3 Dental Marketing Lessons From Netflix's Tiger King

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3 Dental Marketing Lessons

From Netflix's Tiger King

You have likely heard or seen a notorious new Netflix documentary called Tiger King all over your social media feeds. While the series is heavy on the crazy, guns, gore, violence, murder, mystery, and more, it's also got a few (very few) redeeming qualities. Love him or hate him, Joe Exotic and his merry band of tiger totin' weirdos get a few things right along the way. You can take these nuggets of positivity and put them to work in your practice marketing right now. Let's get started.

Be authentically you

If you’ve watched Tiger King, you know that Joe Exotic and his band of merry, tiger touting misfits all had one common trait among them. They were real. No matter what anyone says, does, or thinks, they are who they are. Authentic. Raw. And quite crazy.

Joe, Carol, and the rest of the tiger elite didn’t change who they were. If anything they fully embraced it, Joe, to an obvious fault. Your dental practice is an extension of you.

It’s not about the dentistry you sell, it’s about the story you tell. Don’t be so focused on the clinical aspects of dentistry. Honestly, most patients won’t know if you’re a good clinician or not. It won’t factor in their buying decision. But your brand will.

You build your brand through your Google reviews, social media, website, and the experience you give every one of your patients. You build your brand through your relationships. Create relationships by giving your patients insight into who you are. Your hobbies. Your passions. Why you became a dentist. What motivates you and why should you be the dentist they choose?

Give your patients the opportunity to get to know the real you. Let them know what you stand for and what your brand is built on. People respond to that.

Don’t focus on your competitors

Joe Exotic was so focused on Carol that it consumed him, his marketing, his messaging and his life. Lesson learned here, don’t worry about your competitors. While being authentic, transparent, and unique… keep focused on your patients. Not your competitors.

A commonly discussed example of this is Blockbuster Video. The company was in fierce competition with Hollywood Video for years. The two were so focused on each other that they completely missed the dark horse that would eventually wipe them both out. That’s right, Netflix.

If your practice is struggling to grow, don’t worry about the DSO that just moved in down the street or the new practice with all the fancy new equipment nearby. Most offices panic and start discounting services or throwing a bunch of money at marketing, hoping for a silver bullet. Focus on your patients, the problems you can solve for them, the message you think they need to hear and why they should choose you. Then create content around that. Connect with people. Make them feel safe, special, cared about and appreciated.

Never lose sight of why you started

Toward the end of the documentary, one of Joe’s ex-staffers talks about how he lost sight of his first love. The animals he was caring for. Have you gotten wrapped up in your practice, numbers, growth, and profit? Are you churning and burning patients as fast as possible? Are you spending thousands on marketing services to generate massive numbers of new patients, but those patients are leaving and not coming back or accepting treatment?

What good does that do you? Remember why you started. Remember that dentistry is a relational business. It’s really that simple. Most of the population has anxiety when it comes to dentistry. They want to feel safe, that you aren’t going to hurt them and that they’re going to get quality care.

Maybe you haven’t lost sight of your patients, and that’s great. If you have, use this time to hit the reset button and get your focus back where it needs to be.

Conclusion

Joe Exotic and the Tiger King documentary is an absolute mess. The entire situation is almost unbelievable. The notoriety and negativity around the series have been widespread. I wanted to spin some positivity out of the chaos and I hope it provided some value to you in reading it.

It’s a tough time right now. Patients are going to be even more nervous and worried when you get the all-clear to re-open. I’m sure you understand that, but try to play to those emotions by making people feel as safe and relaxed.

You do not have to spend thousands of dollars on frivolous marketing. Be intentional and remember that relationships and systems and processes are what make dental practice succeed. You are what people are buying. The experience of being your patient, your team, how people speak about your practice when you’re not around, and how your website, social media, and Google My Business profile convey your practice to the world are the main things that need to sit on that foundation.

Have questions or concerns about your practice marketing? Want to speak to a dental marketing expert? Schedule a free consults today with a dental marketing expert. Click in the top right corner to get started today!

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How Google Ask Maps Will Change How You Attract Patients

By Sean Hamel • January 23, 2025

Google’s new Ask Maps feature is a game changer for dental practices. As the AI-powered replacement for the outdated Google Q&A tool, Ask Maps allows patients to ask specific questions about your practice and receive instant, accurate responses. This isn’t just an update, it’s an opportunity for dentists to connect with more patients and build trust in a highly competitive market. What Is Ask Maps? Ask Maps is a feature in Google Maps that uses artificial intelligence to provide answers based on trusted data. It pulls information from your Google Business Profile, reviews, website, and other reliable sources to respond to user questions. Examples of what patients might ask include: Do they offer Invisalign? How do I book an appointment? What do their reviews say about their cosmetic dentistry services? The AI responds with detailed, accurate answers tailored to your practice, eliminating outdated user-generated responses. Why Dentists Should Care About Ask Maps Patients often decide on a provider based on the information they find online. Ask Maps ensures they receive accurate, engaging answers about your services, helping you stand out from the competition. An optimized presence on Ask Maps can result in higher trust, increased patient inquiries, and more appointments booked. How Ask Maps Works Ask Maps gathers data from: Google Business Profile : Details like your services, operating hours, and photos. Reviews : Google reviews and those from third-party platforms. Your Website : Key content about your practice, team, and services. Social Media : Profiles such as Facebook and LinkedIn are also considered if other data sources are insufficient. If your online presence isn’t robust, Ask Maps may fail to provide answers, potentially costing you opportunities. How to Maximize Your Practice’s Presence on Ask Maps Here are actionable steps you can take to optimize your online presence: 1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile Ensure all practice information is accurate, including hours, services, and contact details. Regularly update high-quality photos of your office, team, and equipment. 2. Enhance Your Website Provide detailed answers to common patient questions like “What does a root canal involve?” or “How do I know if I need braces?” Include professional images, videos, and clear calls to action to improve engagement. 3. Encourage Reviews Ask satisfied patients to leave Google reviews. Respond to all reviews (positive or negative) to show professionalism and care. 4. Maintain Social Media Profiles Keep platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn updated with accurate and consistent information. Use these channels to share patient success stories, team introductions, and practice updates. 5. Regularly Update Photos Upload fresh, high-quality images to your Google Business Profile and website to maintain relevance and engagement. Why Story-Based Marketing is the Key to Success At The Art of Dental Marketing, we understand that facts alone don’t drive patient decisions, stories do. That’s why we developed the StoryBuilt™ Engine , which combines advanced SEO with story-based marketing to help your practice connect emotionally with patients while ranking higher in search results. SEO That Converts : Our strategies ensure that patients find your practice when they search for services in your area. Story-Based Content That Resonates : Patients want to feel understood. By using stories, we help you build trust and loyalty with your audience. Story-based marketing enhances how tools like Ask Maps present your practice, ensuring your message is emotionally compelling and highly visible. Take the Next Step Ask Maps is just the beginning of AI’s impact on patient engagement. Ensure your practice is positioned for success by leveraging this new tool alongside proven marketing strategies. Schedule a call with our CEO, Sean, today to learn how we can optimize your online presence, attract more patients, and help your practice thrive. Let’s tell your story and grow your practice together.

How to Move Your Website Without Losing SEO

January 22, 2025

Website migration is a critical step for dental practices looking to switch marketing providers or improve their online presence. However, a poorly executed migration can lead to lost search engine rankings, reduced traffic, and patient confusion. Most dentists want better marketing without the hassle of building a new website. By understanding the key aspects of website migration, you can guide your marketing team to protect your online visibility and ensure a smooth transition. Why Website Migration Matters for Dentists A website migration involves moving your website to a new provider, hosting platform, or content management system. This process often comes with goals like improving site speed, security, or user experience. While these improvements are valuable, mishandling the migration process can cause significant issues. When search engines can’t find your pages due to broken links or missing redirects, your rankings drop. This makes it harder for patients to find you online. Traffic decreases, and potential patients may visit competitors instead. Revenue can be affected if these issues persist. What to Ask Your Marketing Team Before Migrating To safeguard your practice during a website migration, it’s essential to ask your marketing team key questions: Are you backing up the current website? A full backup of all content, images, and settings ensures nothing is permanently lost if issues arise during migration. Will you implement 301 redirects? Redirects are crucial for maintaining your search engine rankings. They ensure patients and search engines are directed to the correct pages on the new site. Are you auditing the current site’s content and performance? Identify high-value pages with the most traffic, backlinks, or conversions. These pages need special attention to protect their rankings and visibility. How will you protect SEO elements? Your marketing team should carefully review and update metadata, internal links, and header tags to preserve your search engine performance. Is there a testing process before launch? A staging environment allows your marketers to check for broken links, missing content, and technical issues before the new site goes live. Common Pitfalls to Avoid During Migration Mistakes during migration can harm your online presence. Broken links frustrate visitors and lead to lost traffic. Missing pages cause confusion for patients and damage your credibility. Slow load times hurt your user experience and can negatively impact your search engine rankings. Introducing BYOW: Bring Your Own Website At The Art of Dental Marketing, we understand that dentists want better marketing without starting from scratch. That’s why we offer BYOW... Bring Your Own Website. You can come to ADM with your existing website and still take full advantage of our Storybuilt™ Marketing Engine. Our process is designed to make transitions seamless. We protect your SEO, handle the technical details, and transform your website into a powerful marketing tool that creates emotional connections with patients and drives real growth for your practice. How The Art of Dental Marketing Can Help Unlike other agencies, we don’t require you to build a new website to work with us. Our team ensures your SEO is protected during the migration, handles the technical aspects, and makes the process quick and stress-free. With our Storybuilt™ Marketing Engine, we amplify your website’s impact, making it a tool for meaningful patient engagement and practice growth. How to Move Forward If you’re considering switching marketing providers but want to avoid the hassle of building a new website, The Art of Dental Marketing is here to help. With BYOW, you bring what you’ve got, and we’ll handle the rest. Contact us today to learn how we can make your website transition easy and effective. Protect your practice’s online presence and keep attracting patients with a seamless migration.