One dental marketing technique that most dentists don’t take advantage of is getting free publicity with press releases. I believe the biggest reason for that is because many dentists can’t think of a story angle for their dental business.
The truth is, press releases are a great method for marketing your dental practice. While there is no guarantee that your story will get published, sending a press release is quick, easy, and basically free, so there’s no harm in giving this tactic a try. But the success of your press release is going to reside totally on your story angle.
The number one factor to consider when brainstorming press release topics is whether or not the story is actually news-worthy to the publication’s audience. If your press release is nothing more than a thinly disguised sales pitch for your dental business, there is literally no chance that it will get published.
When writing your press release, you need to present the story from the reader’s perspective. Remember, no one cares about your dental business per se; they only care about what effect your news has on them.
With that in mind, here are a few topics you can easily turn into successful press releases to use in your own dental marketing:
Staff Additions or Success Stories
For the most part, people don’t care if you hire a new staff member. What they do care about is how they will personally benefit from your new addition. Will the new staff member increase available appointment slots? Will you be able to treat a niche population, such as children, or geriatric patients? Does the new staff member speak another language? Hiring a new staff member and growing your dental business is definitely a worthy accomplishment, but if you want the story to get picked up in a press release, you’ll need to explain the benefit to the reader.
Do Something Different
What do you do that no other dental business in your area does? Do you dress in a clown suit to treat your younger patients? Do you let the kids play video games while they’re being treated? Do you offer mediation audios to ease painful dental procedures? Anything that is out of the ordinary makes a great press release. If you don’t have anything different to offer, now is the time to come up with something.
Be the First at Something
Were you the first in the area to get the newest piece of equipment or to invest in the latest technology? Have you learned a new procedure that reduces chairtime? Have you invested in new high-strength dental restorations before anyone else in the marketplace? These are all excellent topics for press releases, especially when you explain exactly how these technologies are beneficial to your patients and/or the readers.
Take Advantage of Pop Culture
Has a high-profile celebrity recently had a smile make-over? Were photos of a celeb sipping teeth-staining coffee plastered all over the latest rag mag? You can piggy-back on these stories – and grab reader’s attention – with press releases such as “The Top 10 Tips for Achieving a Kim Kardashian Smile”.
Put a Local Twist on National News
It’s relatively easy to spin a national headline into a local press release with stories such as “How the New Health Care Laws will Affect Pittsburgh Dental Patients”.
Put a Dental Twist on Current Events
Just like spinning a national story into a local story, it’s also easy to spin a current event into a dental story. Try something like “John Edwards Heart Condition – Top 5 Dental Considerations for Cardiac Patients”.
The bottom line is that press releases are a great, inexpensive technique to add to your dental marketing plan. Just make sure your press release is meant to serve the reader and not your dental business.
You May Also Be Interested In:
- Your Dental Marketing – Who’s In Charge?
- Dental Marketing with Repurposed Content
- Using Facebook in Your Dental Marketing
- Writing Classified Ads for Your Dental Practice
- Writing Headlines for Your Dental Website
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