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Posted on 9/22/2016 by Wendy Hensley, Marketing Manager |
 Looking for a marketing company can be intimidating and exhausting. You're about to invest a large amount of time and money into your marketing and how do you know that the company you're partnering with will have your best interests in mind? Here's a list of 5 things to keep in mind when vetting a marketing partner. 1) Do they know the dental industry?The dental industry is unique. Picking a company that has created spectacular websites for home builders might be tempting, but it may cost you time and therefore money in the long run. Picking a company that knows your industry means they also know your potential patients. They understand how dental consumers tend to convert into patients, so they will know where to place things on your site, in your printed materials, or word your online ads for maximum impact. They know this because they've been in the industry long enough to understand patient behavior and can be attuned to that in their marketing strategy. You should feel comfortable listening to their direction and advice when building your marketing plans instead of spending time educating them on the industry and why what works for a home builder won't work for a potential dental patient. Ultimately, you can shave time and money off your project if you hire a company that already knows the intricacies of the dental industry rather than spending time educating them how to speak to your patients. 2) Do they mesh well with your office?You'll be working very closely with whichever team you move forward with. If the company culture of the agency is trendy but your office is traditional, there might be friction when the project gets underway. Your office manager will likely be interacting with the agency often to schedule meetings, give feedback, etc. so make sure he/she is communicating with the agency in advance and has input into which one might be the right fit for your office. Picking a team that's in line with your office culture will ensure success. 3) How will they show you ROI?The key to any successful marketing campaign is return on investment. Although that's hard to track on websites alone, there are strategies the agency might suggest to help gather that information and provide it back to you. Perhaps you implement website phone numbers to track the number of new calls from your new website and they should have methodology in place to track their SEO activities. Find out what the agency suggests might be the best way to track and report the ROI for your online marketing services. 4) What services do they offer?Finding a firm that can design your website is fairly easy. However, it's important to look for one that can not only design your site, but can cover any potential future marketing needs as well. Direct mail, Google ads (PPC), Search Engine Optimization (SEO), online newsletters, advertising; whatever services you think you might need in the future. Finding an agency that has all of those abilities at the start of the project (no matter how small) means you'll have a partner for the long term and you won't need to shop for other agencies when you want to expand and grow. 5) What is their reputation?Just as your online reputation is important to your practice, so is the online reputation of the agency you might work with. Dig into their testimonials, reviews, partnerships, and endorsements to see what others are saying about them. If good results turn up in your investigation, you're more likely to have a great interaction with them as well. 6) What does their ongoing support cost?Every company will approach post project support differently and this is often overlooked in the agency selection process. At WEO Media, we find many practices come to us frustrated with the support costs and/or lack of response from their agency when something needs changed or updated after it’s been launched. Make sure you fully understand how often you can contact them for support, what the costs are for each contact, and what services are covered under that support. Although picking an agency can be difficult, it can also be very successful if you pick the right one. You'll have a marketing partner that will guide you through the process and offer solid advice on where to go next. For more information on the many services WEO Media offers, please click here. Or, to have a FREE no obligation marketing consult and website analysis, click here. |
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WEO Media - Dental Marketing
8625 SW Cascade Avenue, Suite 300 Beaverton, OR 97008 Call today 888-788-4670 Support 888-788-4670 
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