How do you get through January? One stage at a time
This month, perhaps more than any other month of the year, can be overwhelming. Now this is partially our own fault. After all, we’ve spent the last week or so of the previous month doing everything possible to avoid work, to overindulge and generally just not think about boring, blustery January. The harsh reality of the 2nd of the month hits us in the face like getting into a freezing cold shower. It’s here, it’s not going away and there’s oh so much to do.
Where do you start when there’s so much to sort out? When it comes to digital marketing there’s always something that you could be doing, that might help, that should be looked at, but what’s the priority? Here’s a little tip, break it all down into stages, starting with:
Stage 0 – The website. Everything comes back to this, it’s the foundation of all of your digital marketing efforts. It’s so important that I don’t even call it stage 1, because this is what you build everything on top of. Take a look at your website now. Is it up to 2024 standard? Does it reflect where you are as a practice? Does it send the message you want it to send? If any of these are a no, then this is where you must start. Everything else is secondary to this, otherwise it’s like the old analogy of building a house on sand.
Stage 1 – Organic SEO. Website up to scratch? Good. Now it’s time to look at the single most cost-effective part of digital marketing, organic SEO. Compared to everything else you spend your marketing budget on, pound for pound, organic SEO will be the one thing that gets you more bang for your buck than anything else. If you aren’t ranking well, organically, for multiple terms over multiple locations, spend your money here.
Stage 2 – Paid advertising. I’m talking pay-per-click or Google ads here. The next logical step once your organic SEO is top notch. More expensive than organic SEO but nothing beats it for geographic reach nor for treatment focus. If you really need more new patients now or a big focus on something like implants or Invisalign, look no further.
Stage 3 – Social media. Only when everything else listed above is operating at peak efficiency should you dabble in social media marketing. Whilst it can be effective, it’s hard to monitor the direct return on your investment and more importantly it takes a lot of work and a lot of time to make it successful. A lot of time and work equals a lot of cost, so focus on stages 1 and 2 before you get to this point.
That’s it. Simply determine which stage your practice is at and focus on that. There’s no benefit in trying to do everything at once, but if you can nail down the area that will give you the biggest improvements to your digital marketing you’re already halfway to making it a very successful 2024…and it’s only January.
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