The MarCom Strategist: A Free B2B Marketing E-Newsletter

March, 2009
Published by Dianna Huff
Volume 10, Number 03

Welcome!

Although I’ve been a marketer since 1993, I still learn how to do my job better almost every day. One huge lesson I’ve taken to heart is that to be successful, and to see real results, you have to market your company consistently – as in, day after day, month after month, year after year. I learned this lesson working with my client, Dr. Helaine Smith. Dr. Smith hired me to perform SEO on her Website in 2005 . . . and today, thanks to consistent marketing, she’s now a million dollar dentist.

Read what she did to grow her dental practice – and how you can apply these same lessons to your own business. (And, be sure to read to the very end for your very special report from Ivan Levison on doubling response rates.)

Regards,
Dianna's signature
Dianna Huff

New Coaching Program: Develop a Website that Makes Your Telephone Ring!

Your Website is your number one marketing asset. Not only does it help sell your services to prospective customers, it also helps bring in these prospects through online search.

Over the years, however, I’ve discovered that consultants, freelancers, and small business owners have a very hard time developing a site that sells their expertise and brings new business – usually because they don’t know how to position themselves and communicate the value they bring to prospective clients.

The resulting sites are underdeveloped, poorly written, and don’t show up in the search engines.

If you want a Website that makes the phone ring, then my eight-week Website Makeover Coaching Program is for you. Working with you, I’ll help you develop a Website that attracts clients – and increases sales.

In this eight-week program, you’ll learn how to:

Develop content that sells your expertise
Optimize your Website for search engines
Implement and analyze Google Analytics
Develop a long-term plan for marketing your site

This is a one-on-one coaching program with me. You will not have to share your time or reveal your competitive “secrets” to others. I will oversee all of your work / progress and will provide feedback, insight, and additional resources as you progress.

To learn more, and to receive your quote on a customized Website Makeover Coaching Program tailored to your business, just pick up the phone and call 603-382-8093 or send email to info@dhcommunications.com.

How a Great Dentist Became a Million Dollar Dentist

By Dianna Huff

When I first walked into Dr. Helaine Smith’s dental office in Boston, Massachusetts four years ago, I was immediately struck by the fact that it didn’t smell like a dental office.

Dr. Smith’s waiting room didn’t look like your typical dentist office either: original oil paintings adorned the walls, a waterfall soothed the senses, and fresh flowers perfumed the air. When patients arrived, Mary, Dr. Smith’s receptionist, offered them sparkling water and fresh fruit.

What I loved best of all, however, was Dr. Smith’s sunlit exam room – airy, gorgeous, and immaculate, it instantly made me feel relaxed. I itched to sit in her buttery leather exam chair.

Dr. Smith’s approach toward dentistry is also apparent in how she treats patients: in addition to offering high-end cosmetic dentistry based on advanced techniques – everything from dental veneers and implants to full mouth rehabilitative work – she also leaves her cell phone number on the office voice mail so that patients can call her after hours if the need arises.

She’s also spent years taking advanced continuing education courses – and in fact, is currently working on her Academy of General Dentistry Mastership.

When we first began working together in 2005, Dr. Smith wanted to increase traffic to her Website. Although she had no idea what search engine optimization was, or how it worked, she did know people were online searching for dentists.

“The TV show Extreme Makeover is huge,” I remember her saying. “We need to take advantage of it.” She was right – a simple keyword search proved thousands of people were online searching for dentists like her.

Thus began our journey together . . . and what follows are the five reasons why Dr. Smith went from being a great dentist to a million dollar dentist – in just four years.

1. She consistently budgeted for marketing: Marketing is like saving money – you don’t really see results unless you save money consistently month after month. Although it’s tempting to cut back on marketing when business is down, money is tight, or the entire economy is crashing, these are the very times you need to spend money on marketing, which is what Dr. Smith did, month in and month out.

2. She had patience: When I initially optimized her site and added new content, we did see an increase in traffic, but the phone didn’t start ringing off the hook immediately. Instead of giving up, however, Dr. Smith asked, “What else can we do?”

As we added more content to the site and increased Dr. Smith’s exposure online, the phone started ringing. Today, Dr. Smith sees $5K to $20K in new business each month from the Web.

3. She was willing to try new things: Do you know of any podcasting dentists? I hadn’t either, but that didn’t stop Dr. Smith from trying this marketing tactic. She also gave the OK for a blog, an e-newsletter, press releases, bylined articles, YouTube videos, and a very edgy viral e-book.

We weren’t sure if any of these things would work for a dentist, but we tried them anyway. As Dr. Smith added this new content to her site, a funny thing happened. New patients would call for appointments, and when they came in, they would say something like, “I found you on Google. I read your credentials and watched your YouTube videos.”

Dr. Smith’s expanding Website and online “fame” did three things for her: it helped patients pre-qualify themselves, it sold them on her dental services, and it explained why she was different from other dentists – all before they stepped foot in her office!

4. She learned the “new rules of marketing”: Dr. Smith had already learned that spending big money on things like yellow pages advertising, TV commercials, and radio advertising produced little in the way of results.

She began reading books and articles about all this “Web stuff” so that when I recommended a particular tactic, she understood why I was recommending it. Having her understand “Web 2.0” concepts allowed me to implement new ideas – fast – without a lot of hemming and hawing.

And that edgy e-book? Healthy Mouth, Healthy Sex! is a featured Rave in best selling author David Meerman Scott’s new book, World Wide Rave: Creating Triggers That Get Millions of People to Spread Your Ideas and Share Your Stories (Wiley, 2009).

5. She provided exceptional care to her patients: All the marketing in the world won’t make up for poor service or a lousy product. Dr. Smith made sure she lived up to the promises made on her Website and other marketing materials by providing the ultimate in dental care and customer service to her patients. In addition to the increased patient load at her Boston practice, Dr. Smith now owns a family dental practice in Dedham, MA.

I’m very proud to have Dr. Smith as my client . . . and we are both thrilled with her success. She’s thrilled because she hit her goal. I’m thrilled because I helped her get there. Thank you, Helaine, for your continued trust in me. You are the best!

Additional links:

Case study: “Helaine Smith, DMD, Has Something to Smile About”

Case study: “Dr. Helaine Smith Generates Buzz with Viral E-book”

Video: How Will You Create a World Wide Rave?

Website: Dr. Helaine Smith, DMD

Website: Dedham Family Dental

Blog: Successful Smiles

101 Ways to Double Your Response Rates

Ivan Levison is one the direct marketing greats. For over 25 years, he’s been writing exceptional copy for companies such as Microsoft, Intel, Adobe, and HP. Now you can learn some of Ivan’s secrets by downloading his terrific report, “101 Ways to Double Your Response Rates.” Chock-a-block full of tips, the report includes information for turbo-charging envelopes and letters to post cards and brochures. In addition to the report, you’ll also get a subscription to his e-newsletter, The Levison Letter. To get your report, visit Ivan’s site at www.levison.com.

To learn more about my services, take a look at my B2B Website Consulting Services to see how you can put my award-winning expertise to work for you -- or call 603-382-8093.