To summarize, SPEED of your website is now being taken into consideration when Google compares your website to all your competitors when determining page rank.  Not only does SEO meta tags, longevity, number of visitors, and back links (just to name a few) determine your page ranking on Google…. now they are looking at how fast your website downloads when a visitor enters your site.

With the continued growth of the world wide web, the explosion in mobile marketing with cell phones, and the addition of the new iPad using mobile 3G technology, Google is smart and being proactive.  They are encouraging web owners to work with them for a more user-friendly Internet environment and attempting to control the amount of web storage necessary to expedite online search.  There is no better way to grab the attention of website owners and encourage them to cooperate with online efficiency than to penalize them for slow download time, which in turn slows down search.

In addition, the vast majority of websites designs today are not mobile ready for easy viewing on either a cell phone or iPad.  Flash websites or flash headers found in many HTML websites can be a problem due to increased loading time and lack of integration with mobile units.  Also, video is not viewable on mobile units or the iPad unless in MPEG4 format or other formats compatible with 3G technology.

Does this mean you have to redesign your website?  The answer is NO… in most cases.  And if you are currently redesigning your website or creating your first website,  it is important to address these issues NOW while in design stage.

So, what do you need to know or do to remain on the "bleeding" edge of Internet marketing?  Have you tested your website on a mobile unit or iPad to see what it looks like?

Here are a Five Tips  on how to optimize your current site to meet the new Google SEO guidelines and how to ramp up your website for mobile technology and the iPad.

1. Check out your website on a cell phonewith Internet access to see what it looks like. If areas are black or text is overlapping or illegible, your website needs some updating to correct.  In some cases you might require a site redesign or separate mobile website created if you have a flash website. Also, video is not viewable on mobile units or the iPad unless in MPEG4 format or other formats compatible with 3G technology.  If content is missing on a cell phone, it will usually be missing on an iPad also.
2. Remove any flash intros and music on your site. Flash of any kind is not viewable on the majority of mobile units and slows down your website load time.  Most consumers don't appreciate flash intros slowing them down when entering your site or listening to the music anyway.  Just contact your webmaster and ask them to remove it.
3. Flash headers are a problem.  Although they are more engaging than stationary headers, they also increase load time and do not show up on most mobile units.  If your contact information is in a flash header, mobile users can't easily find contact info.  There are different options available to address these issues without going through site redesign, so don't panic.
4. Video slows down websites.  However, if your video is embedded from another video site such as YouTube or stored on a separate server it will not affect the speed when downloading as long as it is in a format that can be viewed on mobile technology.  Most website video is not compatible unless embedded or linked from YouTube.
5. Streamline your written content on pages for faster uploads. Remove all the fluff, bullet point wherever you can for easy reading, combine pages where possible, and delete pages consumers don't use or read.  Bigger is not always better…. One Contact/Location page with a map, phone number etc is all you need. Too many pages on different areas of contact not only confuses visitors, but decreases the speed of your site.

For more information on SEO of your website and how to update your orthodontic Internet marketing program to comply with the exploding age of mobile marketing, contact me for a free online consultation to determine your specific needs to update, redesign or create a new website.

Push or Pull PR in Orthodontic Marketing

Time for me to get back on the blogging trail. Attendance at Spring Users Meetings was up this year and my lectures on how to market correctly on the Internet was a hot topic.  Lectures were at full capacity.

The light bulb is finally going off for more and more orthodontists on the importance of Internet marketing to build their business now… and in the future.

Many doctors, staff, and consultants were sitting in my lectures testing their sites on their cell phones while I was speaking. Some were surprised to find out they were not found or positioned correctly on Google maps or in natural page ranking when testing their website and social networking sites.  If you are attending the AAO in Washington this year, stop by my booth #317.  Would love to meet you to discuss options if you are having a problem or don't know where to begin evaluating the process.

Now is the time to check it out… You don't want to be the last one off the starting line. It will make it very difficult or almost impossible to catch up down the road with your competitors in local areas. The Internet is hear to stay and your future visibility is on the Internet will be the key to marketing your business externally. Make sure you are set up correctly for optimum rests.

That being said… What is the difference between PUSH and PULL marketing everyone is talking so much about today when targeting today's consumers? I found two videos that explain it well for those what want to understand what is considered the latest marketing tactics by marketing gurus around the world.

Check them out and tell me what you think. 

Below is a more detailed looked at PUSH|PULL marketing with examples being used today.

Find out today how your are positioned on the search engines.  Don't hesitate to contact me for a FREE online consultation to test and evaluate your Internet Marketing presence.

I would like you to read the post or watch the video again, but consider it from a different light.  In October I was training on what is RSS.  Today lets talk about how an RSS feed helps the SEO of your Blog.

When subscribers are notified in their RSS reader you just added a blog post and they click on your links to the site to read the post,  it increases your click through rate!

It shows Google you are providing interesting content for your readers.  Written or video content is "King" when engaging the interest of readers on social networking sites.  If readers are subscribed and keep coming back when pinged you justed posted,  Whahlaaaa… more money in the Bank to increase page ranking of your site in the eyes of Google.

The higher the click through rate, the better the chance your blog will make it to page one in your local area if coded correctly.  RSS is just one way to increase the SEO of your Blog. It is also one of the easiest areas to set up and use to promote your site.

As long as you offer content of interest to your subscribers, they will most likely keep coming back.  However, if you are not adding good content, readers will either not sign up after they visit the first time or remove themselves from the feed if disappointed.  Here a Five Tips on what NOT TO DO when creating your blog and blog posts so viewers don't lose interest.

1. Ramble on about what you are doing during your work day.  Readers are looking for orthodontic, dental, or interesting social content viewed from your perspective.  Mix it up! Also, keep in mind that your blog is social.  No more than 20% active marketing of your practice. No one is interested in revisiting an ad.
2. Adding photos without written narrative explaining what is going on and why they should be interested in viewing them.. (the key concept being interesting to others)
3. Unorganized look and feel creating negative emotion.  A visually disorganized blog and navigation, just like your website, causes confusion and loses readers.
4. Using different fonts and font sizes in your posts.  Decide when you start what font and size to use and stick with it throughout for aesthetics.  Its OK to increase the font to emphasize a new idea or introduce a section of content.  However, maintain continuity with the same size font and color when doing so.
5. Different size photos on a page.  Think of your blog as a photo gallery of sorts.  Presentation is everything!  Crop photos the same for a uniform look and insert in a table.  If you have many photos, consider using Flickr or my favorite Smug Mug with a link to your photo gallery.  Photo services make for better presentation anyway.

Your Blog is a representation of you and your practice, just like your website.  With the growth of social networking, it may actually someday become more important than your website.  Who knows what the future will bring. Structure your blog correctly from the start to engage, add RSS, and promote subscription to your blog to patients, their families and friends.

Good News… I suggest you Read this article "Many Cutbacks But Not for Straight Teeth" to start your year off on a positive note.  Even though the article was published months ago, it is still relevant in 2010.

The good news is parents with disposable income, even during tough economic times, feel straightening their kids teeth is still a high priority when it comes to the personal development of  their kids and a good return on investment.  A great smile sends a message to people both socially and in the business environment today.

In a society that places extraordinary value on appearance, orthodontics is increasingly seen as a necessity, not a luxury, and even though the number of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment declined since the start of the recession, many families are going to great lengths to keep tooth-straightening in their budgets.

"The latest figures from the American Association of Orthodontists, compiled before the recession began, counted about 4 million patients younger than 18 in North America in treatment in 2006, up from 2.6 million in 1989. Experts say the number has dropped recently."  I recently heard the population is down as much as 10%  in the past few years which is a double whammy coupled with the recession.

The article also quotes Paul Zuelke and Roger Levin on their take of the current economic environment facing orthodontic practices today and the stats they are seeing around the country with their clients.

All is not bleak.  Hunker down and pay attention to your marketing strategies, customer service, and latest Internet marketing trends to get your marketing message across to prospective new patients.  Now is not the time to cut back on your marketing efforts at the beginning of a new year, but to grease the wheels on an effective marketing program to grab your piece of the shrinking orthodontic pie in 2010.

Like all bad weather, the storm will eventually pass.  When the clouds clear, where will your practice be standing?  High and dry ready to seize the day with all your marketing strategies in place or muddling your way along in low standing water trying to figure out a way to dry off.  If you are still trying to figure it all out or doing nothing, let me help you bring it into perspective.

What do you see happening in your area?  Is the worst over or you do you see the sun starting to come out again. Leave a comment below to share with others or just offer an opinion.

But the truth of the matter is …if you provide a professional service… then YOU are your product.  It isn’t the type of braces you use that achieve the final result; it is your attitudes, skills, and knowledge using different treatment modalities that creates a beautiful healthy smile.  Your ability to sell yourself as a product builds and maintains a successful practice now and for the future. Therefore, your services can be promoted using your blog in much the same way as any other product being sold online.

One of the great things I love about blogs and blogging is the credibility you can build up over a relatively short period of time. You have much more flexibility with a blog than a traditional information website.

1. You do not have to know html code to manage your own blog which eliminates your webmaster
2. You have total access to the back end of your site to easily edit or add new content on a regular basis
3. You can upload photos, audio, and video to your site.  If  you don’t have your own video, you can embed free video from YouTube
4. You can SEO every blog post and page of your site so it is found in your local area on the search engines
5. Plugins or add-ons are available to add flash and cool affects on your site.  You are only limited by your own imagination, time invested, and skill level

Many professionals still believe prospective new patients are not looking online for orthodontic or dental treatment providers.   This belief couldn’t be further from the truth. The monthly reports from the Google Local Business Center are verifiable proof patients are looking for you every day. The question is are you there at the exact time they are looking you… and offering content they are interested in reading or watching on video.

One of my clients Dr. Joseph Porter in Louisiana has allowed me to post one of his monthly reports off the Google Local business center.  If only one new patient per month calls the office to schedule an appointment and starts treatment (very conservative projection) consider how powerful it would be if you had a website and a separate blog to attract and engage new patients to contact your office.  Can you afford not to target this Internet audience?

If you don't have an Internet presence your local area, you might as well be invisible in today's orthodontic market place where the vast majority of consumers go online to research treatment providers whether they are referred to them by their general dentist, friends, or family.  Doesn't matter, they want to check you out first before picking up the phone to schedule an appointment.  This is the way it works today.  The Internet and social networking has changed all rules when it comes to marketing a business today.

The key to an effective blogging strategy is the correct setup of the blog to engage and inform visits which includes SEO, a separate domain name and hosting service from your website, and continually adding new content on a regular basis of interest to visitors so they know you are out there. Blogging is an art and like everything else, in order to do it correctly, training is necessary to learn how to do it yourself or have a basic understanding what is involved to oversee vendors you outsource your services for optimum results and return on investment.

As one of your New Year Resolutions, I want to urge you as a professional, to look into and actually start blogging about your professional services and the benefits and features of undergoing treatment in your practice rather than your competitors.  It could bring in more new patients, make you a published author online, and who knows what opportunities are awaiting once you get the word out on a more personal level to those interested in treatment in your area.  Social networking is the "HOT" marketing medium in today's tech savvy society.

I predict that in the not too distant future, your blog will attract more new patients than your website. Eventually many Blogs will outrank websites on the search engines. Social networking is virgin territory for most professional businesses.  Stake your claim now on Internet real-estate in your local area to gain early positioning in front of your competitors and then maintain it for the long haul.

If it’s the technology and the time required to blog on your own that scares you, let me help clear the fog around blog building for you. 

It works if you work it! Promote your practice and orthodontic expertise through the marketing power of the Internet.

Share your thoughts… do you agree or disagree blogging as a marketing tool is a good option to implement today in to promote your business

Your Internet Orthodontic Marketing Plan has many pieces to the puzzle.   Are you maximizing your email program to increase awareness and promote your practice?

Below are two videos I found that were thought provoking on YouTube related to emailing marketing I would like to share with you. Most of you already have email capabilities integrated with your practice management software through Sesame and Televox on your website. My questions to you is this… Are you maximizing your email  as an Internet marketing tool vs a communication tool to promote your practice?

I find many practices do not have their email set up correctly for practice promotion and most don't use email other than to confirm appointments and send out an occasional newsletter.  It is not because of lack of effort, but lack of Internet marketing knowledge and training to implement ideas.

In 2010, I suggest you kick it up a notch to further promote your business.  However, just like everything else, emailing marketing must be done correctly or your patients will resent the intrusion or opt out of the service.

Two videos I suggest you to watch on email marketing.

Email Marketing by the Book with Joel Book.  He discusses why email marketing works and  a few ideas that are applicable for a professional practice.  The second video discusses what happens if you cross the line, which you don't want to do!

Can The Spam

When creating an effective email marketing campaign its all about the consumer, not you. Send emails your patients would consider content of interest or acknowledging and event on a personal level.

• Appointment reminders
• Birthday or holiday cards
• Latest Contests, winners of contests, and Community Event Announcements – Don't wait for a quarterly newsletter, then its old news
• Emails with embedded video or written content of interest on dentistry, orthodontics, treatment, or specials for both patients and referring dentists.  (Testimonials do not fall into this category)

Internet marketing, like all forms of internal and external marketing used to promote your business, requires a knowledge base to strategize ideas for the best ROI and a skill level to implement.

Don't have the time or expertise to figure out what to do, let me help clear the fog when promoting your practice with Internet marketing.

Watch this video on how "Evian Water" set their video marketing promotion apart from all the other water manufacturers and attracted hundreds of thousands of viewers from around the world to watch their video on YouTube, both in the US and with a separate video Internationally.  They will definitely associate the Evian brand with the baby video the next time they see it.  Mission accomplished…

I understand you do not have the marketing budget that Evian had to create this type of video. But with some imagination, good scripting, and the right royalty free music, you are only limited by your own imagination. Using photos instead of video is an alternative. With great subject matter and a fun spin on things, you can create a great emotional experience so prospective new patients will remember you when compared to other orthodontic treatment providers in your area.

Here is a video created by an orthodontist in Phoenix, AZ. and produced on a free program on his Mac Laptop.

This video promotes his treatment expertise in a fun format that encourages active participation in the practice from patients with a contest. He thought outside the box. What can you do?

Leave a comment below on you thoughts about this type of video production.

"You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.”

My present has always created my future in whatever I accomplished throughout my orthodontic career:

• When I helped create an orthodontic practice management software system with a Zerox computer Geek in 1982 that saved time and improved collections with contract billing. I tried to promote it to other orthodontic practices in the area, but they laughed.
• In 1991, when we brought in a Baby Dolphin Imaging System as a marketing tool to impress new patients, it was almost 10 yrs before someone else in the area followed suit. 
• In 1998, when I set up our first website, the competition didn't come around until six or seven years later.
• In 2005, I coordinated the installation of a fully intergrated paperless orthodontic practice management software program which included digital marketing and radiography.  Patients are very impressed.
• In 2009, now out on my own as an Internet marketing consultant,  the majority of orthodontic competitors in the area are pushed off organic #1 page ranking on Google with a proactive PR Orthodontic Internet Marketing campaign by Get It Straight.

The practice has been #1 in the area for over 25 years and will continue to do so by living in the present… whether I am there as a member of the team or not.

Ride the wave of present time and take advantage of the Internet to become your own PR director for your practice.  The past few years have been rough, but the economy is starting to turn around.  Be thankful. You have weathered the storm!  Now, live in the present and make sure you are maximizing your Internet marketing presence to build your future with new growth.

I found this video below on current music trends on YouTube.  As with everything new and innovative, it will take some time for this to catch on, but the time will come when musicians will produce classical, jazz, pop, rock, hip hop… whatever… with a combo electrical string, keyboard, and wind instrument.  This group I predict will explode into the music culture because they were the first.  They may not ultimately be the best with the learning curve and you may not like it, but they are the first to try and already are creating a big stir.

My second favorite quote…

"It's not the BIG that eat the small, it's the fast that eat the SLOW!"  Jason Jennings

Happy Thanksgiving!

I have much to be thankful for this year, especially you my readers and my clients who understand the benefit of taking full advantage of the Internet. 

Koodos to you…Much success!

This fall, Align introduced  new features in all Invisalign products. New aligner features, along with improvements in Invisalign software and clinical protocols, are designed to overcome barriers to treatment.  The new features are addressing both clinical issues that general dentists have traditionally perceived as challenging in Invisalign treatment, such as extrusions, rotations and certain types of root movements.

Prior to the release of the next generation of Invisalign products, treatment techniques that were once only available to orthodontists with advanced training are now standard on all prescriptions resulting in additional treatment options for general dentists.

I was the first Invisalign case treated at Get It Straight Orthodontics back in 2001. At the time, our practice was told Invisalign would never be offered to general dentists as a treatment option for their patients.  It would be exclusively offered to trained orthodontic professionals.  Over the years, little by little, promises have gone by the wayside and protocols have changed.

Are the new features offered in the Invisalign products just one more way to reduce your piece of the orthodontic pie in your local area?  How do your plan to kick up your marketing program to compensate for the potential loss of more new patients?  Food for thought… 

Obviously, there is going to be much debate on this topic.  How do you feel about the latest Invisalign updates in product delivery to general dentists?  Please share your thoughts and comments below for others to read.

Who would have thought 40 years ago… when the inventors of the Internet connected scientists around the world to share information that in 2009, 25% of the population of the world have the ability to communicate instantly 24/7 from work, home, or driving in their car by computer or iphone.

North America is the most digitally advanced continent in the world.  If you are not on board with an engaging and search engine optimized Internet marketing program, you are missing out on a wealth of opportunity to target prequalified visitors looking for your treatment services.

 This is a world changing and living at warp speed…  It is the norm in civilized areas of the 21^st Century.   Are you and your business keeping up?

 Below is a table of the just released 2009Q3 Internet Statistics

The following table lists the estimated population for each geographic region, the number of Internet users, and the penetration rate  in each region. The expression "penetration rate" (P.R.) refers to the percentage of the population that uses the Internet.

The total number of Internet users for September 30, 2009 is estimated at 1,724,793,741. This represents a 25.5% penetration rate.

Information Gathering and Social Networking Changed the Way the World Used the Internet

Up until 1994, the Web had been viewed as a mainly technical and academic area, but public interest began to grow, and the term “the Internet” was finally coined in 1996. Over the course of the decade, the Internet integrated many of the previously existing public networks, and it was estimated that it was growing by 100% every year in size. Supposedly, the growth has been attributed to the fact that there has been no central administration on the Internet and that protocols are non-proprietary in nature.

It will interesting to see how the Internet impacts our lives in another 40 years. Regulation on blogging has started and who knows what regulations will be in place down the road. All I know is I won't be here to see it… but I am sure it will be mind boggling and an integrated way of life for for most people on the planet at that point in time.

Leave a comment below to share with me and others what you think about the Internet now as a marketing tool and where we will be in the future.

But, depending on which study’s stats you believe, only 17%-32% of RSS users actually know they’re using RSS!  That means that roughly 50 million regular RSS users would say, “Huh?” if asked “what does RSS mean?”

After reading these stats, I decided it was time to at least educate my readers and… I suggest you educate the readers on your blog also to get them to sign up. It will help improve the SEO on your site.

Check out this video which will give you the “skinny” on RSS anyone can understand …

What does the acronym RSS stand for?

RSS (sometimes called RSS Feeds, XML, Atom Feeds or Channels) stands for “Really Simple Syndication” or “Rich Site Summary”. The easiest way to grab the concept on how RSS works is to consider what happens when you subscribe to either a magazine or newspaper.  If you subscribe to a magazine or newspaper either online or via your local newsagents, you don’t need to physically go and collect your copy each week - they will deliver it to your door.

In the same way when you subscribe to a blog or a website, you’ll receive automatic updates so you don’t have to remember to visit the site or spend time going back to the site to check whether they have published any new content.  This means you can easily stay informed about what is going on online by retrieving the latest content from the sites you are most interested in.

How do you sign up to a website or blog via RSS?

You may recognize the icon below from sites you’ve visited and probably wondered what on earth it was.  This icon indicate that the site owner is offering you the option of receiving their syndicated content in a format that can be read using what is called an RSS reader also known as an aggregator, that displays RSS or syndicated feed content from web sites you are subscribed to.

This is the RSS icon that most people recognize:

If you want to be able to read syndicated content from websites or blogs, you’ll need a RSS reader or aggregator which will allow you to read the syndicated content from the sites that you have subscribed to.

Here are a few Feed Reader icons that you may recognise:

I personally use the Google reader since it’s free and easy to use.  There are also paid services, but I would suggest to start out you check out the Google reader first.  It works great!

Whichever RSS Feed Reader you use, it will automatically notify you when new posts are published on sites you subscribed to.  To read the content of the RSS feed, all you have to do is click the link – which is usually limited to the headline and a brief description of the newly published blog post. It will take you to a new page on the site where you can read the full story. 

Sometimes the website publisher will only publish part of the feed content to force you to visit their site, but I’ve personally noticed that my subscriptions increase when I opt for publishing the full feed.

Understanding what RSS is all about will help you understand why RSS is so important to you if you are an online blogger looking to increase readers and optimize your site. 

Most of the FTC’s new rules for blogging have to do with advertising and disclosure.  You cannot accept freebies or payment in exchange for positive reviews without disclosing it. Belive it or not, some people make a good living doing this. So if you are hiring actors to give video testimonials, your need to be aware of this.  It’s important to point out that these aren’t actual laws.  They are more like interpretations of laws that can have serious consequences if not followed—you could face sanctions or a lawsuit.

I read this  blog post this morning that sums up the announcement nicely, so I will pass this along and give credit where credit is due.  This is the power of social networking.  If I hadn't read this post, I wouldn't be able to pass this news on to you. 

Many of the areas discussed do not apply to your everyday Internet marketing efforts in an orthodontic or dental practice.   However, it is important we know that the government understands some type of regulations is required in this new industry that is growing faster than anyone imagined in their wildest dreams and will continue to do so in the future.  As time goes on, I assume more regulation will be imposed.  It will be our responsibility to keep on eye on these regulations to assure they don't overstep their boundaries.

Food for thought!  How do you feel about government regulation on the Internet?  Leave a comment below to let me know.

If you are still hiding in your shell when it comes to adding video to your Internet orthodontic marketing website, it is time to come up for air, stick your neck out, and reconsider your options.

The latest Nielson report was just released on September 15th, 2009.  The number of videos watched increased 41% last month compared to August of 2008. Unique viewers were up 18% and the number of videos a viewer watched  is up 19.6%.

Here's how it broke down among the video sites:

If you aren't ready to commit to the time, learning curve, and expense necessary to add video to your website… a easy solution is Marketing With Live Video.  The is a very inexpensive solution to adding video to your site that grabs attention and directs new patients to contact your office for a new patient exam.

Here at two examples of what video on your homepage can to do to set your website apart from your competition in the area to grab attention.

SureSmile practice Dr. Richard Schechtman www.braceace.com (there is a cookie on this site where it will only play once a week after entering the site.  It won't play a second time if you want to show someone unless you use a different computer)

Brodsky Orthodontics in Lakewood CA - patient testimonials – www.drbrodskysmile.com

Whether you opt for video streaming on YouTube, your website, or you want to consider a live actor to grab the attention of new patients, there are recommended guidelines to setting up video marketing correctly for optimum return on investment.  Contact me for a free 1/2 online consultation and I will be happy to review your options.

Leave your comments and tell me how you feel about video marketing on your website.

When designing a website and Internet marketing program, most professionals have no clue that the search engines, such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN (now Bing) can't read the written words in your website or determine if it is outdated or new. The search engines scan your site using a sophisticated mathematical algorithm. This is where SEO (search engine optimization), keywords, and meta tags come into play. You have to tell the search engines who you are, what you are all about, and where you want to target new patients in your local demographic in order to be found. The search engines dictate the rules of engagement and you must follow them.

Does all this sound like Greek to you? It did to me… until I spent hundreds of hours mastering the subject of Web 2.0 Internet marketing. SEO and keywords relate to the words and phrases prospective new patients type into the search engines to find you. Your website is the hub of your Web 2.0 marketing campaign. The design of your website, blog, and social networking sites relates to their setup and structure so once a new patient finds you with keywords, you can engage and convert them with your marketing message to visit your website or contact your office for a new patient exam. The main focus of your Internet marketing program is to drive new patients to your front door. In order to accomplish this… one hand must wash the other with correct SEO, engaging design, and a powerful marketing message.

So how do you determine if your Internet marketing efforts are being found by consumers in your local demographic? Simple… test it!  This test works for any business targeting customers in a local area.  Feel free to pass it on to your friends in business using their own targeted consumer keywords.

1. Go to Google and in the search box type in patient keywords - orthodontist [your city name and state]. Orthodontist is the #1 keyword new patients use to search for treatment providers.
2. Repeat the same steps again with the keywords braces #2 and Invisalign #3.
3. Does your website, blog posts, Facebook page, e-zine articles etc. show up on page one of Google?  (Pay Per Click Ads and database advertisers like wellness.com, DrOOgle.com and Dexknows.com don't count… we are looking for organic page ranking for your website, blog, and other Internet marketing tactics)
4. Does your practice name and website URL show up correctly on Local Google Maps?
5. Now do the same thing again… but this time, one by one substitute the names of all the surrounding towns in your area where you target new patients.  Does your website, blog, video, Google Maps, etc show up on page one in these towns also?

No matter how great the design of your website and Web 2.0 marketing program, you are missing a wealth of new patient opportunities to build your practice due to limited local visibility on the Internet. This can translate into hundreds of thousands of dollars you may be losing to your competitors online over the years.

Your website and Web 2.0 marketing program is a very powerful marketing tool if set up correctly… start to finish. "You don't know, what you don't know, till you know it!" Find out from an orthodontic Web 2.0 Internet marketing specialist what you don't know…today!

Major companies all over the world are spending big dollars to create clever short Internet video marketing campaigns to entertain, engage, and brand their business with current and prospective new customers.

This week’s YouTube marketing champion, in just 60 seconds, uses a tried and tested formula: cute babies, and a bizarre situation.

In 45 seconds, New Zealand Air posted video that is both risque without offending to engage… and memorable for the next time you are booking an airline flight in their area .

Millions of people are watching these videos around the world every WEEK. You don't have to market to the world, nor do you have to pay thousands of dollars to produce clever video. Think outside the box to script unique and memorable content related to your business to create attention.

Your videos may grab attention today… next week… next month… or next year. This is the beauty of Internet marketing.

In addition to a standard "me too" video marketing campaign… come up with something clever, fun, and off the wall about your business. You will be pleasantly surprised how it affects your audience.  Don't have any clever ideas? Ask your audience….  Run a contest for the best video marketing idea and have your patients decide who the winner will be.  This accomplishes two things.

1. You don't have to spend time or money coming up with a great idea
2. You know what your patients want to see.  They voted for it.

Give it a shot.  Food for thought …You will be pleasantly surprised.

While many of us equate the popularity of our video orthodontic marketing tactics with views and click through rates, let's take a moment to consider other advantages which might be considered to have value when promoting your practice with video. Sure… tracking new patient referrals off the Internet and conversion rates are valuable, but what else is there?

Who and how many:When talking about video views on YouTube or other video sites, there are two pieces that are no brainers. "How many" actually viewed the video is good info for tracking ROI, while "Who" boils down to whether or not the video is being seen in your demographics. Marketing to your demographics is where the true hidden value comes in. If your viewers are professionals such as dentists, dental specialists, physicians, or teachers, coaches, and parents in your local area, PR could result in new referrals from other areas which were developed because they were able to find and watch your videos. This would not be readily apparent when you look at your number of clicks on YouTube, especially if you only have a few hundred views.

Education and Experience: A library of online videos educating and informing consumers about treatment and services you offer, serves as both a record of your professional expertise and your commitment to educating and informing your patients which builds trust.

Exposure/ Publicity / Brand Value: When a video becomes popular on YouTube or another video sharing site people begin to see and talk about it more. This could be an extremely useful marketing tool for you and is also valuable in SEO for search results and page rank.  The ultimate goal of any video is to found on page one of the search engine.  When setting up your video program correctly, new prospects much prefer video to the written word.  It also lets you tell your story exactly the way you want it delivered, without relying on second hand translation from patients, staff, friends, and family that might not come across the way you want it to.

It's persistent: Once you upload, for the most part, it remains there for some length of time unless you no longer provide the services and remove it from the Internet.  It is a perpetual "evergreen" record of your specialized expertise and can lead others to your website.

Networking and Social Value: You create a video… you put it online at multiple sites, and you end up meeting new people. Not only can you increase your business exposure throughout the community, but you'll also find new patients. Even if they aren't ready to have their teeth straighten, reconstruction work, or are just thinking about try a different treatment provider right then, they may be ready in the future. Don't rule out the power of bookmarking your business on a computer or jotting your practice name down for future reference.

Overall there's more intangible value for online video marketing than meets the eye. One step leads to another and eventually may translate into new patients contacting your office and building your business. As your Internet marketing program gains exposure with video, the referrals will increase exponentially over time. That's a definite win in any business.  Don't look at video as a short term marketing venture when marketing your practice.  You should be in it for the long haul and progressively build your video collection on the Internet as a marketing tool to build your practice for the future.

Brand your practice online. Facebook offers you the opportunity to network with your patients and all their friends online in your local demographic. The average age on Facebook is 25 – 44 with the largest growth in the 35 – 44 age group, your number one target market for parents and adult patients.  In May of 2009, Facebook surpassed MySpace as the largest social network in the world.  Since social networking requires due diligence and posting on a regular basis with your current patients, stay in contact with your online friends and offer value to them in a creative way which is not possible without web 2.0 marketing to build personal relationships. 

Short Video Productions - There is nothing more powerful than short videos offering patient testimonials, office tours, practice overviews, and how to videos on treatment procedures to promote your business, if done correctly.   You can create video yourself or source it out to professional videographers. No more than 3-4 minutes is the preferred length of time by consumers. Video marketing is very popular and THE favored form of communication among today’s tech savvy society. Deliver your personal PR message exactly the way you want it delivered to develop relationships in a way that is not possible with other methods. Once produced, it keeps on streaming on the Internet day in and day out 24/7… unlike traditional marketing programs.  There is no better ROI on investment with your marketing dollars or better way to deliver content than video Internet marketing for your orthodontic practice.

Dominate Page One of Google – Social networking communities such as YouTube, My Space, Facebook, Twitter allow you to dominate Google in your local demographic with search engine optimization (SEO). Your website is the hub of your Web 2.0 campaign that drives new patients to your door. Discovering how to take advantage of SEO and the many opportunities available on social networking sites is a golden opportunity that few practices are taking advantage of today.

Google Local Business Center – This marketing tool is offered through Google Maps.  It is another great opportunity to get your practice noticed in your area in conjunction with your website.  Google offers an extensive arena of marketing opportunities for small businesses willing who meet their SEO guidelines on how to be found on the search engines.  You can describe your business, post pictures, upload video, and monitor traffic with this free tool.

Blogging, E-Zines, and E-Press releases are another great way to get the word out about who you are, and what you are all about. Once your copy is written and search engine optimized (SEO) for your local demographic, you submit it online… so it remains “evergreen”.  This means it is always available online, all year round, to patients looking for information on your treatment expertise, community efforts, or fun events.

Web 2.0 can be a highly profitable way to promote your practice and increase new patient referrals and profits. If you haven't tried web 2.0 marketing strategies to build your practice, now is the window of opportunity to explore the possibilities. Some Web 2.0 marketing options are not a good fit for every practice.  Only you as a business owner can make this determination.  In order to do so you need a good foundation on what to base your decisions.

Don’t have the time to explore all your Web 2.0 options?  Dramatically reduce the learning curve by seeking the services of an Internet marketing consultant to help you discover all the possibilities available today.  You don’t know… what you don’t know… till you know it. Make sure you find out what you need to know before you start to be promote your practice online with Web 2.0 orthodontic marketing strategies.

When adding a new orthodontic marketing tactic to your current orthodontic marketing mix… you can't fail with an award winning cookbook branded with your practice name.

The Braces Cookbook 2: Comfort Food with a Gourmet Touch, by Pamela Waterman and Amee Hoge, has been honored with a Next Generation Indie Books Finalist Award for 2009. Targeted to adults in braces, the book is a follow-on to the award-winning volume The Braces Cookbook: Recipes You (and Your Orthodontist) Will Love; both offer tender recipes and tips for a deliciously positive approach to life with braces. Read the press release.

Jump Start Your Orthodontic Marketing Program on the Internet with Video

Online video viewership set a new record December 2008 with a 13% increase over the previous month according to a report released from the comScore.com Video Metrix Service. For the first time, more than 14.3 Billion videos were watched in December by US Internet users. As you might expect, Google Sites (which includes YouTube) led the growth charge, accounting for 49% of the incremental gain in overall videos viewed versus the previous month. In December, almost 100 million viewers watched almost 6 billion videos on YouTube alone.  In January, YouTube reached its first month of more than 100 million viewers.  The first time ever!

I know this subject is scary and most of you don’t even want to think about producing video as part of your Internet marketing program.  It’s too expensive…  It takes too much time… I don’t know where to start! If you don’t, you are missing out on a huge opportunity which will impact the bottom line of your practice today and its future in years to come.

Having your video rank on page one of Google is Dental Marketing Mecca.  Viewers can't resist clicking on a video when searching for products or services online. Once your video link reaches page one… you are golden.   Viewers click and it keeps playing and playing,  just like the energizer bunny, 24/7, whether you are working, sleeping, eating, playing golf, or enjoying your family.  There is no better return on investment today than video marketing.

Why is video so powerful?

1. Video is the #1 marketing tool available to deliver your personalized marketing message, exactly the way you want it, at precisely the moment a prospective new patient is looking for your services on the Internet.
2. It engages the senses and creates emotion.  Viewers can hear and see who you are and what you are all about.  This is difficult to accomplish with the written word on a website.
3. Statistics show that video marketing on a website increases consumer interest by more than 100%, resulting in a call to action for products or services.  (contact your office for an exam)
4. It is less expensive to produce video than TV and radio commercials.  Plus, once your video is created and uploaded to the Internet, it is “evergreen”; visible for everyone to see until you take it down… or not.
5. Video is the #1 preferred form of communication in today’s tech savvy society.  What would you prefer to do… watch a video on a subject of interest or read website copy?  There is no contest.

Speed to Market wins the race…  The window of opportunity to be the first in your area to add video to your website is short.  Don’t be a “me too” practice.  Lead the way in an economy that cries out for something different to stand out in the crowd.  If your marketing budget doesn’t allow for custom video right now, an inexpensive but powerful alternative is www.marketingwithlivevideo.com.  Hire an Internet actor to deliver your marketing message for you.

One way or another, video is the key to a successful Internet marketing campaign.  Venture outside your comfort zone and deliver your own PR message to consumers in your demographic.  Do it today to improve the health of your practice or die.

This is a classic example of Don't do what I do… just do what I say!  Here is the post "Why Multi-Tasking Destroys Entrepreneurship" by Alex Mandossian.