How to Use Marketing to Connect and Build Trust with Your Community During COVID-19

Transcript:

Hi everyone, this is Marli from Clicc Media Inc. I’m coming to you today to connect with you and share some ideas on how we can all work through these tough times together.

We understand that this is an uncertain time for many of you and we may not fully know the impact that this situation may have on our jobs or practices, and as a small business ourselves we too are feeling it and understand the constant concerns that may be running through your mind. So my goal with this video to find a way to bring positivity to you and our community and help support businesses who are being affected by this pandemic and hopefully help you pass it along to others as well.

As healthcare providers, we know you already focus on helping others better their lives through oral healthcare. So if your practice is currently closed and you’re not currently seeing patients right now or even if the number of patients you are seeing is reduced, you can take this opportunity to write blogs, adjust your marketing efforts, and use your social media platforms to create a personal connection with your patients and community.

In moments like the ones we are experiencing now, people need connection. I truly believe that those who continue with their marketing efforts instead of stopping really connecting with their communities through these hard times like the ones we are experiencing right now with coronavirus. They are the ones that come out stronger than they went in.

When I say continuing marketing efforts, I don’t mean you have to go hard on Google ads and start promoting specials non-stop, I mean to put the brand aside for a bit and showcase more of a human side to you and your practice.

What I want to do is provide you with some blog and social media ideas to help you create content that will not only get you to connect with your audience but to also give that reassuring messaging and give that positive impact across to your community.

So let’s start with the first idea if you haven’t done so already post a personal message from the doctor. A great way to do this is via video as you can sincerely express your concerns, feelings and truly emotionally connect with your patients during these hard times. I recommend adding this video to your YouTube channel and then creating a blog post to add to your website as well. I’m sure that you have added other updates to your site regarding any closures or about seeing emergencies only, a personal message from the doctor shows care and provides a closer connection which is what you are aiming to share with your community.

A second idea, I would also consider writing a blog post about stress and teeth grinding that you can send out to your patient’s list via email and share on your social media accounts as well. This pandemic is bringing upon a lot of stress onto people who have now had to shift to adjust to a sort of “new normal” by having to work at home, having to split their time to make sure their children attend and focus during their virtual school classes, staying at home to stay safe and not being able to enjoy the outside world for days at a time. And while stress hits people differently one commonality that many may not notice that they may do is grind their teeth while they sleep so writing a blog
where you can share ideas and tips for at-home care to help alleviate TMG pain or nighttime teeth grinding can be very beneficial to many.

Consider sharing photos of your team members. Just because you are all not together for the time being it does not mean you still can’t let your community know what you guys are up to. If your team is still working remotely and you’re having Zoom meetings, then show us take a quick snapshot or do a quick Instagram story and have everyone wave hi. Trust us when we say people will enjoy seeing you and your team’s faces because your posts don’t always have to be about your brand or dentistry. This is a good time to focus on being human.

Don’t forget that another idea to consider is to make sure you remain accessible and consider all the ways people can reach you if they have a question or experiencing any sort of dental discomfort. Do you have an online chat on your website? Who will be answering DMs on your Instagram and Facebook? Are calls going directly to your cell phone if you are not at the office to pick up your business line?

Consider writing a blog post where you can address what someone can do if they find themselves with a dental emergency or what to do if they are experiencing tooth pain. This will be especially helpful if people are unsure if your office is open or if they can even call you. Consider sharing tips on here on how they can help alleviate the pain and how they can get a hold of you should they really need direct assistance. Add all forms of communication that you can be reached by and other information you deem necessary so they know they can still go reach out and talk to somebody.

Jumping on the back of this point another idea you can consider is offering virtual consultations over Skype if you aren’t doing so already. This way you can get a closer look at someone’s smile or at least as close to looking as currently possible given the current situation. People may still have questions and would like to discuss a more personal treatment for their pain so provide them the opportunity to schedule a Virtual Consult and any follow-ups that may be needed as well.

I’m a big advocate for videos, this is a great opportunity for this other idea is to create mini video series like how to maintain good dental hygiene, how to floss properly, the importance of night guard retainers, and so forth. You have to remember that you have had to cancel reschedule many dental hygiene appointments for future dates so these types of videos can assist your patients with further tips for a more thorough at-home care. Keep it simple it doesn’t have to be technical or overly complicated you can record these videos using your smartphone and even your computers, just make sure you have great lighting so sit by a window if necessary and remember to speak clearly.

On top of these educational videos think about getting a bit more personal and sure personal resources that you yourself use to alleviate some anxiety and stress during these times. This does not have to all be dentally related, this is your opportunity to step out of the box. Maybe it’s your favorite fitness routine, favorite music playlist, your absolute favorite comfort food recipe, or fun activity that you’re doing with the kids.

Whatever it is, think about sharing those things with each community right now this is your opportunity to create that human connection that goes beyond the dental brand. This is your opportunity to share your values and positivity with your audience get your team involved to have them record their own videos where they are sharing dental tips, their own personal stress relievers, or fun home moments. Make a compilation of videos, don’t be afraid to get a little silly, people are looking for funny and quirky something that can bring a smile to their face.

Last but not least if you are able to do so this is the time to dive into some education that you may have not had time for. We here Clicc Media we love creating educational blogs and videos that you can read and watch that can help you for any future marketing efforts for your practice. You can check them out on our website, on our youtube channel, or even on our IGTV. I invite you to check them out at your earliest convenience.

So lastly all I want to say together one way or another we can thrive through all of this together. We don’t just want to survive we all want to thrive, we want to make sure that we all come out of this stronger than we were before and I truly believe that it can be possible.

Remember we are here to support you so don’t hesitate and reach out if you have any questions or need any resources or need any help with any of the ideas that I shared with you here today.

I invite you all to subscribe to our Channel, leave us any comments below and hit that like button if you enjoyed any of the ideas we shared with you in this video.

Thank you for watching, see you again soon.