While restrictions continue to force business doors to close temporarily while waiting out the storm of COVID-19, we find ourselves with an unprecedented opportunity to open the doors of communication, service, and good ol’ fashioned compassion in the digital space.

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Let’s first look at this situation realistically for a moment (yes, I’m an Enneagram 8, how could you tell?). Right now, Google Trends (aka, the holy grail of search data) is not reporting any major dips, slows, or losses in traffic for “dentist”-related searches across the country. We actually saw lower search traffic during Thanksgiving and Christmas than we are even as I type this. 

This break might actually give people time to get around to some of those longstanding to-do list items they’ve been putting off – ahem, like finding a dentist.

Now, I fully understand that we’re also facing the very real fact that the ADA has ixnayed all non-elective treatments. However, that does not mean that showing up, digitally or otherwise, for your patients with emergencies is not important. Right now, it is everything. Right now, marketing through this chaos could make the recovery process for your practice that much easier after the skies break again.

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Emergencies 

The most urgent question that will have to be answered in the next few weeks will be, “Who is open for emergency treatment?”. Creating a campaign around answering this question will put your practice at the top of Google, capture those searches, and frankly, keep people out of emergency rooms. 

Keeping Google happy with relevant keywords and copy still needs to come into play, but you also have an opportunity here to talk more candidly with your audience, and show an empathetic side. 

Right now, it’s not just about how great a dentist you are and why you’re the best at what you do, it’s about how you’re showing up for your patients by being available during this crisis time. 

It’s about standing with your community, and that’s what we like to call “heart share”. 

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Heart Share 

This is an incredible time to capture not only market share in your community, but “heart share”. Before (like, a week ago), it was easier to view advertising as merely a direct response tool. Now, it’s time to pivot, and realize the potential at your disposal as a practice owner. Advertising, especially through Facebook, has always been a highly effective way to increase brand awareness and name recognition. Focusing more on “heart share” during this time where your patients and community are eager for online socialization, guidance, and reassurance is a win-win.

Thankfully, Facebook allows a bit more flexibility with copy restrictions, so we are free to be more creative & heartfelt. We want to create messages that center around community, togetherness, and emergency appointments.

And since imagery is such an important piece to any Facebook campaign, we definitely want to make sure our photo choices are appropriate for the times. Normally, we love using images of people; people with people, people in groups, people with hands near other people’s mouths… Are you cringing, too? Yea, let’s stay away from that right now. Instead, think of your beautiful, calming lobby or even your signage outside, and use those images to better reflect the message you’re sending. 

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Expansion always follows contraction.

Right now your practice has a choice: close your doors, go radio silent, and hunker down to wait out the 3 weeks… or, STEP UP, connect with your community, and continue to market through the chaos to come out stronger on the other side. In this time of fear, change, and uncertainty, we really are in this together. Right now is the time to show it.

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Additional Resources

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HEADLINES

• We're Here for You
• We're All In This Together
• Call for Emergency Dental Care
•  We're Here For You
• We're All In This Together
• Call For Emergency Dental Care
• Worried About Dental Care?
• Available For Emergency Care
• Don't Wait, Get Care Today
• Need Dental Care During COVID-19?
• Dental Visit During COVID-19
• Dental Care During the Coronavirus
• Need Urgent Dental Care?

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DESCRIPTIONS

• We Are Here To Serve You In Any & All Dental Emergencies. Don't Wait, Call Today!
• Dental Emergency? We Are Open & We're Here For You! Contact Us For UrgentDental Care.
• Through Difficult Times & Beyond, We Stand With You, Your Family, & Our Entire Community.
• We're Here To Help You & Your Family Stay Healthy Through Extraordinary Dental Care!
• You don’t need to wait to receive the dental care you need. We’re making care available during COVID-19.
• We’ve increased our safety policies to make emergency dental care available during this time.
• COVID-19 doesn't prevent you or your family from receiving care for urgentdental needs.
• Our office remains open for emergency appointments to make necessary care available to you and your family.