Two Types Of Dental Marketing Ads ...

There are two basic types of dental marketing print ads ... the presentation ad and the response ad.

PRESENTATION AD: The presentation ad simply presents you to the reader with basic information.

This is who I am.

This is what I do.

This is my address.

This is my phone number.

These are the dental services I offer.

The design of presentation ads can be starkly simple or regally elegant.

The primary purpose of the presentation ad is to get and keep your name in front of your prospects. If you consistently run this type of ad, it will build name recognition and, ideally, lead to a call from a prospect when that prospect is in need of a dentist. It is unlikely to produce an immediate response unless that prospect is actively looking for a dentist at the time he or she sees the ad.

RESPONSE AD: The response ad, conversely, is written and designed with the express purpose of producing an immediate response ... a phone call to make an appointment.

It too can lead to name recognition, if run consistently, but it's primary purpose is to generate new patient appointments ... now. Unlike the presentation ad, the response ad goes beyond the basics and utilizes a variety of tactics and techniques designed to assist the prospect in recognizing a dental need or want NOW ... and then persuading him to call to set up an appointment with you NOW.

Which type of ad should you use?

Obviously, as a direct response copywriter and consultant, I'm going to favor the response ad. There are a number of reasons for this beyond just immediate response, but I'll cover those reasons in a different brief.

There are times when the presentation ad makes sense. For example, if your practice is running pretty much at full capacity and you don't want many new patients, simply keeping your name in front of prospects will give you name recognition and the slower influx of new patients that you do need.

Do You Talk Out Loud To Yourself? You Should ...

Here's a different way to critique you ads and letters ...

Find yourself a recorder and record yourself reading one of your marketing ads or letters. Then play it back and listen carefully. For what should you be listening?

Sentences that are too long (no sentence should require more than one breath) ...
Stumbling blocks to smooth copy flow ...
Confusing words ...
Awkward combination of words or phrases ...
Words that are difficult to pronounce ...
Too much "we" and not enough "you" ...
Possible misconceptions, mis-perceptions and negative connotations.
Anything which could possibly confuse your prospects.

Then ask a friend to read and record the same ad or letter. Listen to his or her recording for a entirely different perspective. Tweak your copy until the message is crystal clear, is persuasive and reads smoothly.

Snob Appeal Can Backfire ...

Using snob appeal in your marketing is similar to the use of humor. It's risky unless you really know what you're doing. For instance, the wealth-seekers or newly rich might react positively to the word "envy" ... while the generationally rich would consider it gauche.

Effective status appeals are different for those who have "status" versus those who are seeking it. Bold and blatant may work best to the "have nots" ... understatement to the "haves." There there are the "in-betweens." It's a difficult appeal to pull off successfully if you can't pinpoint the precise type of prospect with whom you'll be communicating.

If you do choose to use status appeal, here's a general truth: Those who DON'T already have it, DO talk about it. Those who DO have it (and have had it for some time), DON'T talk about it. It's the old don't-do, do-don't rule.

P.S. I Love You

Every promotional/marketing letter you send to potential patients -- and current patients -- should include a postscript.

Why? Because they virtually always get read ... and often before the main body of the letter.

When people open a letter their normal reading progression is to look at the letterhead (who is the letter from), then the salutation (to whom is it addressed), then they go to the end of the letter to see who signed it (they want to know who is *talking* to them).

While they're looking at the signature, they take note of whether there's a P.S. or not. If there is, they'll normally read it. Thus, you should include a P.S. in your promotional/marketing letters and use it to highlight a key offer/benefit/theme the letter talks about. This will usually spur the interest of the reader which usually results in their reading the letter. If they read they letter, you've got a chance.

You can also use the postscript to compliment the reader. People love to be loved.

The reading progression noted above might be altered if the prospect notices something interesting while dropping down from the salutation to the signature. That something interesting might be a subhead promising a specific benefit or any body copy that you highlighted.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Who Was That Masked Man?

The Lone Ranger didn't want people to know his name ... but you do.

If you run an ad that has a coupon or certificate that the prospect is to cut out and bring with him, be sure to print your contact information and the offer inside AND outside the coupon or certificate.

If you only print your contact/offer info on the inside of the coupon or certificate, you're limited to a single respondent. Once someone removes it, the ad identification is gone. If someone else ends up reading that magazine or newspaper, they won't have any idea who you are or how to contact you.

If you don't print your offer and contact info inside and outside of the coupon/certificate, who knows, you may end up missing out on the full restorative case worth $20,000 or more.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Writing Clearly Can Be Challenging ...

One of the keys to writing effective direct response copy is clarity. If the reader has to stop reading and spend time/energy trying to figure out what you are saying, there's a real risk he'll quit reading altogether. If that happens there will be no response.

Writing with clarity can be difficult. Here's why ...

(From Drew Allen Miller's, Board Report for Graphic Artists)

They say "talk is cheap." That's probably because of the old rule of supply and demand. The English language has more words to choose from than any other language in the world -- in all of history, for that matter.

We have over 800,000 words to choose from when communicating. And more than 60,000 words have been added since 1966.

Do we need them all? Hardly.

Journalists use the most to ply their trade -- about 20,000. Doctors, lawyers and the clergy use only about 10,000. And the average skilled worker uses around 5,000.

But when you get down to basics, there are only about 500 words that we all use on a regular basis. But these 500 words have about 14,000 different dictionary definitions.

Are you beginning to see just how easy it is to be misinterpreted?

[Reprinted originally from Drew Allen Miller's, Board Report for Graphic Artists newsletter. You can reach Drew through his boardreport.com web site.]

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Advertorials Usually Increase Ad Readership

What is an advertorial?

It is an advertisement written in an editorial format with an editorial style.

Previous studies have shown that readership of editorial material is five times greater than readership of advertising (that's probably on the low side today). But will increased general readership translate into increased response for your ad?

The only way to know for certain is to test.

According to David Olgilvy, editorial style ads boost readership by about 50% over standard-looking ads. And a few years ago in a true A/B split run test in Reader's Digest, an editorial style ad boosted response by 80% over the standard ad layout.

Worth a test? Absolutely.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Embrace & Massage Those First Fifty

Research has shown that readership falls off dramatically during the first fifty words of an advertisement. However, from words 51 to 500, readership falls very little.

What does that mean for you?

It means you need to spend far more time tweaking those first fifty words of your dental ad to ensure that they are likely to capture the attention/imagination of the reader, build interest, and virtual compel the reader to read on. Of course, if you simply run minimal copy image ads, this doesn't apply.

When it comes to ad copy, the headline is most important ... but the first fifty words aren't far behind. Embrace them. Massage them. And you're likely to get more of the response you want.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Nix The Negative

It's virtually always more response-effective to build your marketing message around positive benefit appeals than to focus primarily on the negative ... fear.

For example, the ad headline ... "Untreated Gum Disease Can Kill You!" ... is a negative approach, using fear to try to persuade prospects to take action. It very often causes mental discomfort for the reader which may cause him to avoid thinking about it. Or s/he might remember the "Kill You" part of the headline in association with your name and forget the "Gum Disease" part.

The headline ... "Eliminate Your Gum Disease ... Feel Better, Live Longer." ... is a positive benefits approach to the same problem.

If you're disappointed with the response to your ads, direct mail, radio spots, etc., analyze carefully to see if you're using a more negative, rather than positive, message. If so, try the positive approach.

Does positive always outpull negative? Not always ... but typically it does (probably 9 out of ten times).

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Losing $80 Million In Six Months Confirms It

Much of the external dental marketing/advertising I see focuses the attention and appeal on the dentist, not the prospect or patient. In effect the message says ...

• This is who I am.
• This is what I do.
• This is where I got my training.
• These are the organizations I belong to.
• Here's a list of procedures I do.
• Impressive, isn't it!

Unfortunately, dental prospect's are seldom interested in reading about you. All of that *me, me, me* information is not what normally influences a prospect to pick up the phone and make an appointment with you.

Here's what the prospect is really thinking whenever she reads or listens to or watches an ad or marketing pitch ...

What's in it for me?

How will I benefit?

How can you help me?

That's universally true.

At all times.

"But, what about when I buy a gift for someone else," you may be thinking. "I'm not asking 'what's in it for me.'"

"Or what about when I give to charity. I do that ONLY to benefit those less fortunate than me. I'm not wondering how it will benefit me."

Bull doo-doo.

Those might not be your conscious thoughts,
but if you look very carefully, you'll find the
"what's in it for me" lurking in the background

For example: There are any number of personal-benefit reasons why you buy and give gifts ... to be appreciated, to avoid embarrassment, to gain an advantage, to avoid guilt, to name a few. And when you give to charity you do so because it makes you feel good, or keeps you from feeling guilty.

A few days after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans I sent a check to the Red Cross. Was it to help the unfortunate? Sure it was ... but it was just as much to shake my feelings of sadness and guilt (here I was living and enjoying the comforts of my home while those poor people were living in hell). As always happens when I give to charity, it just made me feel better to do so.

Here's further proof that people (even the best of the good-hearted people) are always asking "what's in it for me." When the state of Florida changed their lottery advertising appeal from greed (Win Millions ... Live Like A King) to helping others (Help Improve The Education System, Buy Lottery Tickets), lottery ticket sales dropped by $80 million in just six months.

When you are trying to persuade prospects to come to your practice, be sure to initially talk about them and the benefits they'll enjoy ... not about yourself.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

There's A Fine Line Between *Disguise* and *Deceit*

When you play the *disguise* game with your direct mail, you risk crossing the line into *deceit* territory. And it's a fine line.

Recognizing the difference is often a real problem.

Why?

Because you're playing on the recipient's home field ... and he's doing the officiating. And if he perceives it to be deceitful, then you get penalized and sent to the penalty box (the wastebasket) ... even if instant replay clearly shows that your intent was not truly deceitful.

It's true that I'm playing semantics. Let's face it, to disguise is to deceive. One disguises in order to hide ... to conceal ... to deceive.

Please
Remember
This ...

In marketing, what's real in our prospect's mind is what's real. Even if, in reality, it isn't. And in the mind of most prospects, there's a difference between *disguise* and *deceit.* A little *disguise* is usually acceptable. A little *deceit* isn't.

So, if you're thinking about concealing the true contents of your direct mail by dressing up the envelope in an IRS look-alike costume or a phony-check-inside mask, or any other disguise ... remember that it might be perceived by some as just a disguise, but by others as deceitful (even if you intended it "just as a disguise").

Think about it.

And then decide that disguise in any form is not only risky ... it's also dishonest.

My recommendation: Don't disguise or deceive. Always be truthful when creating your marketing/advertising ... just be sure to make that truth sing a happy and benefit-filled song.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

More Headline Humor ...

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, headlines are critically important to the success or failure of your ads. Therefore, they demand more of your creative time to make sure you get them just right, unlike the the authors of these article headlines ...

• Juvenile Court To Try Shooting Defendant
• Two Sisters Reunited After 18 Years In Checkout Counter
• Never Withhold Herpes Infection From Loved One
• If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last A While
• Cold Wave Linked To Temperature
• Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
• Kids Make Nutritious Snacks
• Hospital Sued By 7 Foot Doctors
• Local High School Dropouts Cut In Half
• Ban On Soliciting Dead In Trotwood
• Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges

The red tape must be duct tape. Duct tape will hold anything.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Say What? ...

You work and work and work to make sure your marketing copy is easy to understand ... to where it won't be confusing and can't be misunderstood. But, never fear, there will be people out there who will still not get it.

From the files of the California driving exams archive, here are actual answers given to standard questions:

Q. What is the difference between a flashing red traffic light and a flashing yellow traffic light?
A. The color.

Q. What changes would occur in your lifestyle if you could no longer drive lawfully?
A. I would be forced to drive unlawfully.

Q. When driving through fog, what should you use?
A. A car.

Q. Do you yield when a blind pedestrian is crossing the road?
A. What for? He can't see my license plate.

Story moral: Do your best to make your copy as crystal clear as possible ... and accept the fact that there will still be some people who will still be baffled by it.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson

Headline Importance and Humor ...

The headline is the single most important copy component of any print ad. It, by itself, can make the difference between the success or failure of an ad.

Although the following headlines are taken mostly from article headlines and not ad headlines, they clearly illustrate the importance of carefully wording your headlines ... and saying precisely what you mean.

• Police Begin Campaign To Run Down Jaywalkers
• Drunk Gets Nine Months In Violin Case
• Iraqi Head Seeks Arms
• Panda Mating Fails, Veterinarian Takes Over
• Eye Drops Off Shelf
• Teachers Strike Idle Kids
• Enraged Cow Injures Farmer With Ax
• Miners Refuse To Work After Death

Personally, I'm with the miners.

Copyright 2007 by Galen Stilson