The year 2012 marks my tenth year running IDM. A decade ago when I decided to open Australia’s only dedicated marketing agency for dentists, marketing was almost a dirty word. De-regulation was still in its infancy and I faced a great deal of resistance from some in the profession. Some, who were  reluctant to embrace the changes, have over time became some of my best clients and personal friends as I have proven that professional marketing is not only ethical but a necessity for every practice that wants to expand or have sustained success during the ups and downs of our economy.The internet provides the most relevant, most productive and most professional marketing medium for most practices, not to mention the biggest opportunity for growth.

 

A decade ago we were building websites for our clients based on improved customer service, better communications and the future benefit of the growing trend towards the public searching on-line for a new dental provider. Today, the internet in all its forms provides the most relevant, most productive and most professional marketing medium for most practices, not to mention the biggest opportunity for growth. However, it is no longer a matter of building a good website and getting your meta tags right. Today, to really maximise the opportunity this ever expanding medium provides you need to be across the multiple platforms the public are using on a daily basis.

 

It can seem overwhelming, Twitter, Facebook, Re-Marketing, Whitepapers, Pay Per Click, Search Engine Optimisation, Group-On, Dot Mobi, and I have not even mentioned your website yet !!!

 

Well, if you are overwhelmed by how to make the most from your internet strategy, have heart. Like most specialised areas the jargon is more complex than the reality. Getting amazing results from your internet presence is more about having a well mapped out plan, good organisational skills, and administration than it is about some esoteric flair that most IT companies would have you believe. The other good news is that great results do not need to cost a fortune and the money you do spend on your internet presence can deliver the greatest return on investment. We call this an ‘Integrated’ approach.

 

The first step is to get your website up to date with the current trends. In short ‘content is king’ both for the readability of your site and the way Google and the other search engines index your site. Google likes original and well organised content, so in short do not use information from other sites, even with permission. Content should be written with two audiences in mind, your patients and search engine algorithms. One of the main facets of achieving a high search engine ranking, critical in driving traffic to your website, is for your site to be recognised as an authoritive source by the search engine algorithms. They do this by allocating points based on relevant content, key word density, other websites linking to yours, as well as social media, tagging and code structure. These are the most important areas of SEO, though about 100 different things can have an impact. It can seem like a minefield but with the right advice, your site can reach that all important top spot. It’s a matter of taking each facet and making them work in partnership. Once you’ve worked on your SEO strategy, traffic to your site will be higher but it can be driven even more through an integrated campaign using online advertising, emarketing and most recently video. The internet is changing the way that we reach our audiences, to achieve the best results for your practice it is critical to get the internet working for you.

 

At IDM we have built a highly talented team of copywriters, graphic designers, SEO experts, Web developers, social media administrators and project managers to ensure our clients truly get an ‘integrated’ approach and more to the point great results. So feel free to call us if you need any help or advice.

 

Carl Burroughs

Managing Director

www.idm.com.au

carl@idm.com.au

02 92111477