Let’s face it; there’s no one more experienced in writing about dental matters than a seasoned dentist. But as all seasoned dentists know, they’re exceptionally busy doing what they do to help patients improve or maintain their oral health. Yet, at the same time, dental clinic owners need a constant stream of new patients just to stay afloat.
Of course, one way to bring in new patients is to utilise the art of content marketing, and if statistics are to be believed, it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to market your dental practice. So herein lies a dilemma. Dentists know they need a steady stream of content to help bring in new patients, yet they don’t have the time to write it themselves. This is why many dental practices hire out their content writing needs to a third party.
However, the need for a dental content expert is vital when going down this route. Here are 5 reasons why.
Reason #1 - A dental content writer understands your industry
As a dentist, you know there’s more to dentistry than fixing teeth. After all, you wouldn’t have spent five to eight years studying to be one if it was that simple, right? Particular services like endodontics, implantology and orthodontics can be quite complex. So, explaining procedures that position you as a trusted authority while creating engaging blogs or articles needs a certain amount of industry knowledge, particularly if you’re looking to add content regularly.
You see, once you get past the remit of ‘what is a dental implant?’ or ‘what is a root canal?’ there’s a whole world of dentistry that potential patients want to know about. And while a writer could collaborate with Google to find out further information, it may come across as poorly written if they don’t understand the complexities of osseointegration or the anatomical intricacies of the tooth root system.
A content writer writes for a living, but a dental content expert makes it their business to understand your industry before putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboards), and that’s the real difference!
Reason #2 – An industry content expert understands technology
One thing that fascinates me as a dental content writer is the ever-changing landscape of the dental industry. It never stands still, and at the forefront of that movement is technology. Technology like CEREC, Smile Design, digital scanning and laser dentistry are all designed to enhance patient experience by streamlining processes which previously were time consuming, costly, and in some cases, just plain uncomfortable.
Of course, when patients receive treatments that are more precise, accurate, time-saving and comfortable, they want to know about them. A great way to spread the word and tell everyone that you have such equipment is to write about it. Yet, you can’t really write about such technology if you;
- (A) don’t understand it, and
- (B) don’t know how it changes the landscape of a particular dental treatment.
A dental context expert will make it their business to keep abreast of the latest technology, so when you say that you have the latest iTero Intraoral Scanner, they’ll know precisely what you mean and how it can benefit patients.
Reason #3 – An experienced dental writer will never be short of content ideas
While a general writer writes about numerous subjects, they may not fully understand the intricacies of a particular industry. That’s perfectly okay if basic ‘what is’ type content is all you need, and indeed, in many industries, that’s fine, but the dental industry is different.
Why? Because dentists are already starting from an unfortunate position.
In most other industries, customers look forward to purchasing, ordering or stepping into a company’s store. On the contrary, nobody really likes going to the dentist, particularly a new one and will already feel apprehensive about visiting you, let alone undergoing treatment. So you’re starting on the back foot before you even get going.
For this reason, you need content that connects, engages and builds trust and lots of it. By drip-feeding positive experiences over time, it’s possible to slowly bridge the trust gap with a target audience. A seasoned dental writer will work with you to develop a content plan that allows you to do exactly that.
Reason #4 – A content expert knows what they can and can’t say
Okay, so this is an important one and here’s why. As you know, dental advertising is highly regulated, with some countries being more strict than others. Heavy fines can be given to content owners who say or even hint at things they shouldn’t. In Australia, for example, you need to take great care when using the words ‘specialist’ or ‘best’ or refer to treatments as having ‘no pain or discomfort’ unless you can prove otherwise.
Similarly, all dental advertising in the UK and the US must be ethical, accurate and non-misleading.
A dental content expert understands the guidelines laid down by AHPRA, the GDC or the ADA (depending upon which country the client resides in). On the contrary, a general content writer may fail to adhere to the above, and it could cost you thousands of dollars and a great deal of stress putting it right.
Reason #5 – An Industry-specific content writer understands what type of content works
Here’s the thing – a content expert should be experienced in writing within your industry and will know what works when it comes to content marketing. As a result, they should be able to produce a wide range of content to suit your marketing needs.
They should be able to switch from writing a simple blog post on the ‘top ten foods you can eat to protect teeth’ to an in-depth explanation of a zygomatic implant procedure. A content expert should also be well-positioned to write dental landing pages, website treatment or service pages and advertising content as and when required as part of your content marketing plan.
Ultimately, an experienced dental content writer should be able to spin many plates while wearing multiple hats 😊
