To Blog or Not to Blog for Your Dental Practice

The practice of blogging took off in the 1990s and while it may have ebbed and flowed in popularity since then, it’s still a valuable and affordable marketing tool for all types of businesses – including the dental practice.

When done right, a dental blog can reinforce your practice’s brand, educate and connect with your patients, increase traffic to your website, and much more. It’s not necessary to write a thesis-length article each week and an effective blog can be easy to write and maintain. First, let’s look at the benefits of blogging.

Education

It’s no secret that a large part of the population is intimidated or outright fearful of the dentist’s chair. Knowledge is power, so it can be beneficial for everyone when you equip your current and prospective patients with facts and tutorials surrounding oral healthcare. Some topics they may like to see when seeking answers are:

• Learn About Sedation Dentistry Before Dismissing Complex Treatment Plans
• The Top 10 Things Your Dental Hygienists Wants You to Know
• What to Expect When Getting a Root Canal

Expertise

Sharing your knowledge with patients not only provides them power over their own dental care, but it establishes your expertise which ultimately builds their trust in you and your team. If you specialize in a particular field, share that. If you’re speaking or teaching or receive acclaim through a dental organization, let your patients know. Example blogs include:

• Case Study: How We Recovered One Patient’s Smile
• The Main 5 Causes of Periodontal Disease
• Dr. Smith Receives Fellowship with Main Street University

Engagement

Making patients feel like they’re part of the “family” at your dental practice is invaluable, not only for their relationships but future referrals as well. Introduce them to new staff members online to create a sense of familiarity, announce upcoming events or new office hours, and reinforce the message that they matter. Open up comments on the blog page for true engagement.

• It’s “Wear Your Halloween Costume to Your Appointment” Month!
• 20 Questions with Jane Jones, Our Newest Hygienist
• Why We Chose Hometown City to Open Our Practice

Engine

Search engine optimization, that is, in keeping with our E theme. Creating fresh content will always be a plus when leveraging for SEO. By writing about any or all of the aforementioned suggestions, you can organically include keywords that potential patients may use when searching the ‘net, such as sedation dentistry in hometown or what is periodontal disease?

Now that you know why you should consider a dental blog, here are some important tips to keep in mind so it doesn’t seem like an afterthought:

• Consistency is key. Write and share at least monthly, if not weekly.
• Blog structure includes an introduction to the topic, the body of the article, and a conclusion.
• Include eye-catching images that tie in with your overall brand.
• Use headings, short paragraphs, lists and bullet points for easy reading.
• Ideal word count is typically 500-600.
• Use links to other pages on your website to improve SEO activity.
• Connect your blog to social media, email newsletter campaigns, and wherever appropriate.
• Call to action! It’s crucial to connect your readers to their next step – call, visit, make an appointment.

When answering the question of “to blog or not to blog,” think of it as another tool in your marketing arsenal. Learning to wield that tool may be worth the effort in the long run. At RAMP, The Dentist’s Marketing Company, we understand the value of good content, engagement, and how it connects to your other marketing strategies, so contact us today for a free consultation!