We can all write, right? You only need to cast your mind back to your Uni days to remember the hours you spent with a pen in hand or fingers on a keyboard. Most of us would consider ourselves as articulate communicators who can string a well-structured sentence together. So why would you pay good money to a copywriter?
Like many things in life, just because you can do something does not mean you should. Plus, good copywriting is an art and whether you hire a freelance writer or use an agency like IDM to develop your content, having a copywriter working on your content not only ensures work is done to a high standard, but also benefits you in other ways.
Content is King
It is slightly ironic that in an era of emojis and abbreviated language that properly written content remains highly relevant and an important part of your overall marketing strategy. Your website is not only a marketing tool, but a reflection of the overall service you provide. If the paint was peeling off the front door to your practice and the external windows had not been washed in years, I doubt it would engender much confidence in new patients about the overall care you take with all aspects of your practice. The same principle is true with your website. Your website is often the very first impression a new patient gets of your practice, so it needs to be engaging, professional and instil confidence with the viewer. If like many Australian dental practices, your website is just ‘OK’ then you may want to review this.
Let me ask you a few questions – how much did you spend on your website? How much dentistry would you need to produce to cover this cost? How many new patients are you getting each month from your website? How much would you be willing to spend on your website if you knew it would produce double or triple what your current website is producing?
Don’t get me wrong, it is not all about how much you spend, I have seen a lot of terrible expensive websites and I have seen a lot of excellent websites that have cost very little to produce. But if answering these questions refocuses you on the importance of your website, then you may be open to investing in such things as compelling videos and professional content creation.
Constantly changing content
It takes time and effort to write engaging content for your dental website, so once completed you probably don’t want to change this content very often. Also, unless you have just completed a course or new qualification, the chances are your views on the various aspects of dentistry written about on your website have not changed and therefore there is little point in trying to rewrite perfectly good content that projects your particular views. But Google rewards relevant and changing content, which is where your blog posts can play an important role. I recommend that you write four or five relevant blog posts per month and then share these posts via a monthly eNewsletter to your patient base. Not only does this approach mean you are constantly adding relevant content to your website, but it also means you are staying in touch with your patient base and providing them with valuable information as well as keeping your brand ‘top of mind’.
But who has time to write these articles? Well, a professional copywriter will. Outsourcing this content writing is by far and away the best way to get clean and concise copy that is engaging and boosts your Google rankings in the process.
Copywriters will know how to write with flair but still get the key message across. Research is an important part of the writing process, so copywriters will gain an understanding of your practice and the procedures you provide so that they can write engaging and persuasive copy for you. After a few attempts, they will be an extended part of your team.
What to write about
Well, one thing is for sure, you could spend a lifetime writing about dentistry and never run out of topics. The best way to brief a copywriter is to brainstorm and discuss with your team what is relevant at the time. For example, you might do an article on the benefit of mouthguards at the beginning of the footy season, or there may be something topical you want to get across to your patients, such as how to look after your oral health during an extended lock-down. Then there are topics you want to promote, such as letting your audience know you provide dental implants or providing some tips for enhancing a smile. And finally, you can add your own personality to the blogs. Some people like to post healthy recipes whilst others may share their hobbies such as landscape photography. Once you have a good copywriter to work with, most of the time all you have to do is provide them with a list of topics and they will then do the hard work for you.
Copywriters can be found through resource websites or via marketing agencies. You may also find you have a patient who is a budding professional writer. However, you find the talent, working with a good copywriter is an important part of your overall marketing strategy.