Social Media

Some of our best social media tips for dentists by a dentist!

Make Your Dental Blog Look Polished With Styled Stock Photography

by Dr. Jessica Emery | Jun 18, 2019 | Branding, Photography, Social Media

Blogging is a big part of dental marketing, but most dentists we talk to either haven’t blogged in a while, or they only post something when they think of it, usually quickly and without too much thought. However, a blog is a necessity when it comes to dental marketing, especially for SEO (you know, showing up high in the search results when someone searches “dentist near me” or something like that). Creating quality, consistent content that people will click on and share is super important.

Having a great dental blog not only attracts new potential patients to your website, but it can also shine a spotlight on your services. Blogs help build an immense amount of trust in you and the work you do. The more people find what they’re looking for on your blog, the more likely they’ll be to turn to you when they need help down the road or are ready to switch dentists.

Evergreen Content

One of the greatest things about a dental blog is how long-lasting they are. Once you hit post, those posts live in the world forever unless for some reason you decide to take them down. There’s no algorithm that will hide your blog posts or prevent people from finding them, and you can re-purpose them in so many ways: you can email them, post them on social media, turn them into an ebook… the possibilities are endless!

However, this also means you should be putting a lot of thought into not only the words you use, but also the imagery. According to social media marketing strategist Jeff Bullas, articles that contain images get 94% more total views. This is a staggering number, and it should be enough to convince even the biggest skeptic of the importance of including images in your blog posts!

Image Quality Matters

So, we all agree that blog imagery is important, but image quality is also crucial. Hastily shot iPhone photos just aren’t going to cut it. When you use grainy or low-res photos, it no longer matters how much research and thought went into writing your dental blog. That content isn’t going to be shared as much or even clicked on as often because of the poor imagery.

Don’t panic, though. This doesn’t mean you have to be a professional photographer or have super expensive equipment to have loyal followers or content that gets lots of shares and engagement. Many (and I mean many) business owners and bloggers turn to styled stock photography when they create their blog posts… and you can too!

Why Styled Stock Photography?

When we say styled stock photography, we’re not talking about your run-of-the-mill, often overly cheesy stock photography. You want to stay away from this kind of unnatural imagery, because you run the risk of devaluing all the hard work you put into researching and writing your blog post. That’s no good!

When you choose to use styled stock photography for your dental blog, you have so much more consistency and control over not only the tone of the post, but of your entire blog and image. Just like the rest of your branding, you want your blog to be fairly uniform. You don’t want images full of bright, neon colors in one blog, and then dark, muted tones on the next. When you go to share your blog posts on your social media feeds, everything will end up looking really disjointed.

Soiree Stock for Your Dental Blog!

Our sister company, Soiree Stock, was made with dentists in mind. Our styled stock photography allows you to find a large number of images in your preferred style. Often, you will even find that the images are categorized by theme, color, tone, and/or season. This makes it very easy to match the photography style to your brand, creating a cohesive look across all your platforms.

We have libraries full of dental-themed images that will work no matter what topic you’re covering in your blog post. We’d love for you to try it out for a month and see how much it changes your blogging process. Don’t stop there, though! These images are perfect for social media. Download as many as you want (you get unlimited downloads with your membership) and save them to your camera roll so you always have the perfect photo to post on social. It’s a much smaller investment than hiring an agency or even a contractor to do your social media. We think you’ll love how much easier it makes things, and how much time it saves you!

Why Hashtags are Part of an Effective Dental Marketing Strategy

by Dr. Jessica Emery | Mar 24, 2019 | Branding, instagram, Social Media

Whether you love them or hate them, there’s no denying the power of the hashtag. Posts with at least one Instagram hashtag average 12.6% more engagement than posts without a hashtag, so if you want to get more likes on Instagram and get on the Instagram Explore page (where people outside of your own network can find you and follow you), hashtags are essential. They are an absolute MUST when developing your dental marketing strategy.

Hashtagging 101

Instagram hashtags are the best way to get your Instagram posts (and your dental practice!) discovered by a new audience, and because you choose the hashtags you want to tag, you can target them to attract the right kind of patient. If your dental practice focuses more on orthodontics, you can target people looking for that kind of content using hashtags. Similarly with pediatrics, cosmetic dentistry, more high-end dentistry, whatever you want!

Since hashtag research can take a bit of time and effort, it can be tempting to just add some common ones to your post and move on. But hashtags like #smile or #teeth are way too popular to be effective. You might think that because a lot of people use these hashtags, they’re good ones to add to your post, but that’s not automatically the case. Because so many posts have these general hashtags, your post will be buried minutes or even seconds after you hit the publish button.

On the other hand, you don’t want to use hashtags that are too niche, either. Hashtags like #fundentistsinmiami probably don’t have any posts, so while you would be easily found if someone did search for that, the odds of someone typing in that exact hashtag are pretty slim… unless you start using it on all of your content and promote it as a branded hashtag for your practice. However, if you’re going to do that, you’re much better off using your dental practice’s name in the hashtag (more on this in a minute).

Find the Sweet Spot

Instead of using the most popular Instagram hashtags, it’s better to use the top Instagram hashtags for your industry that have an engaging community behind them and are specific to your audience. You can use Instagram’s search function to search hashtags you want to use. This will show you how popular the hashtags are. We have found that hashtags that have 10,000 – 400,000 uses perform the best. For example, #miamidentist might be a better one to use than #fundentistsinmiami because 19,922 people are using it. People are searching for it, but not so many people that your post won’t be visible in the top few spots for a while.

This can be a time-consuming process, for sure. We recommend sitting down every few months to create a few sets of hashtags that you can mix and match with your photos. Unfortunately, Instagram does not necessarily “like” it when users attach the same exact set of hashtags to every post. There is a rumor out there that it actually causes your posts to be seen less, which is definitely not what you want. Be sure to switch them up and add relevant hashtags to each post.

Looking for a Shortcut?

If you’re thinking all this sounds like way too much, you’re not alone. We hear this from dentists all the time! Building a dental marketing strategy is a lot of work, but having one is absolutely necessary for growing your brand and your business. If you’re looking for a shortcut, we can help! We offer a monthly membership over at our sister site, Soiree Stock. As a member, you will get unlimited downloads from our styled stock photography website. We create content specifically for dentists, so you’ll find lots of photos that you’ll love. You can use them on social media, on your website, your blog, whatever!

In addition, we’ve recently decided to include the Soiree Bundle with all Soiree Stock memberships. The Soiree Bundle includes 30 social media captions and 30 researched and targeted hashtag sets each month. You can mix and match them, tweak them as needed, and post away. Your dental marketing strategy is literally as easy as copy, paste, post. Our memberships are affordable, and there’s no obligation. You can cancel anytime. If this sounds like it could be a lifesaver for you and your practice, you can get more information on the Soiree Stock website!

Four Things Successful Dental Marketing Mavens Do

by Dr. Jessica Emery | Mar 2, 2019 | Social Media

Isn’t it really nice when someone gives you a shortcut? It’s especially great if that shortcut ends up saving you time, frustration, and money! If your dream is to become a successful dental marketing maven, you’re probably wondering what things you need to start doing. We understand, and we’d love to help you accomplish that dream!

In this blog, we’re going to go over four of the big things all successful dental marketing mavens do. We hope it helps you as you work toward your big 2019 goals.

#1 – They Create a Plan

Most successful dental marketing strategies involve a good amount of planning your work and working your plan. A content calendar is great for this. You can plan out which days you’re going to post content on which channels, you can map out larger marketing pushes based on seasonal factors, and you can plan launches of new services, programs, and even content series.

When you sit down to come up with a marketing plan, we encourage thinking both short-term and long-term. Get a little more detailed with your monthly calendar, but don’t forget to look ahead. If you’re planning something big in a few months, start working on the marketing now. This will help prevent a stressful situation later, and lead to much better results.

#2 – They Measure Analytics

What good is a plan if you don’t know whether it worked? Be sure to keep a careful eye on your analytics. Look at spikes (both positive and negative) and try to pinpoint the reason behind them. Adjust your plan constantly based on what you find.

Just because you’ve mapped out what you want to do doesn’t mean you have to be married to it, especially if you’re seeing that something isn’t working. Successful dental marketing mavens don’t waste time and energy on strategies that aren’t showing good results.

#3 – They Create Content (Almost Obsessively)

All too often, we see dental practices that connect all of their social media accounts so that when they post to one channel, it automatically posts everywhere else at the same time. It might be saving time, but that content isn’t optimized for the other platforms, and it’s probably not going to perform well.

Take the time to create different versions of your content for different platforms, consistently post to your blog (it’s one of the best ways to build SEO and rank higher in search engine searches) and send emails to your list. Creating content your patients and potential future patients want to see is the best way to find success.

#4 – They Engage

Hitting “post” on your latest piece of content may feel like the end of the story, but it’s not. Social media is social, and if you’re not checking back to engage with people who comment on your posts or send you messages, you are going to get left behind pretty quickly.

People prefer to interact with brands that engage. Not only that, social media algorithms favor accounts that have good engagement and will show your content to more people, both in and out of your network. It takes a little bit of time, but it’s worth it!

Do you have questions about building a successful dental marketing strategy? The team of mavens at Dental Soiree would be more than happy to help; just click here to send us a message!

What People Are Saying About Our Most Popular Dental Marketing Package

by Dr. Jessica Emery | Feb 21, 2019 | Branding, Dental Soiree, Social Media

At Dental Soiree, we are ALL about getting amazing results for hard-working dentists. We are owned and run by a cosmetic dentist, Dr. Jessica Emery, so we know first-hand how challenging it can be to stand out from the crowd on social media. Dentists are absolutely necessary, but they’re often not the most exciting accounts to follow online. That doesn’t have to be the case! We love creating gorgeous imagery and engaging content for dentists, and our dental marketing packages get great results for our clients!

Our most popular dental marketing package is our Socialite package. This is our full-service creative branding package and it includes a full day photoshoot in Chicago where we create branded photography for your practice! We do your hair and makeup, gather customized props and help you develop a social media strategy. We’ve also traveled to other cities to do photoshoots in some of our clients’ hometowns! It’s so fun to give people the full soiree treatment and deliver several months’ worth of content that they’re able to use to instantly transform their online presence.

So What Do Our Clients Think?

We could talk all day about how much value is included in our Socialite package, but we thought we’d let our happy clients do the talking for us 😊

These are direct quotes from some of the amazing dentists we’ve been lucky to serve in the past few years:

Working with them is one of the best decisions I have made.

“As a busy entrepreneur running a dental office, we have long looked to share who we are as an office to potential clients via social media. Despite the number of dental marketing agencies out there, we haven’t found any that catered to our individuality. Then we found Dr. Emery, the founder of Dental Soireé. They have surpassed our expectations! Their visit to your office and understanding of your office’s vision is so amazing… they really want you to succeed. The whole team is very responsive and you are in constant communication with everyone. They are a pure pleasure to work with – like having an extended family for your practice.”

I would recommend them to everyone!

“Dental Soiree is a group of professional, fun, and innovative people! They really know what they are doing. They helped our business with many tricks of the trade in the social media world. And as we were having a new website created, they helped us with videography and photos that were outstanding!”

Dental Soiree is ahead of its time.

“BEST team ever!!! Unlike every other dental marketing firm out there, Dr. Emery and her team assure all their services are completely customized. They took their time to get to know our practice and we identified specific goals for our marketing plans. I traveled to Chicago for a full day of content creation, with an amazing photographer and videographer. The session also included a professional Stylist and a hair/makeup artist. WHAT A FUN FUN DAY!!! The team took care of every single detail of the day! The team exceeded all my expectations!! Their energy and creative vision inspired me to bring unique advertising ideas back to our team. I feel blessed and truly honored to be part of Dental Soiree’s journey. The experience was unforgettable!!!!”

Let’s Talk About YOUR Dental Marketing Goals!

Want to experience the Socialite dental marketing package for yourself? We’d love to chat about it and create a custom experience for you! You can contact us here and we can have a no-pressure conversation about the investment and timeline for this package.

24 Fun Dental-Themed Days to Post About

by Dr. Jessica Emery | Feb 15, 2019 | Social Media

Every day feels like a holiday when you’re in the dentistry field. But, did you know there really are holidays all the time that we can highlight on our social media pages to get more engagement? We’ve collected some fun dental-themed days that you can create content for and spread a little extra joy on your feeds!

Most of these dental-themed days are U.S. holidays, but a few of them are international. Depending on where you are in the world, some or all of these may work for you. Feel free to bookmark this list so you can revisit it each month as you plan your social media content!

Okay, are you ready to have some fun?

JANUARY

3 – National Drinking Straw Day – Talk about how straws and healthy teeth are BFF.!

28 – National Have Fun At Work Day – Show some behind the scenes photos of your team having fun!

FEBRUARY

9 – National Toothache Day – There’s lots of things you can do on this day!

28 – National Tooth Fairy Day – Share a fun fact or personal story about the Tooth Fairy.

MARCH

6 – National Dentist’s Day – This is a biggie! Go all out and celebrate dentistry and yourself

29 – National Mom and Pop Business Owners Day – Are you a small, privately owned practice? Celebrate that fact on March 29!

APRIL

11 – National Pet Day – Our pet’s teeth matter, too! Share a tip or fact about oral care for animals.

27 – National Tell a Story Day – Use this day to tell a story about you, your practice, or you could even share a cautionary tale about tooth care.

MAY

8 – National Receptionists’ Day – Shout out your amazing receptionists today!

31 – National Smile Day – As dentists, we LOVE smiles. Celebrate them on May 31 (and everyday, of course!)

JUNE

15 – National Smile Power Day – This is a day for everyone to share the power of the smile!

21 – National Selfie Day – Yay selfies! Ask your followers to share selfies featuring their beautiful smiles today.

JULY

12 – National Simplicity Day – Share a tip with your followers to make their oral health routine simpler!

29 – National Lipstick Day – Pucker up! Share your favorite lipstick shade, or your tip for keeping lipstick off your teeth!

AUGUST

16 – National Tell a Joke Day – There’s some great jokes about teeth out there. Share one on your feed!

21 – National Senior Citizens Day – What are some dental tips related to seniors that you could share?

SEPTEMBER

28 – National Good Neighbor Day – Do you have any neighbors that you want to call attention to? Today’s the perfect day!

30 – National Chewing Gum Day – Share your wisdom about chewing gum with your followers. Give them tips to choose the right gum for good oral health!

OCTOBER

16 – Boss’s Day – This is a great day to shout out the bosses that help your practice run smoothly!

31 – National Knock-Knock Jokes Day

NOVEMBER

1 – National Brush Your Teeth Day – Remind your followers to brush away those sugar bugs from Halloween!

23 – Flossing Day – The day after Thanksgiving is a great day to focus on the habit of flossing.

DECEMBER

7 – National Cotton Candy Day – Cotton candy, also called candy floss or fairy floss, was created by a dentist!

26 – National Thank You Note Day – Use social media to send a virtual thank you note to your patients!

Need a little help managing your social media accounts and/or creating content for these dental-themed days (or any day, for that matter!) that makes people stop scrolling and pay more attention to your practice? We can help! Contact us to learn more about our social media management and branding packages!

Building an Effective Dental Marketing Hashtag Strategy

by Dr. Jessica Emery | Feb 10, 2019 | How To's, Social Media

Hashtags. They’re the bane of many social media user’s existence! It seems like the rules are constantly changing around how to use hashtags. We often get asked if they’re really worth all the extra effort. In our opinion, they absolutely are!

We know the process of finding and adding hashtags to your posts can add more time to your already busy schedule, but they’re the most effective way to get your content in front of the right people. In fact, on channels like Instagram, it’s one of the only ways to show up in new people’s feeds.

If you’re investing in social media marketing or spending a good amount of time doing it yourself, a good hashtag strategy needs to be a part of it.

Where and When to Use Hashtags

If you’re on social media, you need hashtags. However, they’re more effective on some platforms than others. As we said above, they’re absolutely necessary for Instagram. It’s also a good idea to use a few (2-3) hashtags on Twitter and LinkedIn. Facebook doesn’t really support hashtags, so you don’t need to worry about using them on that platform (as of right now, who knows what the future will hold!)

Instagram hashtags connected to your photo will be added to their highly targeted tag page, where other people with the identical hashtag will be able to find the photo more easily. On Twitter and LinkedIn, the pound sign turns any word or group of words that directly follow it into a searchable link. This allows you to organize content and track discussion topics based on those keywords.

For example, if you’re posting a before and after photo of a whitening treatment, you could use the hashtags #teethwhitening or #whiteteeth so people can easily find your post.

An Effective Dental Marketing Hashtag Strategy

The most complicated part about building an effective hashtag strategy is choosing the right hashtags for your content. After all, what good is throwing a hashtag on your post if no one ever searches for that hashtag?

Unfortunately, there’s no centralized list of good hashtags to use. That would be amazing! The truth is, hashtags are influenced by trends and change all the time. Certain hashtags surge in popularity while others fade into obscurity. You have to put in a little work upfront to come up with a list of hashtags that are timely, popular, and relevant to your content.

In a past blog post, we discussed a few ways you can research hashtags. We strongly encourage you to pop on over and read the post.

Dental Soiree Can Help!

Developing a good hashtag strategy isn’t overly complicated, but it can be time consuming. However, we urge you not to skip hashtags. They’re so effective and helpful when it comes to broadening your reach on social media. If it seems like something you don’t have time to do, hiring a social media management team is a great idea. They can do all the work for you, and you can focus on the day-to-day demands of running your dental practice.

If you decide to go this route, we would love to discuss our packages with you! You can contact us anytime and we can chat. We promise, there’s never any pressure or obligation.

Happy hashtagging!

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