with other companies, can help your dental practice bring in more patients. At the end of the day, you are operating a business and you need customers to stay alive. Let’s dig in.

The Benefits of SEO for Dental Practices

Using organic SEO will simply bring more awareness to the existence of your dental practice. Sure, you could run a perfectly successful one based on word of mouth and reputation, but you wouldn’t be giving yourself the best chance to succeed.

But how many dental practices have the time of day to focus on digital marketing? Chances are, you won’t have a marketing professional on your staff and you’d be remiss to do it yourself or have one of your office workers give it a shot.

Hiring an SEO service takes away the agonizing work of optimizing your website yourself. Here’s what you can expect from one of these valuable services.

8 Ways Local SEO Services Will Improve Your Dental Practice

1. Focus on Local SEO

Search engine optimization as we knew it was primarily focused on keywords and website performance to determine which sites were appropriate to display on a SERP for a given search term. Now, with local SEO, it’s taken a step or two farther.

Local SEO appeals to searches with local intent. So, if you’re someone looking for a dental practice in Fort Worth; when you type in your search terms, Google will take into account your location and display only practices near you.

As a business that operates in a static location, local SEO has to be the main focus.

2. Your Website Structure

The structure and speed of your website are some of the more important facets in appealing to Google’s algorithms. A slow and poorly laid out site is going to fall in the search rankings.

It should be easy for customers to navigate your website and find what they’re looking for within a few clicks. Categories and subcategories featuring relevant information are a must. For a dental practice, the site should be simple with only a few landing pages (about me, contact, testimonials, blog, etc.).

When you fill your landing pages with large images and unnecessary widgets, you’ll slow them down considerably. 40% of people will abandon a website if a landing page takes longer than 3 seconds to load.

3. Google My Business

Filling out your Google My Business card will improve your local search standings. If you fill out all of your pertinent information, namely the business details, your address, and contact information, then all of that will appear on Google and in maps.

More and more local searches are being conducted through map applications, so appearing on them will increase your chances of being found by your potential customers.

4. Consistent Citations

Filling out your NAP (name, address, phone number) on multiple listing sites will improve your visibility as well, but only if you fill out identical information on every platform. Inconsistent citations, which includes any online press about your practice, will lead to confusion for your customers and Google will burn you for it.

When we say consistent, we mean it. If you write “7th Street” on one listing and “Seventh St.” on another, that’s considered inconsistent. Every minute detail has to be the same.

5. Mobile Search

52% of global internet traffic is through mobile devices. If your website isn’t optimized for mobile search and mobile viewing, then you’re letting a big piece of the market pass you by. Any SEO service will be aware of this fact and advise you to build a mobile-friendly site.

6. Customer Reviews

Your dental practice should take customer reviews very seriously for obvious reasons, but also acknowledge that reviews have a big effect on your SEO. A practice that has thousands of great reviews published through various listings sites is going to rank higher than one with a few hundred good reviews.

Always encourage your customers to leave you a rating and review on the listings site of their choice. You should also promote your best ones on social media and through a testimonials page on your site.

7. Blogging

Content creation is a huge part of SEO. You can use your blog to give your audience interesting and informative articles on all things dentistry, but also to toss in relevant keywords and phrases to appeal to search.

Offering up dental guides and how-tos will establish you as an authority in your field. Don’t overstuff your posts with keywords; the information and writing should always come first. A good blog can allow your practice to transcend your local area and give you clicks from all over.

You may not like it, but people’s awareness of you is heavily predicated on your social media presence. People use Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to find almost everything these days, including their new dentist.

Simply being on these platforms won’t do it though. Formulating a content and posting strategy with your digital marketing service will get you more followers and create more awareness around your brand. When you’ve got a great social media presence, your Google rankings will increase.

Let Us Help You with Your Business SEO Services

Great business SEO services will take all of these methods into account and help you make the most out of your online presence. Just because you’re a dentist doesn’t’ mean that you can’t bolster your business online like everyone else.

At Harris & Ward, our motto is all about helping you connect with your audience, no matter the field you’re in. Visit our page today to look at the different service that we offer and choose the one that’s right for you and the future of your dental practice.

If you found this article helpful, come back and check out our blog for more on SEO and digital marketing.

5 Marketing Tips You Should Know As A Veterinarian

Sep 2, 2022 | Veterinarian Marketing

Loyal clients and word-of-mouth marketing is effective, but it’s imperative to diversify your marketing strategy to grow your veterinary practice.

Digital marketing strategies such as a fine-tuned website, social media, and SEO can help you target potential local clients and gain more appointments for your practice.

Whether you’re brand new to marketing or your practice needs an overhaul, keep reading for helpful tips and instructions for marketing for vets.

5 Marketing Tips You Should Know As A Veterinarian

Around 65% of pet owners make posts about their pets on social media twice per week. One in six people have a social media profile dedicated to their pets—and often, the pets have more followers than the owners do!

Studies show that posts featuring animals garner more engagement than regular content. With so many pet owners scrolling through their social media feeds, having an active social media presence must be a part of your practice’s marketing plan.

There are several ways you can liven up your social media accounts to create more awareness for your veterinary practice.

Think Out-of-the-Box

You can post just any type of content, and posting the same thing repeatedly isn’t fruitful. To engage your audience, it’s time to think out of the box.

Consider using your veterinary practice’s platform to promote competitions—think “cutest pet” competitions or guessing how many dog bones there are in a jar.

Another way you can generate interest is through pet success stories. For example, make your followers smile by sharing pictures of a pet that’s in good health after a scare or a fresh litter of puppies.

Use Relevant Hashtags

Don’t forget to use relevant hashtags to make your posts searchable. By adding hashtags, users who search for a phrase can stumble upon your account through searching for those hashtags.

Search for popular hashtags to add to your posts and experiment with some that are specific to the realm of animal lovers. Just be careful not to use hashtags that are so specific that no one searches for them.

2. Contact Local News Outlets

One of the easiest ways to generate awareness for your business locally is to reach out to local news outlets for press coverage.

To do this, reach out to local journalists and reporters. If no one around your clinic has connections and can introduce you, visit your local newspaper’s website for contact details.

Once you get in touch with a reporter, set up a meeting with them and offer a story that features an interesting, inspiring, or philanthropic edge to it. Journalists look for potential stories that are timely and newsworthy. If your story is one of a kind and is picked up by a news outlet, your practice will be visible to a much bigger audience.

3. Adopt Search Engine Optimization

It’s not just a trend—investing in search engine optimization (SEO) is essential for marketing your veterinary practice. Organic search makes up 53% of all trackable website traffic.

Businesses that practice SEO focus their marketing efforts on user experience. In turn, their websites are rewarded by showing up in higher positions on search engine results pages (SERPs).

To optimize your website for SEO, first, check for technical issues that are detrimental to your website’s success, such as non-mobile-friendly pages and slow load times.

Then, clean up your website so that all information is accurate and up to date. Search engines will rank your website higher if you focus on replacing outdated information with new data.

Consider implementing a plugin to guide your veterinarian marketing strategy. The right SEO plugin can act as a sidekick, helping you ensure that you’re making the right decisions to encourage SEO.

4. Set Up a Google My Business Profile

Google My Business (GMB) is a tool you can use to market your practice to nearby pet owners. To get started, create a profile and verify your business’s location.

A GMB profile will increase local visibility for your veterinary practice. If a user searches for something like “veterinary clinic in Lexington” or “pet hospital near me,” Google knows that they’re looking for local results.

To improve your chances of showing up in local SERPs, you must optimize your local SEO tactics, including setting up your GMB profile.

The more information your profile includes, the more likely it is to show up in a prime position for locals searching for a new vet.

5. Try Content Marketing

Next, set up a blog for your veterinary clinic. This is one of the best ways to engage with potential customers naturally, without direct advertising.

Pet owners will do anything to ensure that their furry friend is happy and healthy. They have questions, and you have the answers. Therefore, share those answers in the form of a video or written blog. Then, use social media to get that content in front of local pet owners.

If you create inspirational content, you’ll increase the chances of your business showing up in SERPs when people search for answers regarding their pets’ wellbeing.

6. Get Listed in a Veterinary Directory

One of the best ways to increase visibility for your practice is to be listed in a veterinary directory. If your business is mentioned on another website, it increases the credibility and trustworthiness of your brand.

Search engines don’t just scan your website for information about your clinic—they look for information on other sites, as well. So, think of a directory listing as a recommendation. The more recommendations your website receives, the more likely your business shows up in front of pet owners looking for a new veterinary clinic.

Creative Marketing for Vets and Other Small Businesses

Marketing can be easy once you take an effective, creative approach to digital marketing. Then, you can further your own efforts with the expertise of experienced marketing professionals.

At Harris & Ward, we strive to provide a one-of-a-kind agency experience. As a result, you can focus on what you do best as we help you meet your business goals through building your online brand.

If you’re interested in what we can do to grow your veterinary practice, contact us today.

8 Marketing Ideas for Veterinary Practices to Try in 2026

Sep 2, 2022 | Veterinarian Marketing

8 Marketing Ideas for Veterinary Practices

Veterinary marketing tends to be a lot harder because a veterinary business sells both products and services. It also needs to appeal to a tough target audience of pet owners and farmers. If you need help marketing your veterinary practice, you’re in the right place.

In today’s post, we’ll be highlighting a couple of amazing marketing ideas for your veterinary clinic.

Pet and animal lovers love social media because they can interact with others just like them. Not to mention the barrage of cute pet and animal videos that people share on social media every day. If you want to reach your target audience, the best way to do so is via social media.

Focus on crafting a social media strategy to raise brand awareness and engage with your customers. For proper social media marketing, create a profile on all the major social media platforms. Some platforms you should consider include Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

Once you set up your profiles, post every day about developments in your practice and important information for pet owners. Be as active as you can and don’t forget to respond to messages from your followers.

If you want to create a bit of buzz around your area, consider sponsoring a pet event. Pet events are a fun and effective way to get people talking.

There are plenty of events you can hold to spark conversation about your clinic. You can have a pet adoption event or even hold a free vaccination run. Don’t forget to talk about the event on social media for the greatest effect.

3. Hand Out Welcome Pet bags

If you’re looking to make a lasting impression on your new customers, you should consider getting them welcome pet bags. We’re talking about everything from doggie bags to tiny guinea pig bags. This will make your new customers’ first experiences so pleasant that they’ll have no choice but to come back again.

It’s a good idea not to skimp on the pet bags you get for your customers. Find something that’s high-quality and durable. If you can’t find bags, pet pouches will do just fine.

4. Establish Loyalty Programs

Now that you have your customers’ attention, it’s time to reel them in and retain them for life. A loyalty program is one easy and effective way to do just that. It’s also a great way to get the edge over your competition.

A good idea for a loyalty program is to issue points for every visit. Once your customers attain a certain number of points, you hand them a freebie or a discount. Keep this up and your customers will be there to stay.

5. Create a Killer Website

Creating a solid online presence should be at the top of your to-do list, assuming you don’t have one already. In the digital age, if your practice doesn’t have a website, it’s virtually invisible; get it? The first place people go to when they need a vet is the internet.

Create a website so customers can find you with a few simple clicks. While creating your website, be keen on crucial aspects of your website like web design, SEO, and everything else. Your website must be better than your competitors’ to have a chance against them.

Also, you need a comprehensive website that captures all areas of your practice. Make sure you have a page for contact information, another for your services, and even a blog for some good old content marketing. This will certainly make your website a hit with your customers.

6. Leave Your Business Card at Pet Stores

This is one of those old techniques that still works like a charm even today. Talk to local pet stores and ask them for this tiny favor. Of course, you can always return the favor by referring customers to the pet store in question.

Don’t stop at the pet store! Give your business cards to local coffee shops and other stores to give your business a boost. Doing so will help you capture a couple of new customers.

7. Consider a Lumpy Mail Campaign

A “lumpy mail campaign” means sending out direct marketing mail to potential clients. The name “lumpy mail” is because senders make the mail “lumpier” so it stands out from the rest of the mail. To make it lumpier, you’ll have to include a simple surprise, like a dog treat, for instance.

Sending out lumpy mail is a great way to get your customer base intrigued. Be creative and send something that resonates with your audience. It’s also a great way to get one step ahead of your competition.

8. Host a Seminar

Pet owners have one thing in common: all of them love their pets. Consider holding a pet talk seminar and inviting all interested pet owners. These seminars give pet owners a chance to discuss their favorite topic, their pets.

Before holding a seminar, make sure you have something valuable to offer your customers. Give them crucial pet tips, diet options, and even a word from a figurehead in the veterinary industry.

Also, try to make the topics relevant to the current season. For instance, you can try, “how to keep your pets warm and healthy during winter.” This is a great example of a topic you can discuss during the seminar.

Veterinary Marketing Made Easy

Veterinary marketing should be a cakewalk with the information above. Remember to go all out with your marketing endeavors for the best results. If you need a little help, don’t be afraid to hire a professional to take over your marketing.

Then, call us today for a professional and quick marketing service that will help you take your veterinary practice to the next level.

Learn more about Marketing for Veterinarians here.

How to grow your orthodontic practice

Aug 29, 2022 | Dental Marketing, marketing

How to grow your orthodontic practice

There will always be difficulties when expanding an orthodontics practice, but if you’re willing to learn from others’ experiences, it will be easier to manage.

The motivations that influence how practices operate tend to vary from owner to owner. Some may prioritize efficiency, while others may prioritize quality. Others may prioritize balance and quality of life for their team over revenue or efficiency. Not every practice owner is focused primarily on growing their practice in size, but being growth-oriented is still important.

So where should you start?

Organic Search Presence (SEO)

Are you only using word-of-mouth marketing to tell others about your orthodontic practice? While this can be powerful, it shouldn’t be your only marketing method. Orthodontic marketing is all about attention to detail and authentic engagement.

In today’s digital age, you have a ton of resources right at your fingertips, so use them. Start with your orthodontic website, and update the content to include a page specifically for orthodontics. Be sure to curate content specifically for each of your unique services. Google wants you to be detailed and engaging.

Make sure current and prospective patients know what to expect from your services by describing them and addressing FAQs. Post reviews and testimonials to give others a better idea of what you offer.

Once your content is ready, you can start optimizing your online presence for better search engine results. Use keywords, phrases, and images in your website, blogs, and social media content to target your ideal audience. Google will reward you with higher search engine results if the information you provide is relevant and helpful. Orthodontic SEO is a crucial part of a modern orthodontic practice’s marketing strategy.

Want to learn more about orthodontic seo?

A recent study has shown that orthodontists who use social media and have a practice website are more likely to get new patients. The study also showed that orthodontists should post information or run social ads in the evening, when patients and their parents are more likely to be using social media.

Utilize social media to its fullest capabilities by posting at appropriate times. Keep in mind that content is king, and that posts with authentic content that emotionally connect with your audience are more likely to be successful. Provide value to your audience, but be careful of over-posting. Monitor where new patients are coming from, as this can help you tailor your social media posts.

Reviews

Patients are increasingly using the internet to research doctors and dentists, with 74.6% of patients looking online for information on medical care, according to PatientPop. Furthermore, 59% say that online reviews influence their decision on which provider to choose.

It’s not enough to just have patient reviews – they need to be good. Nearly half of consumers (47%) won’t use a business that has less than 4 stars, according to BrightLocal.

Reviews are important for local search rankings. If you don’t have enough reviews, or if your reviews are not frequent enough, or if you’re not reviewed on multiple sites, you’re not giving Google the information it needs to rank your practice higher. This means that without reviews, your practice will have trouble attracting new patients.

Use Online Scheduling Tools

No-show and cancellation rates are extremely important, as they are the primary drivers for your collections. Part of patient education is teaching patients to keep track of appointments. In a 2013 study, 27.8% of respondents said they relied on memory, and 40% of respondents said forgetting was the reason for missed appointments in the past.

As part of your treatment plan delivery, your staff should ask patients about what scheduling reminders work well for them. This could be intrinsically tied to a patient’s lack of understanding about the treatment they are receiving, or why that treatment and showing up to their appointment is important.

If you are experiencing poor attendance and cancellations, you may want to reassess your scheduling tools. Do you use an online scheduler? How about a text reminder service? Identifying where the problems are with scheduling can help improve your operational and treatment efficiency, both of which are important for your bottom line.

Community Engagement

It is important to use social media, but it is not a substitute for getting to know your patients in person. Do everything you can to become part of your community. Attend local events. Get to know other business owners. Consider joining groups like the local Chamber of Commerce. This will make you more recognizable and people will see you as a good guy instead of just another orthodontist.

To reach more people in your community, plan a special day just for them! Offer free consultations, screenings, and a Q&A session, as well as family games. You can’t grow your local presence unless you’re actively involved, so this is a great way to make an impact.

Grow your orthodontic practice one step at a time.

You can’t grow a successful orthodontic practice overnight, but there are steps you can take to scale your growth strategically. The tips above can help you reach more people, grow your knowledge, and establish your team as community leaders.

Focus on your digital marketing efforts first. It’s easy to blend in with your competition by mistake. Be intentional and build a simple and solid website. Most marketing campaigns point back to your website so ensure it showcases you and your staff appropriately. Modern consumers see right through stock photography and uninformative content.

Choose the right partnerships. You can outsource your digital marketing efforts to a reliable agency resource. But, don’t think that removes all marketing from your dental practice. It’s important to own your local presence, doctor referrals, and relationships with your patients/parents.

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