By Lori Sichtermann
When Jill Moyer came on board at Scott Orthodontic Associates, Lakeland, Fla, almost a decade ago, her current role as marketing coordinator didn’t exist. It was a time before the prevalence of smart phones, mobile devices, and nearly all social media platforms.
Moyer worked as the practice’s treatment coordinator for several years before she began developing ideas for marketing tactics to promote the business. “I made suggestions about different things like hosting fund-raising events as a way to help the community, and a way to promote Scott Orthodontics. Back then, we’d promote those types of things through our website,” she recalls. “Eventually, the marketing side of things grew to become a larger presence in my day-to-day responsibilities.”
When the Facebook phenomenon started to take hold, Moyer took notice. She recognized the potential in the social media platform, and the importance of creating a presence for the practice. She worked with the entire team to convey the fun, family-like atmosphere that happens day-to-day. Their Facebook page contains a range of interesting snapshots of life-in-the-office that include highlighting a family of new patients, to the office-wide call-out of a team member who accidentally wore two different shoes to work one day.
As social media outlets evolved, so did Moyer’s creativity on how to best utilize them to promote the practice. For example, the office’s Instagram page includes artistic images reflecting the rainbow of options when it comes to band colors. It also includes humorous, Post-It note reminders from Gregory Scott, DDS, to his patients. Moyer has a fun-loving way of capturing the tone of the office and relaying it to patients, which keeps everyone informed and, in many instances, entertained.
“As social media started to gain traction and evolve, it really created more of a need in our office to have a marketing person,” Moyer explains. “And, I was happy to take on the role. My first objective was to get our name out there and be a little bit more on the edge. I wanted us to have a presence with online social activity.”
To create that presence, Moyer stuck to a few basic principles. Firstly, don’t post for posting sake. “I don’t like to post generic items that people are just going to bypass. I don’t like to post something unless there is actual, news-worthy content that will engage our readers in some way,” she explains. “I’m not one of these people who post ‘Happy Hump Day.’ It’s corny and hokey and I don’t think it’s worthwhile. I try not to post anything on any of the platforms until we actually have news or a relatable story to share about our office.”
But, as Moyer explains, it’s important not to take it all so seriously either. Team members and doctors have all taken part in a number of fun parody videos that Moyer shares online.
“We recently did a serious of videos that play on the game featured on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon—Russian Egg Roulette,” she says. “In this game, some eggs are raw, some are cooked, and Dr Scott, and other doctors in the area who participate, have to choose which is which by smashing them on their heads. It’s a lot of fun to do these types of videos. It’s fun for the team, and it’s fun for the patients to watch.”
Moyer also is focused on a more serious side to her role as marketing coordinator. The practice is heavily involved with charitable efforts based in Lakeland and surrounding communities. They sponsor youth leagues and sports teams throughout the year; all of which are promoted via the office’s social media outlets and website.
With a year-round calendar of events, mixed with day-to-day activities, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with the task of being the voice of a practice. However, Moyer has set parameters on that front as well.
“In the beginning, I was posting content every day, in an effort to get our name out there and establish us in social media. Now, because I’m also the treatment coordinator, I work on social about half of the amount of time I was previously giving it per week,” she explains. “The content is still fresh and fun and relates to our patients what’s happening at our office, but I’ve hit a rhythm now where I don’t have to give it my constant attention, but yet it’s still effective.”
As the person who created and grew with the role of marketing coordinator, Moyer offers some sage advice from her experiences. “You can’t be shy in this role. You have to be the one who is able to convince the rest of the team that a particular project is going to be fun and this is going to benefit the practice,” she explains. “Because, in the end, that’s what it’s all about.” OP
Lori Sichtermann is a freelance writer for Orthodontic Products. She can be reached at [email protected].
