YouTube: The Dental Marketing Goldmine You Might be Missing

A website alone is no longer enough to effectively market your dental practice online. If you want to reach the greatest audience and keep up with the latest digital trends, you need to be on social media. You’ve probably heard this advice before. Most likely, your mind goes to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or maybe Pinterest. Yet none of these rank as the most popular social network. According to Pew Research, that distinction goes to YouTube, a platform that you might not even think of as social media.

YouTube as a social network

If you aren’t an active YouTuber, you might think of it as a place to publish or watch videos, a kind of content repository. When the network first launched, it had few features to dispel that idea. However, it has grown and evolved tremendously over the years. More importantly, it has acquired an avid and engaged userbase.

Today, YouTube has all the features – and all the marketing potential – that you would expect from the leading social media network:

Profile customization – You can create a personal or company channel. Like a social media profile, there is plenty of room to introduce yourself, describe your business, and link to your main website.
Discussion – People don’t just watch videos. They comment, like, engage, recommend to friends, and share YouTube content on other websites.
Followers – On YouTube they are called subscribers, but the premise is the same. If you post great content, you can acquire a dedicated audience.
Analytics – Like Facebook business pages, YouTube channels offer a wealth of information about how your content is performing and how your subscribers are behaving.

The power of video

Yes, it is a social network, but it is unlike the others. What sets YouTube apart is its narrow focus on video, which happens to be the most popular content type, accounting for 75-82 percent of all internet traffic. It can also be the most effective format for delivering a powerful marketing message. There is a reason that people are fond of saying, “seeing is believing,” or “I want to see for myself.” The human brain is hardwired to process, retain, and trust visual information.

Some of the best types of dental marketing videos include:

Demonstration – A nervous patient might want to see just what a root canal procedure involves. Someone considering an implant-retained overdenture might want to see how it snaps in place.
Introduction – Every patient, especially those with anxiety, will take comfort in knowing the staff is friendly and likeable. Unlike a text practice description, video lets personalities show.
Office tour – This is especially important for high-end practices. If you’ve invested heavily in a patient inviting space, it can help draw in new leads.
Results – Videos showing before and after cosmetic cases or patient testimonials can be especially powerful.
Niche specific – If you are a pediatric dentist, consider cartoons or kids’ education videos. For a cosmetic dentist, news about celebrity style trends might be appropriate.

Tips for YouTube success

Like any social media network, a strong YouTube presence starts with a solid foundation. Your YouTube channel will be the “home page” of your practice on the network. Optimize it with good banner art, icon, well written description, and custom trailer.

Now that you’re ready to start sharing videos, here are a few points to keep in mind:

SEO – YouTube is the second most popular search engine in the world, surpassed only by Google. It has its own algorithm, so be sure to do YouTube-specific research when choosing keywords.
Sharing – One of the great features of YouTube is easy sharing. With a couple of clicks, viewers can post on social media, generate embedding code, or get a shareable link. You can also make use of these features, promoting videos on your other channels or add them to your website.
Playlists – YouTube allows you to categorize your content in various lists. This feature isn’t just good for organizations, it can improve searchability and viewership.
End screen – This is another useful, yet easily overlooked feature. YouTube allows you to promote another video from your channel. Choose your video carefully, as this can be a great opportunity to draw new leads further into the sales funnel.
Legalities – Remember that YouTube and other social media sites are public platforms, and patient privacy laws apply. You cannot post a picture of a patient without written permission. Be mindful of this and any other national or provincial regulations that apply to your video.

Conclusion

YouTube is the number one social platform and number two search engine. It is also an opportunity that you can’t afford to miss if you are serious about marketing your dental practice.

About the Author:

Naren Arulrajah, President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, has been a leader in medical marketing for over a decade. Ekwa provides comprehensive marketing solutions for busy dentists, with a team of more than 180 full time professionals, providing web design, hosting, content creation, social media, reputation management, SEO, and more. If you’re looking for ways to boost your marketing results, call 855-598-3320 for a free strategy session with Naren.