by HW@dmin | Feb 27, 2025 | Google, marketing, Small Business
Local SEO: The Importance of Responding to Google Reviews
In today’s digital landscape, online reviews have become a cornerstone of consumer decision-making.
For local businesses, Google Reviews not only influence potential customers but also play a pivotal role in local search engine optimization (SEO).
Engaging with these reviews—both positive and negative—can significantly enhance a business’s online visibility and credibility.
The Role of Google Reviews in Local SEO
Google’s algorithms consider various factors when determining local search rankings, and customer reviews are among the most influential. Responding to Google reviews has a plethora of benefits. For the consumers benefit as well as Google’s algorithm.
According to a study highlighted by Bird Marketing, reviews account for approximately 15.44% of the ranking factors for local SEO.
This underscores that businesses with a higher volume of positive reviews are more likely to appear prominently in local search results. (bird.marketing)
Moreover, Google itself emphasizes the importance of reviews.
The Google Business Profile support page advises businesses to interact with customers by responding to reviews, stating that such engagement demonstrates value for customer feedback and can improve business visibility. (support.google.com)
Benefits of Responding to Google Reviews
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Enhanced Visibility
Active engagement with reviews signals to Google that your business is responsive and customer-focused, which can positively influence local search rankings.
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Building Trust and Credibility
Responding to reviews, especially negative ones, shows potential customers that you value feedback and are committed to addressing concerns. This transparency fosters trust and can sway undecided consumers in your favor.
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Encouraging More Reviews
When customers see that a business takes the time to respond to feedback, they are more inclined to share their own experiences, leading to an increased number of reviews and a more robust online presence.
Best Practices for Responding to Reviews
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Timeliness
Aim to respond to reviews promptly. A swift response indicates attentiveness and dedication to customer satisfaction.
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Personalization
Address reviewers by their names and reference specific points they made. This personal touch shows genuine engagement.
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Professionalism
Maintain a courteous and professional tone, even when addressing negative feedback. Avoid defensive or confrontational language.
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Actionable Solutions
For negative reviews, offer solutions or steps to rectify the issue. This demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement and customer care.
The Impact of Review Engagement on Business Performance
Engaging with reviews doesn’t just enhance online visibility; it also has tangible effects on a business’s bottom line.
A study cited by Chatmeter revealed that hotels responding to reviews experienced a 12% increase in review volume and a 0.12-star rating boost.
This correlation suggests that active review management can lead to improved customer perception and increased patronage. (chatmeter.com)
Furthermore, the Harvard Business Review found that a one-star increase in a Yelp rating can lead to a 5-9% increase in revenue.
While this statistic pertains to Yelp, it underscores the broader principle that higher ratings and proactive engagement can directly influence consumer behavior and, consequently, business performance.
Case Study: How a Local Dental Practice Boosted Visibility & Revenue Through Review Engagement
Background:
A mid-sized dental practice in Austin, Texas, was struggling to attract new patients despite having a well-optimized website.
Upon conducting an audit of their online presence, it was revealed that while the practice had over 100 Google Reviews, they had never responded to any of them. Thus began their journey of responding to Google Reviews timely and often.
Action Plan:
The practice implemented a structured review response strategy:
- They began responding to every new review within 24 hours.
- Negative reviews were handled professionally, offering patients the opportunity to resolve concerns offline.
- Positive reviews were acknowledged with gratitude and personalized responses.
- They encouraged satisfied patients to leave reviews via follow-up emails.
Results (Over 6 Months):
- Google Business Profile rankings improved from #9 to #3 for key local search terms like “best dentist in Austin”.
- Review volume increased by 35%, as more patients left reviews after seeing the practice engage with existing ones.
- Click-through rate (CTR) on Google Business Profile increased by 42%, leading to more appointment bookings.
- Revenue grew by 18%, attributed to a steady influx of new patients from local searches.
This case study highlights how active engagement with reviews can improve search rankings, boost customer trust, and drive measurable business growth.
Implementing an Effective Review Response Strategy
To harness the benefits of review engagement:
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Monitor Reviews Regularly
Utilize tools or assign team members to keep track of new reviews across platforms. Regular monitoring ensures timely responses and helps in identifying recurring feedback themes.
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Develop Response Templates
While personalization is key, having basic templates can ensure consistency in tone and structure, making the response process more efficient.
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Empower Your Team
Train staff on the importance of reviews and equip them with the skills to respond appropriately. Empowered employees can act swiftly and effectively in managing customer feedback.
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Encourage Customer Feedback
Proactively ask satisfied customers to leave reviews. Positive feedback not only boosts ratings but also balances out occasional negative reviews.
Key Takeaway
In the realm of local SEO, responding to Google Reviews is more than a courtesy—it’s a strategic imperative.
By actively engaging with customer feedback, businesses can enhance their online visibility, build trust, and drive growth.
In an era where consumers heavily rely on online reviews, your responsiveness can set you apart from the competition and position your business for sustained success.
by Todd Boak | Jul 10, 2024 | Google, marketing
Healthcare Local Services Ads: A Comprehensive Guide for Healthcare Providers
A comprehensive overview of Local Services Ads for healthcare providers. This article covers key aspects such as the benefits of using Local Services Ads, how to set up and optimize campaigns, and best practices for maximizingAs the digital landscape continues to evolve, healthcare providers must adapt to new tools and strategies to stay competitive. One such tool that has gained prominence is Google’s Local Services Ads (LSAs). Originally designed for legal and home services industries, LSAs have expanded to include healthcare providers, offering a robust platform for local lead generation. This guide aims to provide an in-depth understanding of LSAs and how healthcare providers can leverage them effectively.
Understanding Local Services Ads (LSAs)
Local Services Ads are a type of advertisement that appears at the top of Google search results. They are designed to help local businesses connect with potential customers by displaying pertinent information, including business hours, services offered, and customer reviews. For healthcare providers, LSAs provide an opportunity to appear prominently in search results, making it easier for potential patients to find and contact them.
Benefits of LSAs for Healthcare Providers
The introduction of LSAs to the healthcare sector comes with several advantages:
- Enhanced Visibility: LSAs appear at the very top of search results, above traditional Google Ads and organic search results. This prime placement can significantly increase a healthcare provider’s visibility.
- Pay-Per-Lead Model: Unlike traditional pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, LSAs operate on a pay-per-lead basis. This means healthcare providers only pay when a potential patient contacts them through the ad, making it a cost-effective marketing strategy.
- Trust and Credibility: LSAs feature a Google Guarantee badge, which indicates that the provider has been vetted by Google. This badge can enhance trust and credibility, encouraging potential patients to choose your services over competitors.
- Detailed Provider Information: LSAs allow healthcare providers to include comprehensive information about their services, making it easier for patients to make informed decisions.
Eligible Healthcare Specialties
As of April 2023, Google has made LSAs available to a wide range of healthcare providers, including but not limited to:
Google plans to expand LSAs to additional healthcare specialties in the future, broadening the scope for providers to benefit from this advertising tool.
Getting Started with LSAs
To start using LSAs, healthcare providers must complete a screening and verification process. This process ensures that providers are legitimate, licensed, and insured, maintaining a high standard of quality and trustworthiness. The steps typically include:
- Business Verification: Providers must submit information about their business, including licenses and insurance details.
- Background Checks: Depending on the region, Google may require background checks for business owners and employees.
- Insurance Verification: Proof of insurance is required to ensure that the provider meets Google’s standards for coverage.
Optimizing Your LSA Campaign
Once approved, healthcare providers can take several steps to optimize their LSA campaigns:
- Optimize Google Business Profile (GBP): Ensure your GBP is up-to-date with accurate information, including hours of operation, services offered, and high-quality images. Positive reviews and ratings on your GBP can significantly impact the performance of your LSAs.
- Focus on High-Intent Keywords: Use keywords that potential patients are likely to search for, such as “dentist near me” or “urgent care services.” High-intent keywords can attract patients who are ready to make a decision.
- Monitor and Adjust: Regularly monitor your LSA campaign performance and make adjustments as needed. Pay attention to metrics such as lead quality, conversion rates, and return on investment (ROI).
- Utilize Call Analytics: Implement call analytics tools like Liine to track and analyze incoming leads. These tools can provide insights into lead sources, caller sentiment, and common conversion barriers, helping you refine your approach.
Best Practices for Healthcare LSAs
- Focus on Reputable Locations: Begin with locations that have strong Google Business Profiles (GBPs) with positive ratings and reviews. High-performing locations can set the standard for other locations in your practice.
- Stay Vigilant with Lead Quality: Since healthcare providers cannot dispute calls within the LSA platform, it’s essential to stay vigilant with lead quality. Implement call tracking and monitoring to ensure leads are genuine and high-quality.
- Measure and Analyze: Use call analytics and tracking tools to measure the effectiveness of your LSA campaigns. Tools like Liine can help you understand lead sources, caller sentiment, and conversion barriers, providing valuable insights to improve your strategy.
- Engage with Patients: Promptly follow up with leads generated through LSAs. Quick and professional responses can improve patient satisfaction and increase the likelihood of conversion.
Conclusion
Google’s Local Services Ads offer healthcare providers a powerful tool for attracting local patients. By appearing at the top of search results and providing detailed information, LSAs can enhance visibility, build trust, and drive patient acquisition. By optimizing your LSA campaign and leveraging analytics, you can maximize the benefits of this advertising platform and improve your practice’s growth and success.
by Todd Boak | Feb 14, 2024 | healthcare marketing, marketing
In an era inundated with digital marketing, the resurgence of direct mail might seem surprising. However, for businesses interested in new mover marketing, this traditional tactic has resurfaced as a potent tool. Todd Boak, Partner at Harris & Ward, underscores the impact of direct mail on new movers, particularly for dental practices. He notes,
Direct mail targeting new movers can be incredibly effective for dental practices. It allows them to reach a highly targeted audience at a crucial time when they are actively seeking new service providers.
One remarkable case study highlighting the effectiveness of direct mail targeting new movers comes from a dental practice in Ashburn, VA, as detailed by PostcardMania. Despite spending $6,664 on the campaign, including postage, the practice achieved a staggering 125% return on investment (ROI), translating to earnings of roughly $15,000. This success story underscores the potential of direct mail in capturing the attention and patronage of new movers.
New Mover Marketing has Many Advantages
1. Targeted Reach
Direct mail enables dental practices to target people who have recently moved with precision. By accessing mailing lists of recent movers in their area, practices can tailor their messages to this specific demographic. This targeted approach increases the likelihood of engagement and conversion, as the recipients are more likely to be in need of dental services in their new area. By focusing their efforts on this specific group, practices can maximize the effectiveness of their new mover marketing campaigns and increase their ROI.
2. Personalization
Direct mail (new mover marketing) allows for a high level of personalization, which is crucial in engaging new movers. By addressing them by name and offering relevant services, dental practices can establish a connection that is more likely to result in a positive response. Personalized mailers can include special offers or discounts tailored to the individual recipient, making them feel valued and increasing the likelihood of conversion. This personal touch sets direct mail apart from other forms of marketing and can help practices stand out in a crowded marketplace.
3. Tangible Impact
Unlike digital ads that can be easily ignored or forgotten, direct mail has a tangible presence that makes it harder to overlook. A well-designed postcard or flyer can leave a lasting impression on new movers, prompting them to consider the dental practice for their needs. The physical nature of direct mail makes it more memorable than digital marketing efforts, increasing the likelihood that recipients will act on the information presented to them. This tangible impact can lead to higher conversion rates and a greater return on investment for dental practices.
4. Timing
Direct mail allows dental practices to reach new movers at a critical time when they are actively seeking out new services. Moving to a new area often involves finding new healthcare providers, including dentists. By being among the first to make an impression, practices can increase their chances of securing new patients. Direct mail allows practices to capitalize on this window of opportunity and establish themselves as viable options for new movers. By reaching new movers at the right time, practices can increase their chances of success and grow their patient base more quickly.
5. Measurable Results
One of the key advantages of new mover marketing is its trackability. Dental practices can easily track the success of their direct mail campaigns by analyzing response rates and ROI. This data allows practices to refine their targeting and messaging for future campaigns, increasing their effectiveness over time. Direct mail provides clear, measurable results that enable practices to make informed decisions about their marketing strategies. By tracking the results of their campaigns, practices can identify what works and what doesn’t, allowing them to optimize their marketing efforts for maximum impact.
In conclusion, direct mail is experiencing a resurgence in 2024, particularly for businesses targeting new movers like dental practices. New mover marketing provides precise targeted reach, personalization, tangible impact, timely delivery, and measurable results make it a compelling marketing tool. As Todd suggests, “For dental practices looking to attract new movers, direct mail can be a game-changer, offering a high ROI and the potential for long-term patient relationships.” With its ability to deliver targeted, personalized messages to a receptive audience, direct mail is proving to be a valuable asset in the marketing arsenal of dental practices and other businesses seeking to attract new movers.
Interested in learning how to automate new mover marketing efforts to guarantee new patient growth? Click here to learn more!
by Todd Boak | 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?
Social Media
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.
by HW@dmin | Apr 1, 2022 | marketing
8 Benefits of Digital Marketing for Chiropractors
68% of online experiences begin with a search engine. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is just one form of digital marketing, but the message is clear, most people find new services and products online.
We’re living in a digital age, and using that to a business’s advantage has never been more important.
As a chiropractor, you might be wondering if there are enough benefits of digital marketing to warrant putting effort into it. Read on to find out about them!
1. Increase Visibility
The clearest benefit of digital marketing for chiropractors is to increase visibility. If you don’t rely on digital content to market your services at all, you’re likely using billboards, advertisements posted on the streets, and word of mouth.
While there’s something to be said for that type of advertising, you’ll never get more visibility than making sure you can be found online.
Digital marketing also helps your website become more user-friendly due to SEO best practices, which is huge for navigation and ease of access for patients.
2. Target New Local Patients
Local SEO is a great online marketing tactic, especially for a business like a chiropractor. Chances are, you want to target people in your local area since those are the ones most likely to visit you.
Utilizing keywords such as “chiropractor near me” and “chiropractor in town” can help boost your website in the local SEO sphere and specifically find people who are close by. SEO is all well and good on a global level, but someone a thousand miles away isn’t likely to come and visit you every week or two just for your services.
3. Stay Connected
It’s not just finding new patients that digital marketing can help with — it’s staying connected with old ones.
If you make yourself easy to find online, you can have contact information listed on your website so no one ever struggles to get in touch. One quick Google search and they’re there.
You can use social media to stay connected with current patients. A lot of people are averse to phone calls or working during business hours, so opening up Facebook messages might be really appreciated. You can also handle any feedback or complaints this way.
4. Advertise Your Services and Qualifications
When people are looking for a new chiropractor, they’re looking for someone who’s qualified and can achieve the results that they want. As you employ digital marketing in your tactics, make sure you’re selling yourself.
Use your website to tell people how much experience you have and the things you can do. You can set up different pages for different areas of the body and potential results, talking about your tactics to draw people in by targeting the exact issues they might have.
This will instill confidence and help you to get new clients, as they’ll then feel you’re the best person for the job.
5. Help People See the Benefits
When people start looking into chiropractors, they might not be specifically looking for one at the start. Instead, they might be searching around to see the benefits and looking to decide if the process is truly worth it for them.
Target some of your digital content towards showing them the benefits. You can link to authoritative studies (which always helps boost SEO) or conduct your own research, which may even help get backlinks to your study from other sites.
This makes you seem like an authority on the subject and, more importantly, it will help people decide they want to see a chiropractor while already right on your site.
6. Less Expensive
Some other forms of more traditional marketing, such as billboards, can be expensive. Billboards themselves can cost up to $14,000 per month in populated areas!
Digital marketing isn’t likely to set you back this much and if you do put in this much effort, the benefits will outweigh the cost. While some of it is an investment, such as email domains and SEO tools, it should be relatively inexpensive — especially as you can do a lot of the work yourself.
Even outsourcing it to an SEO expert isn’t likely to set you back as much as traditional marketing methods.
7. Station Yourself as the Expert
One of the huge advantages of online marketing is that it makes it easy to station yourself as an expert chiropractor because you can take a look at competitors and see how to get ahead.
Some SEO tools can even run checks to see what keywords they’re ranking for that you aren’t.
Getting ahead of the competition is necessary for any business, and people likely have a few chiropractors to choose from. Make sure you’re clearly the best choice.
8. Use Emails to Directly Target People
Using emails to target people is another great benefit of digital marketing. You can let people know if you’re running any specials (perhaps a new patient offer?) or if there are any changes, and you don’t have to worry about if they’re checking the website or not.
Instead, you can send an email and be sure it got to them with all of the information they need right there. Just make sure you optimize your emails so they don’t go right into the spam folder!
There Are Many Benefits of Digital Marketing for Chiropractors
The truth is that there are many great benefits of digital marketing for any business, and for chiropractors it’s especially important. Online marketing can help you get ahead of the competition, target your services better, and stay in touch with current patients to ensure they feel valued and stay loyal to you.
Do you need help with digital marketing for your business from specialists? Contact us today and let’s see what we can do.
by HW@dmin | Dec 15, 2021 | marketing
7 Awesome Content Marketing Tips for Dentists
There are over 201,117, practicing dentists in the United States! That’s a lot of competition.
Getting new patients for your dental practice is not always easy. The best way to get new patients for your practice is to have a marketing strategy in place so that people can get to know more about your practice and the benefits of coming to visit you whenever they have dental issues.
Getting the word out about your practice is not always easy and it can be challenging if you don’t know exactly where to start. The good news is that once you know exactly what to do, you can reap the rewards very quickly. Here is a look at some of the top content marketing tips you can use to grow your dental practice.
1. Create Good Website Content
The content of your website needs to be useful to those who visit but it also needs to be engaging as well. This means that your content should grab your readers from the beginning and make them want to stay to finish reading. You can do this by using engaging titles and introductions for your blog post content.
Make sure that your website is easy to navigate and people can find additional content easily. When you do this it will increase your page views and the number of shares that you get. Google will begin to see your website as valuable because people are sharing your content.
2. Know Your Target Audience
Social media is an important part of your content marketing strategy. Understanding where your target market audience likes to hang out on the internet is one of the main ways in which you can successfully market your content.
You should try to find out which social media platforms your audience prefers. You can take a look at what other practices are doing to decide which social media platforms are most engaging for your audience.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Look at the type of content that those who are successful at social media marketing are already using and then recreate it uniquely.
3. Answer the right questions
One of the most important things that your content needs to focus on is answering the right questions. When people are browsing the internet for dental answers you want to ensure that your website is amongst those that can provide a suitable answer.
Answering questions concisely and informatively is one of the best ways to ensure that your audience’s thirst for information is satisfied.
Having the right answers can also help your SEO. You may find that you end up in the featured snippet section or related questions section of search engine results. All of this will ensure that your content is found on Google and that people share it with others.
4. Be Consistent
Consistency is the key to keeping your audience engaged and having a cohesive brand voice.
However, consistency is all about producing quality content as opposed to quantity. This means that you need to find a schedule that works for you and stick to it. This is the best way to ensure that you get into a rhythm for content production and content publishing.
5. Get a Content Calendar
To help keep your content organized, set up a content calendar. Your content calendar will help you plan for content a few weeks in advance.
Take a close look at the type of content that you want to create and the strategies that you want to use to publish them, then plan them out with a calendar. This will help you to stay consistent, grow your audience, and get more patients.
6. Use Call to Action Effectively
Call to action must be a part of any content marketing plan. You can use a call to action to direct your audience and tell them what to do after they have interacted with your content.
You should never assume that people know what to do next once they have finished consuming your content. Direct them to read another post or follow you on social media. This is an important step that when done right can lead to people consuming a lot more of your content.
7. Create Different Styles of Content
Varying your content style is essential especially when you are marketing on your website and also on social media. This means that in addition to informative blog posts you need to create other styles of content.
You can try creating step-by-step guides or how-to videos that assist people with their dental issues. Consider doing a podcast or starting a YouTube channel as well. All these are great avenues where you can connect with more people and drive traffic to your website and your dental practice.
Put Content Marketing Tips to Work
The content marketing tips given here can grow your practice tremendously. Getting your content marketing right is one of the most important things you can do to help you get more patients.
Content is often said to be king on the internet. However, no matter how good your content is, if you don’t know how to use it effectively then you won’t reap the rewards.
This means that you have to ensure that you market your content effectively and keep your audience coming back for more. This is not always easy but it is possible.
If you would like help with content marketing please do not hesitate to contact us.
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