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Posts Tagged ‘Blogging’

Do you know what your patients are saying about you? How about past employees- what are they saying about you, your practice, or other team members?  Are you aware what your competitors are saying? Do you have someone actively “listening” to what’s being said about your practice? 

 A concern often voiced when discussing creating online communities or social media marketing is “What if someone makes a negative comment” or Aren’t we opening ourselves to criticism?”  Their concern is if someone makes negative comments it will harm their business and their reputation. 

Like building your practice, building relationships and a good reputation through credibility and trust takes work, commitment, and time.  As we know, this brings in more new patients and opportunities (through referrals), more treatment acceptance, and ultimately more revenue. 

News, especially bad news, has always traveled fast.  Add to that the Internet, cell phones, instant messaging, and texting and news is now traveling at the speed of light and the news is, geographically, all over the place. 

First, we have to remember, there’s a good possibility negative comments have already been made at one time or another.  In the community, to a neighbor, to a friend or family member, or even a call back to the office after a procedure.  But unless it was a call back to the office, you usually weren’t even aware anything negative had even been said and never had the opportunity to address the issue.  

Negative comments not addressed can grow and can lead to damaging the practice’s reputation, lost opportunities, and less revenue. 

A simple way to initiate and monitor your Online Reputation Management:

• Set up Google and Yahoo alerts for your brand – your name, your practice name, and the names of key employees 
• You can also set up alerts for your competitors
• Use Technorati for tracking your brand in case the post was in someone’s blog 

Note:  The above items mentioned are for simple monitoring for practices without a major or ongoing problem with negative comments and issues. There are companies that specifically monitor businesses brands and go much deeper into Online Reputation Management.  

For the most part, people give very good reviews.  Of course there are always the exceptions to the rule.  Often times complaints can show a practice an area that needs to be improved resulting in better patient services and better patient relations. 

Online Reputation Management allows you to watch your brand, follow what’s being said about you, and allows you to address any negative as it happens.  

This is not to be confrontational, argumentative, or offensive, but rather seen as an opportunity to resolve a negative situation in a positive manner.  It’s not really a question of “What if there’s a negative comment”, but rather the real question is “How will we address negative comments and issues”.

Social media platforms allow you the unique opportunity to address the negative and turn the negative around into a positive.  Even if you aren’t able to resolve the situation (and sometimes you can’t) your online viewers will see you didn’t try to avoid the situation.  Instead the viewers will see you value your patients experience in your office and the positive manner in which you tried to resolve the situation.  Oh, and don’t be surprised if your viewers also come to your defense! 

Online Reputation Management, when used correctly, is just another positive element of social media.

Have you had any negative comments that you were made aware of with social media?  What steps did you take to resolve the situation?

Technorati Tags: Blogging, engaging social media, Google alerts, Livvie Matthews, managing your reputation online, monitoring online reputation, Online Reputation Management, Patient Relations

Social meda is a powerful marketing tool, but if you’re not careful it can be time consuming and can become overwhelming.

Invitations to connect, invitations to events, join this group, attend this meeting, use this application and the list goes on and on.  It’s no wonder after awhile many social marketing sites just sit there gathering virtual dust.  The key?  You must learn to stay focused.

When first entering the social arena, you might only want to join one of the social platforms, maybe Twitter or Facebook.  Then as you get comfortable with that platform, move on to the next.

But if you’re going to be or are already using several of the social platforms, there are some short cuts you can use to help on days when you’re pressed for time.

The biggest time saver for social marketing is to automate using the  following: 

• Schedule Tweets to post in the future using HootSuite.com or SocialOomph.com
• Write and pre-load your Blog content
• Set up searches and alerts
• Link up feed content to RSS Feeds
• Create email autoresponders
• Use plugins like Tweetmeme.com for viewers to be able to “Tweet This”

The “Lists” you can create in Twitter help you follow certain people easier and your lists can be added to HootSuite making it much easier to locate certain people you like to RT or respond to.

These are just a few time saving shortcuts but whenever possible, take a few hours a week to maintain your social platforms for making contacts and building those all important relationships.   This is social media so the more posts and tweets are seen,  the better.  Remember, it’s all about connecting, engaging, and communicating.

What time saving shortcuts can you share?

Technorati Tags: Blogging, Building Business, Dental Marketing, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, social marketing shortcuts, social media marketing, social media short cuts, time saving shortcuts for social marketing, time saving shortcuts for social media

2. Join several of the Social Networks, but only focus your time on 3 possibly 4: You don’t want to spread yourself too thin.  Again, social media can be quite distracting and overwhelming at times unless you focus your efforts and focus your time.

Technorati Tags: Blogging, Copywriting, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, social media marketing

Social media is changing the dynamics of marketing and in 2010 will continue to revolutionize marketing as we know it. 

In this economy businesses are seeing the huge benefits and potential Social Media Marketing presents for:

• Expanding their reach to existing and potential customers
• Relationship marketing and establishing credibility
• Becoming a thought leader in their area of expertise
• Increasing sales
• Cutting costs in printed marketing and advertising
• Low to no cost marketing on Social Media platforms – i.e. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, You Tube, and virtual events  (Tele-seminars, Webinars, Podcasts, etc)

Lisa Olinda of OlindaServices.com is hosting 2010 Social Media Masterminds Event with a line up of amazing guest bloggers sharing their expertise in social media marketing each day during the month on January. 

Read JoAnne Westwood, owner of Westwood Virtual Associates, guest post on the Dynamic Changes in Virtual Events .  JoAnne’s post shows how businesses are changing the way they are hosting events through Social Media outlets. 

What are some ways you see Social Media changing traditional business marketing?

Technorati Tags: Blogging, email marketing, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, social media marketing

The New Year, for me, has always been an exciting and happy time! Recently I was posting in one of the great groups I belong to and I compared the New Year to a new page.

The new year always brings the opportunity for what seems like a new beginning, a chance to “start over”. It always seems crisp, clean and exciting! We all get to start with a ” new page ” and it’s up to us what we want to “write” on it!

Take a few minutes and reflect on last year and your goals, but don’t dwell on the past year’s missed opportunities. We need to look ahead with excitement and anticipation for what we can do with this year’s new opportunities (pages) that will be presented.

Whatever you “write” is an opportunity within itself! At the beginning of a new year we are all at the same point, granted some may be beginning with more than others, but we are all beginning!

As you begin “writing” your business this year, focus on ways to “work smarter and not harder”. We unclutter and organize our garages, our houses, our closets, our cabinets, right on down to our drawers! Shouldn’t we do the same for our minds?

Eliminate (unclutter) situations that are stressful. Focus (organize) on what you did that was positive last year that caused your business to grow and then expand on each of those areas.

Increase your exposure, be seen.  Link up to other peoples blog post through your post and send a trackback. Follow and join in conversations on Twitter and Facebook with leaders in your niche. Join or participate more in discussion groups on LinkedIn.  Create videos and upload to You Tube.  You want to always be looking for additional ways to be seen as you market your business.        

The old saying “You can’t see the forest for the trees” sometimes prevents us from seeing new opportunities for marketing and growing our business. Ask a friend or an associate, who’s opinion you value, to comment on what you are doing or not doing.

They aren’t seeing the same “trees” you are seeing and can offer a different view….they might even help you to be able to “see the forest”!

As you begin “writing” this new year don’t lose site of balance. Remember to keep all the “pages” in perspective. From time to time you will need to turn the “pages” down, walk away and take time to enjoy life and everything that goes with it.

So, what do you want to “write” on your new page this year? It’s all up to you! Just get your “keyboard” going, “write” one word after another and then–press enter!!! After all it’s….. A New Year and A New Beginning!

Technorati Tags: Blogging, Building Business, Internet Marketing, Livvie Matthews, social media marketing