Using Social Media to Shout Your Web Presence

Guest blog post written by Roadside Multimedia:

As specialists in internet marketing for dentists, we at Roadside Multimedia see our dental clients aiming to be among the best in their field. Such a dedication to distinction is a sure-fire way to increase new patients as well as build patient loyalty. If your practice mission includes striving for excellence, have you considered the ever-expanding role of social media in the dental field?

Social websites like Facebook and Twitter are turning on-line communication into group dialogues that can be beneficial for business. It has been estimated that over 80% of American adults regularly use social media sites. What you might be surprised to learn is that these consumers tend to put a great deal of trust in endorsements made via social websites. What we mean is, while consumers are savvy enough to be skeptical of direct ads, they tend to put more stock in Facebook “likes” and Twitter “follows.” When they see their friends are fans of your practice on social media sites, this endorsement is akin to word-of-mouth advertising more than traditional forms of marketing!

Another huge benefit of social media marketing is the potential to build meaningful relationships with your patients. Social media forums like Facebook, Twitter, and even your office blog provide the opportunity for you to showcase what sets your practice apart. While it’s wonderful to provide information regarding your state-of-the-art services and facility, social media is also a place to engage your patients on a more personal level. Office news, events, and even well-wishes demonstrate your dedication and commitment to your patients. One of the most important things to remember to effectively market your dental practice using social media is to engage in the dialogue. This is the purpose of social media! Just like face-to-face interaction, if you don’t respond when spoken to, you’ll soon find people just walking away. So be sure to engage, responding to posts, tweets, and blog comments. Your fans, followers and readers want to know they’re being heard, and interacting with them on social media sites is a terrific way of building a loyal relationship with valued patients!

If social media marketing is new to you, there are a few things to keep in mind. First of all, time and patience are of the essence. Remember that engaging in a dialogue is going to take effort, so it may be beneficial to delegate social media to a trusted member of the front office staff who can access Facebook, Twitter, your office blog, or your preferred portal on a regular basis. Remember too, that it is worth it! A good demonstration may be to search Facebook for some other dental offices in your local area. You’re sure to find a practice that already has the social media ball rolling, and is reaping the rewards in the form of patient interactions, positive reviews, and online endorsements that draw a constant stream of new patients through their door! Lastly, remain flexible, open to new ideas. Consumer mood is fickle, and while hundreds of millions worldwide use Facebook today, next week could bring an entirely new trend in social media. Finally, know when to call in professional help. Depending on the nature of your dental practice, you may find that effectively implementing social media marketing comes easily, but for some practices, additional guidance may be necessary!

The bottom line is that social media marketing is having a huge impact on where dental patients choose to have their dentistry performed. Are you shouting the announcement of your web presence via social media? Make sure new patients can find you by effectively implementing social media marketing into your dental practice today!

Dog and Dentistry (Part 2)

After spending a few days with our new puppy Scooter, we knew we had made a good decision. We had determined that we were ready for a pet, a dog was what we wanted and Tibetan Terrier was the perfect breed for us. But we also realized that in order for Scooter to be the perfect dog, it was up to us to make it happen. Again, I consulted Cesar Millan. He contends that all dogs need three things: exercise (the walk), discipline and affection, in that order. As I thought about my thirty years of practice and my consulting clients, I had to wonder again, “he is referring to a perfect dog or the dental dream team?”

Once you have hired the “potential dream team” the doctor has the responsibility of helping them to become the dream team. At the end of the day, the musher feeds the dogs and makes sure they are cared for, it not; they won’t be ready to pull the sled the next day. In order for the new hire to become part of the dream team they need a meaningful job (exercise), discipline and appropriate rewards (affection), in that order.

In all fairness a new employee needs to have a written job description that explains their duties and their specific role but also what is expected as a staff member. That seems like a lot of work to actually prepare them but an interesting things happens as you write the job descriptions, the jobs become clearer to you also. I don’t necessarily advocate long and lengthy staff policy manuals. I found 10 to 15 pages adequate. More than that, I am not sure the staff would even read it. But without written job descriptions and an office policy discipline becomes much harder.

If you have job descriptions and an office manual, discipline becomes easy. Every action in the office needs to be in harmony with the mission, job description and office manual. If a situation arises that is not covered by one of the three adjustment can be made; just make sure they are in writing. I found that weekly staff meeting, biannual evaluations and taking corrective actions in a timely manner gave the staff a strong sense of what the expectations were and they responded favorably. I like giving Scooter a lot of space to do his work. I also believe in doing so with the staff. I saw amazing growth by the staff as I gave them a structure and let them discipline themselves.

Scooter craves affection. I think staff members do too. They need to feel valued and appreciated. A simple “thank you” or “good job” really motivates staff members. I also believe that they should be compensated well with adequate salaries and benefits. I found a bonus system to be an integral part of my office compensation package. It also was a great staff motivator. Without them pulling the sled, the practice will not move forward. How far with the musher be able to pull a sled full of huskies?

One of the most fulfilling parts of private practice is the relationships that are formed with the staff. Over the years I have continued to enjoy the friendships that were formed inside my practice. I never tire of Scooter’s affection. Even after retirement, I continue to receive figurative licks from my dental dream team. For more information on how DentistCEO provides expert dental consulting in Vancouver, WA to help create your dental dream team, contact Dr. Brad Larsen of DentistCEO today!

Dogs and Dentistry (Part 1)

A couple of summers ago, my wife and I bought a new puppy. Our previous dog had died earlier that spring. We have had a dog most our married life, so for a while it was nice not to have the responsibility of a pet but in the end, we missed having a dog. We spent the summer considering the many different options. We finally settle on a Tibetan Terrier, “Scooter.” Not long after we picked Scooter up, I bought the book, "Be Leader of the Pack" by Cesar Millan. As I read the book, I constantly had to remind myself that Cesar was describing how to pick and train a great pet as oppose to hiring and training a “dental dream team.”

Millan points out that having the perfect pet begins before you bring your puppy home. He reminds potential dog owners that the decision process of getting a dog begins with first deciding if you really want to have an animal in your life, then if a dog is that animal and lastly picking the specific breed that will most closely meet your needs. Once we decided that we were going to get another dog, we carefully considered our needs and matched them to the many breeds available. We knew that we didn’t want a dog that shed; we wanted a medium size dog; we wanted an intelligent dog; we wanted a low maintenance, friendly and energetic dog. Before you hire your perfect staff you need to have a clear vision your practice mission and goals. Then you need to have a clear idea of the roles of the various staff member and what type of person will be most suited for each role. Only then are you ready to begin the hiring process. As you go through this decision process it is important to write down your mission, a clear job description and "who" you are looking for to fill the position. During the hiring process, it is easy to become overwhelmed. Having a written plan will help keep you on track. Over the course of 30 years of practice and observing clients, more than once I have seen the wisdom of hiring staff the right way. I am convinced that is easier to train the right person than change the wrong one even though they have great skills. I have observed clients as they hire staff before they have a clear vision of the role of the potential staff member or how they will fit into the office culture. In the end they feel somewhat like small apartment dweller after they have bought a new St. Bernard puppy.

Scooter has been a wonderful addition to our lives, because we did our homework before we purchased him. I recommend that all my clients read "Be Leader of the Pack." Cesar Millan's insights are invaluable both in training a gteat dog and training the dental dream team. Having the dream team in my office enabled me to do what I went to dental schoool to do, dentistry. Contact Dr. Brad Larsen of Dentist CEO, and let me help you find and train your “dream team.”

A New Year, A Time for Reflection

With 2011 already underway, perhaps you've spent some time reflecting on the past year, and how to meet your goals in the new one. For dentists, this likely includes aiming to bolster your practice to achieve greater things in the year to come.

But where do you start? Well, when mapping your journey for any driving trip, you likely locate your starting point, determine your destination, then seek the most logical way of getting from point “A” to point “B.” Likewise, when you decide that your dental practice needs some help getting from its current phase to the next one, dental consulting in Vancouver, WA with DentistCEO helps you map out a logical course. The first step is an honest appraisal of where you are now, and determining exactly where you want to go!

This is where the idea of a meaningful mission comes in. Your mission is like a visible map helping you reach your destination of success. With multiple team members in your practice, each navigating their own department, it is important to make sure staffers are individually familiar with this map so they know which way to go! As with any driving journey, you would likely refer back to your map repeatedly during the course of your trip. So, after determining an appropriate mission for your dental team, make sure you refer back to it often, refocusing each member on the journey! Keeping your destination in mind helps everyone keep on track!

For more information on how DentistCEO provides expert dental consulting in Vancouver, WA to help you arrive at your destination, contact Dr. Brad Larsen of DentistCEO today!