Message Boards
Today's Active Topics Today's Active Cases Browse Forum Categories My Recent Activity My Messages Private Groups My Marked Threads My Subscriptions
Today's Active Images Today's Active Polls Most Active Topics Global Townie Map Advanced Message Board Search Message Board Terms of Use

Getting to Know Dr. Curtis by Alan A. Curtis, DDS, MS, Online Editorial Director, Orthotown.com

View Comments (0) More by this author (30)
 
My Journey on the Social Media Road
by Alan A. Curtis, DDS, MS, Online Editorial Director, Orthotown.com



Having practiced less than seven years, I consider myself a new and younger member of the orthodontic community. One would think that I would understand all the ins and outs of social media. After all, Facebook began in a dorm room in 2004 while I was still in a proverbial dorm room myself. While I am very technologically savvy, social media and social media marketing are not something at which I have natural expertise. By sharing my experiences with you I hope to stimulate a discussion online on how your social media journey has affected your practice.

In mid-2006 I began my private practice. We had one computer, and even with it we still did our scheduling and accounting on paper. In 2007, we transitioned from the outdated, 1980s practice to a paperless office. Every month we increased our use of technology for marketing. We hired a graphic design company to create a Web site (more like a glorified digital brochure). That static Web site became obsolete by the time it went live online! I upgraded my Web site to a Televox webplus in 2010 and, wow, what a difference! Televox allows me to change my Web site myself! As an office, we are constantly looking for new ways to keep our Web site fresh and dynamic by adding new photographs, videos and features!

I always make it a point to inquire about the expertise of my patients and grill them for free advice while we small talk around the dental chair. Many of the insights I have regarding online marketing and social media have come from my patients. One of my patients, Dave Lee,1 has been a mentor who has taken me under his wing to teach me the ins and outs of social marketing. Things I’ve learned from Dave and from others on my journey:

1. Get Your Name Out There
Don’t be shy! Promote yourself and your expertise! Be bold and proud of your expertise. There are no points for humility… it’s a cut-throat world. A few essential sites to get your name out there:
2. Create Informational Content
Understand the Internet is where most people go for information before they become buyers.2 Create content that will allow people to get to know you and your practice. People love free information. Promote yourself as the go-to person for professional advice. Once you give them information, they have a relationship with you and they see you as their doctor. Even if they have never stepped foot in your office, you want them to feel like you are their doctor.
  • Create digital white papers, ebooks and brochures about your expertise.
  • Create a video and store it on YouTube or Vimeo.
  • Create “Ask the doctor” forms (www.wufoo.com) and place them on your site so people know you don’t mind people bugging you for your expertise.
3. Use Lead Generation
The more people you interact with, the more potential business you have. The more shoppers buy from you, the more your business grows. Most businesses call this process of getting to know potential customers lead generation. You should seek as many opportunities to collect contact information from as many sources as you can. Some people collect stamps, but really, we should be in the business of collecting future friends and patients. Patients who are not ready to call your office and schedule an appointment might feel comfortable reaching out to you and asking a question or signing up for an informational newsletter. Once you have collected a following of “digital friends,” provide those leads with multiple contacts or interactions with valuable information about your company, your expertise and your brand. The process is like a funnel. As people fall off the trail to become paying customers, the funnel narrows. Successful businesses are fine with having people stick around until they are ready to become shoppers. This applies to orthodontic offices as we allow prospective patients the opportunity to interact with us in a low-pressure, casual interaction until they are ready to pull the trigger and become customers.

4. Edge Craft
Have a great idea? Push the idea one step further. An example: our office started a “Debond Day.” The idea is not new as many offices do a debond day. While planning for the day we had an edge craft session. We asked, “How can we get patients to become raving fans on the day they get their braces off?” We want every patient who gets braces off to post on his or her Facebook wall the exciting news that the braces came off. How did we do it? In our waiting room, we set up a photo booth with our logo and props. Patients have their picture taken before and after their appliances are removed. Digital copies of the pictures are e-mailed to the family together with a letter inviting them to share the fun news via e-mail, Twitter and Facebook. In summary, the world of online marketing and social media has expanded our audience and increased the speed at which information is being consumed. Make sure your media and reputation is out there for people to see!
Let’s continue this discussion online!

Alan A. Curtis DDS, MS
Curtis Orthodontics
CurtisOrthoAZ.com
Facebook.com/Curtis.Orthodontics
Linkedin.com/in/dralancurtis
Youtube.com/CurtisOrthoAZ

References
  1. http://www.linkedin.com/in/davelee123
  2. http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Online-Product-Research.aspx


Orthotown Magazine
October 2025
Orthotown Magazine October 2025 Read Current Issue Read Archived Issues
Sponsors
Townie® Poll
When did you last increase your fees?
  
Site Menu
Message Boards Magazine Continuing Education Podcasts Blogs Classifieds News Events Townie® Poll Ebooks Townie Choice Awards
Company Info
Contact Us Advertise With Us Howard Farran DDS, MBA Policies and Agreements
Site Help
Sally Gross, Member Services Specialist
Phone: +1-480-445-9710
Email: sally@farranmedia.com
©2025 Orthotown, a division of Farran Media • All Rights Reserved
9633 S. 48th Street Suite 200 • Phoenix, AZ 85044 • Phone:+1-480-598-0001 • Fax:+1-480-598-3450