Building an Attractive Playground (Is it Really so Simple?)

Kids like playgrounds.  My wife has a very simple playground.  Our grandkids love their grandma's playground.  It's their playground of choice (hands down).  No other playground can compete.

Take a close look at this picture.  One of our grandkids created this simple little gem.  It's extremely accurate and, as you can see, extremely colorful.  This is how our grandchildren see their grandma's playground (and backyard).  The 7-year-old mind (it's oh so simple ... and oh so fascinating)!

What about other 7-year old kids?  Would they, too, find this colorful playground attractive?  Take the neighbor kids for instance.  Would they prefer this particular playground to all others in close proximity?

What about other kids?  What about 7-year old kids in/around our local community (not just the neighboring children but what about children across town, for instance)?  Would all of these kids pick our plain and simple backyard or, on the other hand, would something else seem far more attractive to them?

The answers are obvious, of course!  Grandma's love has a lot to do with the love of this very simple playground.  I can almost certainly guarantee ... not one other child in our neighborhood (and/or community) would even give this simple little playground a second thought.  All other offerings are clearly superior in the little minds of those without the direct "grandma" connection.

So, you see ... grandma and I have very little chance of attracting other squealing enthusiasts to the splendor of our grandmotherly attraction.  But ... what if?  What if grandma and I were, in fact, interested in a much larger endeavor?  What if ... let's say ... we wanted to do something  much larger for the children of our community?  What kind of playground might it take?  What things might be considered if this were to become a driving reality for us?  Might we speak with as many squealing enthusiasts as possible ... organize, then tally, their feedback and sentiments?  Might we pick their little brains?  Might we ask them particular questions?  Might we consider a lot of things like location, safety, equipment, and the like?  Might we then take all of this information and develop a specific plan that ensures long-term viability and attraction?

So it is ... local business attraction is very much the same.  Consumer preferences are widely diverse.  Attitudes are very hard to pinpoint.  But ... with the proper tools, insight, and experience (sentiments can be captured, a plan developed, and long-term attraction achieved).  It's all so very simple (and yet not so much).  It's artful, it's scientific, it's patient (these three ingredients are absolutely vital for any successful and long-term attraction effort).  It's not mindless, it's not hit-and-miss ... and, most of all ... it's not an auto-pilot trigger we can pull for immediate gratification.

Let's not lose sight ... work is work.  Big objectives require big tools, big plans, big patience.  Just like those grandkids.  Simple, right?  Kids and grandkids (so simple ... and, yet ... auto-pilot is not what they need).  Kids (all stripes and colors) ... require big tools, big plans, big patience.

Wishing You the Best in 2022

Steve

Car Mechanics, Dentistry, and the Reality of Perception

Why would a consumer choose one mechanic in their area over another ... assuming, of course, that the types of automobiles they operate on and the services they offer are essentially the same?

Doesn't the solution lie somewhere in the "marketing laboratory" (the mind and heart of a radically skittish consumer)?

The precise answer to this question matters significantly less than one might think. The only thing that matters is how local people feel about their time and money at this very local moment in time. If a mechanic, for example, appeals to a consumer's nostalgic feelings ... well, then ... that valuable and instantaneous connection may override a lot of "other stuff." Things like prices ... even customer happiness ... these things may very well be 2nd level considerations on the playground of nostalgic memory. They may also feel that a smaller shop might offer them significantly more individualized treatment than a big, more popular store.

Similarly, a buyer who believes they have a right to luxury may go for a technician whose garage was nicely arranged and looked to be entirely stocked with high-end German autos. This consumer may feel that because this mechanic has a long waiting list and a busy schedule, it's a popular facility and hence the ideal option for their car. In this person's mind, the potential delay in service is far less a detriment.

These attitudinal differences can be sensed and readily identified when proper marketing practices are thoroughly deployed. The condition of one's vehicle is vital, but it pales in contrast to one's personal health. Before seeking treatment in dentistry or medical, a consumer must have complete faith in their provider's ability. Proper marketing techniques will assist you in gaining that belief long before your first living interaction. It all comes down to sending the appropriate message to the right people at the right time ... and, yes! ... all of these ingredients are critical to building that all-important "trust factor."

Before you can worry about how you might measure up to your competitors ... in the mind of your very antsy and local consumer ... you must first establish mental residency (your message and their mental recognition is critical). Simply put, if they are unaware of your existence, you've already missed their short-list of considerations. The right tools, the right message, the right people, and the right moment (these are the Michael Jordan ingredients of an NBA-level marketing strategy).

So ... what are the proper tools to use?  Are there methods and techniques that ultimately deliver on brand recognition? Much may be said... and much will be said... so please stay tuned! Suffice it to say ... at least for now ... you need a strategy. More on this in my next installment.

Wishing You All the Best!

The True Value of PPC Marketing

I have worked in a number of dental offices since 1995.  My “neck of the woods” here in Indiana is unique.  Your particular demographic ... well, it too ... bears its own unique brand of local market attitudes.  I can guarantee that my northern Indiana market exhibits far different demands than your particular market.  Each and every demographic sample is “stamped” with its own custom signature (common threads may exist but the commonalities of varying markets should never be the thrust and focus of any given marketing venture).  We want to craft a fitting message that is wholly focused on the unique desires of our own local area.  Bottom Line: Message trumps medium in every single instance.

The Real Question is This:  What should my message be?

The Wrong Question is This:  What kinds of marketing mediums have worked well for you?

Here's Something to Ponder:  All mediums ... yes ... will successfully engage certain segments of your local market if (and I do mean if) the message is wholly aligned with current market demands.  It is messaging that matters (medium, by far, is secondary and should never be the focus until messaging is wholly aligned with the sentiments of your very unique and local market).

1st Step:  Know your market. If you don’t know your market then ... you must ... yes, you must ... research it (pure and simple).  If you skip this step (and many dentists do) then all marketing endeavors are “hit and miss” at best.

Something Else to Ponder:  If something has worked for someone else then it was their message that had the greatest impact (the method or medium was a distant second in terms of impact … every single time this is the case … no exceptions).

Can I Throw a Message Out There and Be Successful:  Yes (this is possible but not very probable).  The timing of your message is also very critical.  The "right message at the right time" can be a “gold mine” of sorts.  You might get lucky (luck rarely, if ever, dictates our long-term success with anything in life).

One Other Item to Consider:  Specific messages can “fade” or die out as the need, wants, and desires of your local market begin to change (mainly impacted by shifting demographics).  Some dental messages are best suited for a particular season and/or location while other messages will serve you well for an indefinite period of time across a broad geographic spectrum (it all depends on your local market profile).

Real and substantial marketing endeavors don’t concern themselves with “hit and miss” ventures.  They also don’t concern themselves with the medium (remember: all mediums are valid in any given market if the message is sufficiently refined and wholly aligned with that of current market sentiment).  A little clarification is in order:  Some mediums serve dental practices very well (internal and/or referral marketing, online, direct mail, radio, and tv) but only in the sense that these mediums will best engage dental service seekers if/when the message is wholly refined and tuned to their immediate needs.  None of these mediums, on the other hand, would prove to be a worthwhile investment if the message were haphazardly crafted and deployed without sufficient polling of local market attitudes (again … it is the message that matters).

PPC Marketing Involves Far More Than Advertising:  I would never deploy a PPC campaign for the shallow purpose of promoting something.  Projecting my message to my little world via online advertising is wholly short-sighted and sorely lacking in strategy and scope. My pet message may or may not be what my little world is seeking (most likely not!).

The real value of PPC marketing lies in the polling capabilities of this very modern medium.  It has the very unique capability of gathering and capturing the response of your local dental seeker.  At the same time, it is also able to project a constantly evolving message that resonates with current market sentiment (this is the essence of any vital or credible marketing effort).  Your ultimate message is one that will project itself and, most importantly, adapt itself to the constantly changing demands of any given geographic region (adaptability is a key component).

Advertising vs Marketing:  Advertising is an exercise of the mouth (it shouts it’s message; this is the entire thrust of advertising ... and ... hopefully some of our shouted-at recipients will respond to our hyped-up soapbox).  Marketing, on the other hand, is an exercise of the ear (it listens and adapts its message accordingly).  Good businesses are constantly listening and adapting (there are lots of tools available for listening but I find that the polling features of PPC marketing are second to none).  Proper PPC deployment will listen and adapt its message accordingly.  A mature message is one that has fully engaged its audience (in fact, this same mature message might be deployed across a full spectrum of various mediums to broaden engagement value). This is the true sum of PPC marketing.

Bottom Line:  Get to know your local market thru modern PPC strategies.  Build your brand via solid marketing concepts that wholly include that “listening” component.  Build your message (and, ultimately, your brand) around that of current market demands.  Watch your business grow over time.

I hope this helps!

Wishing You the Best!
Steve

The Killing of Two Birds with One, Singular Stone

Please don't advertise.  Advertising is shotgun.  Advertising is shrapnel.  Advertising is guesswork.  It may hit something but, more often than not, the highly valued target is missed.  Meanwhile, additional resources must be mobilized in the desperate hope that something finally "hits" and justifies our foolish, hodgepodge adventure.

Instead, do marketing.  Marketing is a high-powered scope.  Marketing is a guided missile.  Marketing is high-level precision.  Marketing is strategy.  More often than not, a strategic marketing effort will isolate and capture your highly valued target (little, if any, collateral waste).

Marketing is also planning.  Strategic planning.  It is strategy (wholly based upon the value of strategic intelligence).  Real-time intelligence.  Intelligence compiled and organized so as to identify that which is "in demand" (again ... actionable data that is organized and systematized on a real-time platform).  That platform is the Google Ads platform (the king of local market data collection).

Google Ads, when properly systematized, is powerful.  It not only drives traffic but it also collects a wide variety of actionable intelligence.  More importantly, it's local intelligence.  It does two things very effectively.  Drives traffic (number one).  Collects data (number two).

Dentists need good, local intelligence.  Google Ads can be structured and organized so as to properly capture needed market data.  It is this kind of local market insight that can then be used for local market branding and local market messaging.  Again ... Google Ads does two things at once (when properly structured and properly organized).

Look no further than the Google Ads platform when trying to optimize your local prospecting efforts.  It's a powerful weapon and, yes, it "kills two birds with one stone."

Wishing You the Best!

Steve

Dental Marketing (The Gathering of Intelligence)

Many dentists believe that Google Ads are singularly and narrowly purposed.  Let's drive some traffic to my website (or, so they say).  Hopefully, in the end, some of this traffic will actually place a call to my office and all will be well.  Google Ads, quite honestly, is capable of a whole lot more!  Yes ... a well-written ad can drive a whole lot of traffic but, in the end, traffic is only the beginning!!

So then .... what "icing on the cake" benefits are available with a structured and properly organized Google Ads Account?  Please consider this next paragraph (and, keep in mind, these things are only the beginning):

Google Ads can also drive phone calls.  Google Ads can also drive data.  Google Ads can also drive strategy.  Google Ads can also drive references.  And ... Google Ads can also drive "intelligence" (again ... a properly structured account will systematically compile multiple "buckets" of data ... all of which can be studied and/or interpreted).  Actionable patterns emerge, of course (actionable intelligence is rendered).

Bottom Line:  Google Ads can be the foundation for an entire marketing strategy (local, actionable intelligence is by far the dominant feature of a well-rounded Google Ads campaign).  So ... are you beginning to see? ... it's not just the traffic!  Traffic is only the beginning!!

What is the key to all of this?  It all starts with proper structure, sound organization, and reliable systems.  These things are key!  Structure refers to geography (a physical location whereby your Google broadcast signal is disseminated into).  Organization refers to "stacking" (the hierarchical organization of various broadcast elements within a certain geographic context).  Systems are the "scoring" formulas (the rules by which all broadcast elements are either deemed viable/sustainable or impracticable/unsustainable).  This is the framework.  This is the foundational platform from which a Google Ads broadcast can ultimately survey or poll your captivated public.

That's it!  It's not rocket science (but there is a lot of science that governs and moderates the development of any given broadcast).  It's also not an auto-pilot consideration (there is a lot of involvement required).  Anyone can learn it!  Anyone can do it!!  But not everyone is predisposed toward patience and perseverance (invaluable traits when dealing with local market volatility and the added mix of stiff competition).

If local dental marketing is something that you feel might work for you (please don't hesitate to consider the myriad benefits of Google Ads Marketing).  A traffic enhancement ... yes ... and so much more!!

Wishing You the Best!
Steve

Google Ads and Local Market Surveillance

We do local dental marketing.  A prominent tool in our overall strategic arsenal has been the disciplined use of a Google Ads account.  Did you know that a properly structured Google Ads account is the best local surveillance tool ever invented?  Well ... yes ... I have to say ... without a doubt ... and once again I say emphatically yes ... Google Ads accounts are a marketing intelligence treasure (when properly structured so that data is strategically captured and organized).

Many dentists believe that Google Ads are primarily designed for a traffic boost to their website (and, yes, this is absolutely true).  Google Ads do, indeed, drive traffic (but this is only the beginning).  Google Ads can also drive phone calls.  Google Ads can drive data.  Google Ads can drive strategy.  Google Ads can drive references.  And ... Google Ads can do so much more (again ... when properly structured so that data is observantly captured and strategically organized).  Google Ads can be the foundation for an entire marketing strategy (if and when it is properly utilized).

If local dental marketing is something that you feel might work for you (please don't hesitate to consider the myriad benefits of Google Ads Marketing).  A traffic enhancement ... yes ... and so much more!!

Wishing You the Best in 2019
Steve

Watching Your Back Door for Marketing Success

Our dental practices have two very important doors.  One of them is meant to remain open (our front door) while the other should always be closed (our back door).  Our back doors were never intended to remain open and yet many dental practices ignore this one very important consideration.  In as much as our kids might leave doors wide open upon the exit of our homes so, too, our patients will sometimes exit our practices without our having made any effort to preserve their patronage.  Marketing success demands that we monitor the back doors of our practices and make every effort to maintain and preserve that exiting flow.

The front door represents the receiving arm of our practice. We want this door to remain open (wide open, in fact, without any barriers or obstacles to impede the flow of any new business).  This is the door that attracts new patients to our place of practice and invites them to experience the best we have to offer.  This is the door that promotes patient acquisition and is the entry whereby all external marketing is focused.  Keeping this door open is wholly dependent upon the success of our external marketing strategies which are specifically designed to attract new patients in a steady stream of uninhibited flow.

The back door of our practice, however, is often ignored (or at least under emphasized).  All the rage these days seems to focus on patient acquisition without any mind toward patient retention.  In fact, a lot of marketing systems measure their success on patient acquisition while totally ignoring the fact that patients are leaving the practice in greater numbers than those who may be coming in.  If you’re acquiring 100 new patients every month but then discover that a greater number are not returning for routine care then you have a major marketing challenge.  Closing the back door is often more difficult than keeping the front door open.

Internal marketing aims at keeping our back doors closed.  It focuses on the “back door” characteristics of our practices and looks to shore up the “value” and “convenience” elements of our practices.  Keeping the back door closed happens in direct proportion to the attention we give our “value” and “convenience” factors because patient retention highly esteems “value” and “convenience.”

Here are the data points that exclusively reflect upon the quality of our “back door” performance (how well we are staging the “value” and “convenience” elements of our practices).  Maintain and monitor these things and our “active” patient numbers will grow.  More importantly, we will have positioned ourselves for a higher level of marketing success because the internal machine is highly oiled and working.  Let’s not launch ourselves into any sort of external marketing effort unless/until these “value” and “convenience” considerations are upheld:

Referral Data: At least 50% (better yet, 60%) of all new patients arriving in our practices should be the direct result of a patient or friend referral.  Less than 50% might suggest a value and/or convenience related issue that prevents you from growing your “active” patient base.

Active Patients Data: Has there been an upward trend in the actual number of patients seen in our offices over the past 24 months?  These are the “active” patients in our practices and this number should be trending upward (never downward).  A downward trend signifies that patients are leaving your practice at a greater rate than you are attracting them.

Engaged Patients Data: Of the “active” number how many are actually scheduled for their next appointment (80% or higher should be the goal).  There should always be an upward trend line in the physical number of patients currently occupying our schedules (never downward).  All schedule occupants are effectively vouching for our “value” and “convenience” delivery (patients will not schedule an appointment if we have not effectively stroked their search for “value” and/or “convenience”).  Patients that do occupy our schedules are effectively endorsing our “value” and “convenience” efforts as worthy of their “vote” (obviously, the more votes we acquire the better off we are).  How many occupants do we have on the schedules (today and forward) and is this number always trending upward?

These are the primary measures for how well our “value” and “convenience” presentations are coming across.  Until we’ve mastered the “value” and “convenience” elements of our practice we have no business promoting the front door and worrying about whether or not we have enough new patients to keep our ships afloat.  We have to plug the back door “leaks” long before we fully adorn our front door entrance.  Plug the back door “leaks” and you'll spend significantly less on front door (external marketing) concerns.

Successful marketing is, yes, a front door consideration but not until after we’ve staged a “value” and “convenience” presentation that preserves a major portion of our current patient base.

Wishing You the Best in 2019
Steve