2020 is well underway, and with it comes new consumer mindsets and marketing strategies that will appeal to them. Each year, and especially each new decade, users become smarter and savvier, meaning marketers must adjust to appeal to an increasingly discerning audience.
Luckily, we’ve rounded up a few ways to stay relevant in the new decade.
Prioritize Authenticity
Traditional advertising becomes less impactful every day. Now more than ever, consumers are savvy and turn away from blatant advertising with a “salesy” feel. In order to break through the noise and resonate with a discerning crowd, it’s important to offer authenticity.
So, how do you exude authenticity while still maintaining a goal to sell? It’s simple, really. If you’re offering a service that will better lives, then genuinely celebrate all the good you do! The best way to appear authentic is to be authentic. Your dental practice widens smiles every day. Hone in on the good you do and express it through honest and compelling storytelling.
At Lasso, one of our favorite modes of storytelling is through video. Through patient testimonials, we let customers with real smiles talk about their real experiences. We believe word-of-mouth will forever be the most effective marketing strategy due to its authentic nature. We create high-quality content where users can witness results and connect emotionally with those who have benefited from services.
Another form of video we do is practice overview videos. These clips lend the stage to dentists to talk about their practice, history, and why they’re inspired to do what they do. It offers a chance to tell a story and build an emotional connection with potential patients. Additionally, we also offer procedural/FAQ videos, which directly informs users of what treatments entail and what to expect. Hearing all of this information from a reputable and friendly face instills trust and increases the likelihood of a new patient in a seat.
Another way to instill trust is to ditch the stock photo and opt for custom imagery. Far too many dental websites use the same photos from the same websites. When searching for the perfect practice, a lack of real faces will deter users from trusting a practice.
In 2020, make it a priority to add authenticity to your practice by introducing custom video, photography, and language that celebrates all of the good that you do. The easiest way to boast authenticity is be authentic. At Lasso, all we ask is that you be your fantastic selves, and we’ll do the rest.
Utilize Lifecycle Marketing
Lifecycle marketing is a form of marketing that uses a full range of communication channels to reach customers at every stage of their journey.
When introducing a marketing strategy, now more than ever, it’s critical to focus on the customer journey rather than spending all of your budget on one form of marketing. Different platforms, techniques, and strategies meld together to guide a user to their purchasing decision. There’s a beginning stage, many middle touchpoints, and an end to all transactions and it’s important to stay present throughout the entire process.
So, what does this mean for dental marketing? The first stage is attracting customers through a variety of techniques that allow you to target and then retarget. Search engine optimization helps dental practices climb higher and higher in search engine results by utilizing effective keywords and positioning strategies. After a user visits your website, you can retarget them using banner ads and other pay-per-click strategies.
Throughout all of this, agencies utilize social media marketing, website refreshes, and other strategies to keep the same users intrigued and looped into their offerings. It’s also important to have a strong and visually appealing landing page and content. Authentic imagery, compelling videos, and catchy writing makes these sites memorable and more likely to receive repeat visits. Finally, it’s important to set yourself up for easy conversions. A clean contact page and form is key as users will bounce away if they have to work hard to reach out.
In summary, it’s critical for all of these aspects to work in tandem in order to reach their full potential. One channel of communication can bolster another, lead a user down a certain path, and build on each other to create leads. In today’s saturated spaces, it’s important to approach the same strong message from multiple angles. A bold lifecycle marketing approach will keep you relevant through a myriad of techniques.
Tap Into Personalization
In today’s saturated market, consumers are seeking their needs to be anticipated and met. According to this study, personalized ads receive ten times more clicks than those that are not. Meaning, an investment in personalization is most definitely worth the spend.
With so much information overload, users are bombarded with digital content. When content is relevant and speaks directly to a need, the likelihood of a conversion is much higher.
There are a variety of ways you can personalize your dental marketing. An automated strategy is to start using chatbots on a site. These automated services speak in real time with potential patients and answer all of their questions. With more and more bots popping up on websites, FAQ pages are becoming less and less relevant in the consumer mindset.
When it comes to search engine optimization, it’s important to isolate common procedures and use proper keywords to let potential patients know you offer these treatments. For example, if your practice has seen a surge in patients interested in Invisalign, incorporate common keywords associated with this topic on your site. You can also post paid ads that highlight this specific service so users in the area can immediately find your practice when seeking it out. In addition, procedural videos offer a direct and transparent answer to their queries.
Adapt to New Types of Search
With the advent of voice technology as well as the rise of video, there are new types of searches that are gaining in popularity.
We are all now more than familiar with Alexa, Google Home, and Siri, so much so that a lot of our queries are being spoken to them rather than being typed on a keyboard. Therefore, now is the time to start adapting your SEO strategy to appeal to these searches. When users interact with smart speakers, they do so in a conversational manner.
To cater to this, it’s important to craft copy with more natural-sounding language. Long-tail keywords are more important than ever now that less users are typing in blunt search queries. Additionally, most users pose their verbal searches in question form. Add these same questions to your website and then answer them directly and concisely. This way, Google will choose your content as the appropriate response to a query.
In addition to voice search, many users are now turning to video to answer their questions. Did you know that YouTube is the second most popular search engine used today? Users far and wide seek out advice, support, and education through videos. Tutorials, how-to’s, and even emotional support videos provide easy fixes and solutions for problems and queries.
When it comes to dental, many potential patients turn to YouTube to research certain treatments and see the results firsthand. Many dental practices position themselves strategically in this space by uploading informative videos. By doing this, you can enhance credibility, build a following, and increase visits to your website. Similar to web copy, it’s important to make these videos searchable and optimized for efficient performance.
Are you ready to conquer the new year with these new marketing strategies? We would be happy to help you out with that. Contact us at Lasso and we’ll arrange an appointment to answer any questions you may have.