Google’s third attempt at a social network, Google+, is officially closing April 2 – in just a few weeks. In its wake is Google Business, a heavy-hitter for small business marketing.
Facebook has been dragged before Congress due to all manner of security infringements on its customers. However, Facebook Live is more popular than ever. Can dentists capitalize on that? I’m not sure at this point, but I’ll let you know.
According to Pew Research Center:
- 73% of U.S. adults use YouTube
- 68% use Facebook
- 35% use Instagram
- 29% use Pinterest
- 27% use Snapchat
- 25% use LinkedIn
- 24% use Twitter
Another question: Should dentists be involved with Instagram, Pinterest, or Snapchat for marketing?
Let me tell you about stories…
Video has been wildly successful across all platforms that allow it, and most do. Since the advent of television, humans have hovered around screens, pointing and laughing, crying, being surprised and thrilled. Now we do the same around our phones, watching YouTube. So what’s next for video? Can it take a dentist to the next level? Heck yeah, it can!
“Stories” are the next big thing, according to marketing experts and predictions. They were started by Snapchat, copied by Facebook, and are now on about every social platform.
What are they? Stories began as a series of photos that cover a timeline. You know, you’ve seen the top-row Stories feed on your Facebook page, right?
Now, get this. The growth of stories is 15 times greater than that of newsfeeds!
Stories can include video, photos, and text. Think narrative, think resonance. Stories resonate with the viewer, even if he or she only sees a static image and never clicks through to the animation. They are more than news stories – remember the newsfeed statistic above. Stories hit viewers “in the feels,” if you know what I mean.
Let’s examine what the Tropicana story-ad has going for it.
- Video.
- Text.
- Interactivity. (Swipe up for recipe.)
- CREATIVITY!
Question: How can “stories” be used for dentists?
I have one client who features client success stories in a grass-roots style on his blog. This is great, but I envision more, and yes, I know that there are HIPAA laws in place. However, your hygienist has a story – she gets up and gets ready and may or may not sing in the car on the way to your office. She might open the office, turn on the lights, start the coffee, and greet the first patient of the day. There’s a story there!
Your own story, whether over the course of 30 years or 30 minutes, could be created “on film” to drive interest into you, as a dentist. Did you know the second-most visited page on a website is the about page? People want to know who their dentist is, what he or she cares about, and what he or she looks like – even before visiting the office. I believe that a story-ad gives us that opportunity.
There are patient stories. Neighborhood stories. All kinds of stories.
The key is, how do we find the story that’s right for you, shorten it to a 10-second ad, then add an overlay (like text) and interactivity?
I’m working on that.
WordPress has a few story plugins that might be key in creating story-ad content on blogs, which can be shared across social media. I’m researching Aesop and Snowball now.
Here are examples of both – note how they visualize the story they tell. It’s really pretty cool!
Now, getting your potential clients to click on a link and see a blog of such magnitude is a project within itself, and I’ll be picking my creative team’s brain on that one. I imagine the initial story will be something along the lines of Tropicana’s but more basic. Most of my clients don’t have Tropicana’s marketing budget, lol.
If you want to discuss stories for your dental marketing strategy, give me a call. I’m Shauna Duty, and I have 15 years of experience in dental marketing. What’s worked will fade, and quickly. Dentistry moves at a snail’s pace, compared to internet marketing. It won’t be hard to win the race, because few dentists are looking for the next thing. They’re behind on updating their website (we can do that too) or just now signing up for a Facebook account.
Take the lead. Call me. 940-395-5115.
