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
Steve
