Marketing with Love [VIDEO]

 

You’ve heard us preach Marketing with Love. But what is it? How does it relate to dentistry?

Well, Shannon spent the last year diving deep into leading mastermind groups, learning from the true thought leaders across multiple industries, all with the intention of identifying the best results-driven marketing tactics to support our doctors and our community.

And she shared all the golden nuggets with Angela on Roadside Live.

These two besties dive into:

• What Marketing with Love is
• How to implement it into your current marketing (Hint: It’s something you do daily)
• The 6 marketing trends you MUST do for a thriving practice
• The one trend that’ll get you a 90% open rate
• Practical suggestions to avoid the overwhelm in implementing these new trends

Angela: So thank you everybody for joining us for another Roadside Live today. Today we have a very special guest that many of you know as our co-founder Shannon Mackey. And she started Roadside, let’s just say a couple of years ago.

We’d been in this game for a while and Shannon, like myself and many of the team members,  started in the dental world and then really grew her business and her industry around how to support dentists and how to make their teams more successful in their own marketing.

And so today our subject is Marketing with Love, and really it’s a tagline. It’s a philosophy. It’s something that you’ve probably heard us talk about a lot in the last few months, especially on social media.

We’ve been discussing how you market with love quite a bit, but we really wanted to bring Shannon on to just dig a little deeper into what Marketing with Love is and why our offices need to be concerned with that or what that means.

So, Shannon let’s just start with why are you excited about the concept of Marketing with Love, and what does that even mean?

Shannon: I love this topic. It is so my jam. I’m excited to be here, but, Marketing with Love… I think it started back with us quite a few years ago when Google started making all the changes to doing real company stuff, and we’ve been supporting dentists for years to how to really show and be themselves as practitioners, as doctors, as dentists, and that sort of thing.

But now in the state of what we’re all going through, this has amplified so big that we’re really putting it out there to making sure that the doctors know what is most important for the people listening to them and for themselves.

So what is Marketing with Love? It’s revolutionary trust. It’s unorthodox empathy. It’s bold authenticity. It’s impactful connection. And buzz-worthy generosity.

When I kind of go into that, just kind of let that resonate for a second. That’s a lot of words – it’s a lot of really cool adjectives.

But it means something every time. If any of the doctors can take from this is just kind of really sit with what we’re going to talk about today and kind of keep asking yourselves some of these questions that we’re going to be going over with because it’s not going to come like that.

But if we keep asking ourselves how we can do Marketing with Love once you know how important it is, and we’ll make sure we cover that, it’ll start coming up. The team will help you. You’ll be like, “Oh, I could do this. And I could do that. That’s what Shannon was talking about.”

So just put that in the back of your head right now because then people will ask next, “Why?” So that is Marketing with Love.

Why is Marketing with Love so important? The simple answer is it’s because we’re all human, man.

It’s like, how do you like to be marketed to? And as small business owners, every single one of us, we have to look at ourselves first. Why are we doing a small business right now? I mean, we’re absolutely in an evolution, in some sorts, of mankind, globally.

Right? And all the experts say that we really won’t know how everything ends up for another good two to three years. So if we really look at ourselves first and what we’re doing every single day and then our family, and then our team, and then our dream patients that we want to come through the door, we start there. Then we’re going to go back to, well, how can we then input this new way of thinking of what people need?

What do people need? They need trust. They need empathy. They need for you to be authentic with them and connection and generosity. And to be super-duper honest.

And they need trust. They need empathy. They need for you to be authentic with them and connection and generosity. And to be super-duper honest. Sometimes that’s hard for doctors because they feel like they have to wear their clinician hat and they’ve done this schooling and this treatment is important and it’s very scientific and that sort of thing.

And yes, yes, yes. All of that is so true. We’ve done this for over 25 years.

We get how important the beautiful perfect bite and smile is. I have one, thank you to my beautiful dentist, but we also want to look at all these different things that we’re talking about and how things are moving with mankind.

The doctors who really look at this and do this differently and dig in are the ones who are gonna win the biggest.

I really, really believe that.

Angela: And the thing that I think is really interesting is that it’s really isn’t something different. It really is part of what so many of these practices have made their culture, but they’ve done it internally only. They’ve just done it the way they interact with their patients, the way they treat people, the way they’ve built their business, the way they’ve built their loyalty from their patients is by showing compassion. Love!

It’s by showing the human connection element. They’re already doing these things, but then reminding them that there’s just a little bit of a shift to make this a marketing effort to make it digital, to make it online, to give out in a more broader range. It isn’t really anything different.

Doctors are already doing this internally. They do it by the way they interact with their patients, the way they’ve built their business, the way they’ve built their loyalty from their patients is by showing compassion. Love! It’s just a shift in implementation and showing it online.

The philosophies are the same. It’s just a shift in the implementation. We know that 2020 was… it was 2020. There’s really no one on the planet who hasn’t been impacted by it in some way. Our level of impact may be different depending on what country, what business, our lifestyle, but everyone has been impacted.

And so much of the people we talk to feel like they spent a good portion of 2020 being reactive. Yeah, because of the situation they had, they had to react to what was going on. They weren’t able to be proactive. And so many of them are starting to say, “Okay, it’s time to breathe and stop running on reaction mode and start being a little more proactive. How can we be more successful? How can we connect with people again? How can we do this differently?”

And I know that you spent a lot of the second half of the year, especially, but a lot of 2020, really digging into some mastermind classes, some groups connecting with other businesses, industry leaders, and finding out what are some trends that all small businesses, but especially medical practices, are going to need to implement to get their message out in an authentic, connection, loving way that also helps them build their business.

So let’s just talk a little bit about some of the trends you’ve heard or some of the things that you’ve heard that might be a little bit of a shift in the way that our current practices operate.

Shannon: Exactly. Because dentists are of service, get this, the top trend is “be of service.” Period. And I’m like, “That’s perfect because that’s what dentists do.”

The top marketing trend is to be of service.

They are of service. But just like you’re saying, and I think bringing out is how can we be that, but louder? How can we be that, but different? Really, really think outside the box. And I’ll kind of go through this with the trends because so many of them – I mean, couple don’t apply. We’re not going to talk about them – but the majority absolutely do apply to the dentist.

So that’s the first one: How can they be generous and be of service? Is it education? Is it looking within the community to like businesses, people, and Facebook groups and literally just reach out and say, “how can I be of service?” Even the associations that you’re a part of, “How can I serve you right now? What do you need from me?”

And I think when we’re doing that, when we say Marketing with Love. Love being the absolute, highest energy possible, so how can we fail in business and family and self, right?

If we root it there and go back to having that love and saying, “how can I be of service?” And it’s not like, “Okay, I need 50 butts in the seats. I need this many cleanings and I need to do this many crowns.” I mean, all of us know that we need to pay the bills and dentists have a lot going on. We’ve been in the industry. We know the struggle, but if you come from it at that level of love, it will serve you.

Like when you say, how can I serve you? It comes back. And it’s just this beautiful synergy and these relationships and connections that we see these small business owners connecting up and doing summits and doing charities and doing community things that aren’t breaking any rules, but they’re giving people like, “Okay, we’re connecting, even though we’re going through this.”

Think of different ways and write these down and talk about it with your team. Talk about it with your spouse. Just keep asking yourself, “How can I be of service?”

How can I be of service, that’s number one. And then number two, kind of goes into that, it’s build relationships within your community.

So if you’re asking, “How can I be of service,” before it was just going to Better Business Bureau? I mean, I did marketing before the internet wasn’t even a thing where I’m knocking on the door and I’m going to Better Business Bureau. It’s kind of going back to that a little bit and seeing, what charities can we be a part of?

What is my community doing? Even if it’s the local coffee shop or telling a story, getting on video more and sharing that within the community, that sort of thing. There’s a lot of different ways and even talking about it, Googling it.

It’s absolutely amazing how people are getting into these Zoom calls even for an evening. Spend an evening with the hygienists. We’re just going to do happy hour. Get on a Zoom link with us just to connect with your audience and do like maybe a fun contest, give something away. You know, “Hey, we’re going to have a pajama party!” What’s your personality and connect on Zoom, connect virtually with your audience, and in that, you want to spice up your messaging and spice up like your template emails and reach out. Speak differently to people.

So make sure you’re going back to the drawing board with how you used to do things and spice everything up, do it just a little bit differently. So they hear you a little bit differently.

Angela: Or just actually speak to them. Going along with actual connections is using your marketing outlets as a way to actually speak to your patients instead of marketing to them. I think that has so much power in it is just not only looking at your messaging, but again, going back to being authentic, talking to them like you would. If you were face to face, that’s how you market to them is you speak to them.

Like they’re a human that you want to have a relationship with and not just a body in the community. So I think that’s really important too.

Shannon: And I think leading into that, Angela, it’s such a good point is it’s not going away. We’ve preached it for a long time, but it’s just that the doctors that have media are the ones that are going to win.

It does not have to be overwhelming. It could be like little 5-10 minute segments as series that you’re comfortable with. Ask Dr. Q this. Figure out just one platform that you’re comfortable with and start answering questions, start communicating with that media, and creating a little media hub.

Watching a really interesting GaryVee and it was with this podiatrist doctor, and he’s like, “Listen, man, everything is media and marketing and stuff” because he kind of backed up to grow, which was super cool. And a lot of our doctors are doing that. Like how can you connect with different clinicians and bring it into kind of all under one roof and that. So this will speak to our audience a little bit in building those relationships also.

How do you do your practice, and what other services can you offer them and businesses you could be a part of? But a lot of that will be also when you’re creating those relationships with other businesses and other doctors. And when they’re coming into your practice, tell them that you’re a media company. They have to do videos too.

Like no one gets a free ride. With that story with GaryVee – if you knew media was everything, whether you know Clubhouse or Facebook and YouTube, whatever you want to call that we dive deeper into how to make that way more doable bite-sized pieces for our docs – he says 90% of your time should be that first. And then you’re an doctor. That’s how important it is right now to do that.

90% of your time should be making media. Then you’re a doctor, next.

So, that’s kind of a bit overwhelming. That’s a big pill to swallow. I am going to say it because this is what all of the experts are saying. And we’re here to make it easy for our doctors to do that.

So that is going to be our job to do it, but I will put that out there. They can’t ignore it.

Angela: At this point, your doctors and your practice management are now hiding under their desks, sucking their thumb and rocking in a corner because Shannon has just sent them over the edge because she just told them to spend 90% of their day on video.

So let’s talk about how to do this without being overwhelmed and with implementing it in their day-to-day life. Because, obviously it’s something they can’t ignore, but it also has to be doable, and functional for the practice. Patients are coming in the door. So, what’s one step or what’s the first thing you’d recommend to make it not overwhelming and have someone know how to start?

Shannon: I think that’s a great question. Pick one series, like one thing that you could remember to do each week. Is it just simply ask the doctor? Just find something cute. It could be another team member to do it. But I would say first download our 12-Month Marketing Action Plan because you could lay out an actual plan to have the team help you.

 

Because really, if you just pencil it out, get the team on board to what that looks like. I would start with five-minute videos and that you can make consistently. Get the team on board. Switch it up, like, could it be, “Asked the hygienist, ask the office manager”? What are the frequently asked questions that you guys are getting?

What is your personality? And literally, just take 5-10 minutes to answer that. And having that scripted out just a little bit in bullet points, being yourself, just really be you. It’s okay to mess up. It’s okay to be funny. It’s what people want. And just start there.

Because this is such a huge thing, on top of video, there are the other trending things that we could be doing with them too, but is giving them the tools that make it so darn easy.

We’re going to be talking about this Media Hub a lot. Even at lunchtime, lunch and learn. While you’re having lunch or while you’re drinking your morning coffee, come in 10 minutes early, like we’ll give you all kinds of tips and tricks for the Media Hub.

One other thing I want to, for the top trending ones that I do want to mention on this show – because I think it’s super important and they’ll get out from underneath their desk from sucking their thumbs – there’s this one that they can do is email is still people’s BFF.

Rewrite your appointment reminder emails. Speak differently to your patients and spice it up.

That is the main thing. So, if they can create a lead magnet or even the emails of reminders going out. Redo the languaging, blow them up, rewrite them, have someone rewrite them for you. Speak differently to them and if at all possible, because there’s a lot of softwares out there.

If you haven’t started texting your patients yet, please get their phone number, get their permission. 90% open rate on texts.

Text messaging gets a 90% open rate.

So, no matter what you guys are doing, even announcing your new little YouTube five-minute show that you started as Dr. Q, or if it’s their appointments, or, “Hey, we’re doing this water charity with the community.” Giving some kudos to another local business, just have fun with it.

So really beef up your email list and your texting list, and people are listening. They’re doing audio, you know, if the rock stars out there that want to do a podcast, that’s another media thing that they can do. And one more thing for the trends that I do want to mention is retargeting.

If you’re doing any ads, add retargeting to it. Stand for something. Create a cause in one of your videos like movements, causes, charities like we’re here, we’re standing together. Accountability and optimal wellness are one of the top searched things. And these doctors are all about optimal wellness.

Create a show about optimal wellness within the mouth. All your health starts here in our mouth. So there’s so much that people are researching because their health is suffering and dentistry is the first place that people should be looking at for their health. So they could really grab on to that with the media part of it and really help and serve.

Angela: And I think a lot of these conversations are conversations that are already happening within the practices. So again, remembering that it’s the things that are already what you’re preaching. It’s already what you’re educating. It’s already what you do. Just making a shift into creating a digital platform for that and making it public is a way to repurpose what you do every day and turn it into getting your message out there for all the community to hear it.

You’re already preaching it. It’s already what you’re educating. It’s already what you do. Just making a shift into creating a digital platform for that and making it public is a way to repurpose what you do every day and turn it into getting your message out there for all the community to hear it.

So I think those are good reminders that they don’t have to do a podcast. They can just take what they already do and create material and content and connect on a broader scale and be successful if they need somewhere to start.

I think that’s a great reminder is to think outside the box, change up our messaging and really connect and start thinking of treating our patients that we may not know yet, our soon-to-be patients, the same way we treat the ones that we’ve had in our office for five years that we just adore when they walk in the door. It’s the same type of conversation, that same type of messaging. Emotion that we connect with them. We can do that digitally.

Shannon: Absolutely. That’s exactly it.

Angela: Perfect. Well, I know that we could spend a whole webinar just on this topic and how to do media better and how to keep up with the trends and we’ll be revisiting that throughout the whole year, but thank you for the overview today and they can stay tuned for “How tos” from Roadside.