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Top things your dental team needs to look out for when searching for a marketing agency

Dentists often ask me how to get their dental website ranked for keywords like “charlotte dentist” and other very competitive metropolis areas.  While I do prefer to remain positive, there are certain dangers in hiring a dental marketing agency.  Below, you’ll find the top 3 things to look out for when considering a marketing investment opportunity for your dental office:

 

Too much pride in one medium.

In my last article, we discussed how controlling many marketing companies can be.  A marketing company that lives and dies by direct mail, radio ads, or even the sacred cow “digital” should be viewed with caution.

Recommendations from a seasoned dental marketing consultant should be inclusive towards all types of marketing mediums.  The message you portray is far more important than the medium you choose to portray that message on.

For instance, this dentist in Apex, NC found that while text on his website was sufficient for educational purposes, video was a superior medium for conveying emotionally-connecting messages.  Some marketing companies might say you need text in order to rank on search engines.  Others might say you need video.  The important thing when it comes to content creation is to understand what your prospective patients want to see.  Many variables are at play, such as the personalities of your team.  If the marketing firm swears that you “must” use a certain medium, and all other mediums are inferior, that’s a red flag because it shows a one-size-fits-all approach towards dental marketing.

Actionable Tip: Ask your dental marketing company if they believe there is more than one way to succeed.

 

 

Too large an agency.

It’s not to say that larger agencies are unable to help you the same as a marketing coach, but larger agencies have their pros and cons.  Larger marketing companies tend to be capable of acquiring world-class talent, which makes them ideal for certain types of dental offices with lofty growth objectives.

But they can also lack the personalized customer service that many marketing consultants offer.  If the marketing firm brags about its sales force, this means the model is geared towards constantly acquiring new clients.  They are dedicating a large portion of their budget to acquiring new clients.  Which can in some cases be a red flag, due to high turnover/attrition rates among their client base.

Actionable Tip: Ask for real life references, not just fancy video testimonials or online reviews.  This will tell you if the company is able to find time to ensure client satisfaction, instead of just looking to close the next deal.

 

 

Unable or unwilling to discuss SEO techniques.

SEO can seem tricky to many dental professionals.  After all, who can you trust?  Start with Google’s Webmaster Guidelines.  Google recommends knowing what kind of SEO work is being done to your website.  You don’t need to be an SEO wizard, but you should understand how and why your website is (or isn’t) ranking.  

While not every online marketing firm specializes in SEO, Dr. David Wank of Short Hills Design tells us that transparency with the techniques being used is key.  “Start with having a website that lives up to the Google Webmaster Guidelines,” Dr. Wank tells us.

 

This will help you avoid shady SEO techniques which can land you a Google penalty.  If an SEO service provider is unwilling to tell you what they’re doing to improve your rankings, that’s a red flag.  Technical, ambiguous jargon is especially important to avoid with a dental SEO professional.  

Actionable Tip:  Get specific with exactly what’s being done for your SEO.  If they’re building links, for instance, how many?  At what urls?  You have a right to know!

 

If you’d like to find out some of the top dental marketing ideas, feel free to check back at Remin Media for future articles!

Justin Morgan, dental SEO expert is the author of The Book on Dental Marketing, set to be released January 1st, 2017.  Visit his website for more information on how to attract new dental patients, at dentalmarketingguy.com