Market Your Brand!

Marketing is not a joke; make sure you do it right.

WATCH BELOW…

Show off who you are, without compromising integrity.

The Gist

I have been in the field of marketing for nearly nine years now. I double-majored in Marketing and Applied Economics at Elmhurst University (Go BlueJays!) and was immediately immersed in real-life marketing scenarios when I joined Vitality. I want to discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what might be on the horizon!

Dos & Don’ts

Social Media

Do’s: Post, post, post—want to stay in the algorithm? You need to post and be interactive. If you want cheap, easy likes, go for the trends. If you want to engage with your followers, go live. If you want to build something different, go long form. Sometimes content is not for everyone, but it will be for someone. It is better to have 10 likes from dental offices, other labs, and dental professionals than to have 50 likes from people halfway around the globe who have 500 following and 2 followers.

Don’ts: Falling out of rhythm will put you in a like and view purgatory. Do not change your posting time; stay consistent. If it is every Tuesday and Thursday at 11:29 AM, stick to that schedule. Don’t rely on an article that tells you the best posting times. If everyone posts at the same time, you have more competition for that time slot. So, adjust your schedule, but remain consistent once the change is made. Do not overuse AI; it can come off as tacky and eventually strip the character from your content.

Team Building

Do’s: Begin as soon as possible. Within a calendar year, we organized company-wide tournaments for Ping Pong, Cornhole, Water Pong, and Pickleball. I also involved our staff in a social experiment by playfully teasing our admin team as Jigsaw. The sooner you start, the sooner the team can come together. Next, consider filming it—not to exploit, but to expand your company's digital presence by showcasing the lighter side of your lab or practice. I assure you it makes for great fun and excellent content.

Don’ts: Avoid forcing fun. I learned this the hard way when I tried to start PingPongPalooza Round 2 during the busy season—it flopped. It's important to find like-minded employees who are interested in participating and becoming the stars of your business. Initially, I took on that role (surprisingly, I know), but as we experimented, we discovered who wanted to join in and who didn't. Avoid putting someone on camera if they don't want to be (it may seem obvious, but you'd be surprised to find out who enjoys the spotlight and who doesn't). Lastly, don't detract from production time. Identify your slow season and fill that period with activities that differ from the usual routine.

Physical Mailings

Do’s: A/B Test. Conduct rounds of direct mail with coupons, price lists, and flyers—then run it again, but switch the copy. It may take some time to determine what's effective and what isn't, but once you know, you know. It doesn't have to be just the copy; try changing your delivery method. We've sent everything imaginable to figure out what would resonate. After years of trials and tribulations, we now have the secret sauce... and as much as I'd like to share that...

Don’ts: Overcomplicating marketing can lead to failure. Have your photographer take a picture, have your graphic designer refine it, add a price, and send it out—use the KISS method. Most people are discarding your marketing materials anyway, so keep it simple and make it stand out. Don’t rebrand every year either; A/B testing is one thing, but constantly changing your color schemes is another. For us, that Tiffany Blue is recognized nationwide; for you, find what makes you stand out and stick with it.

Email Campaigns

Do’s: Send it out. Your unsubscribes may increase, but your true followers will remain. For those who do, incentivize them—provide a digital promo code, offer internal insights, and make them feel a part of it. Stand out, be different, but stay on brand. My inbox is filled with AI-written copy and stock imagery; get creative, but again, stay on brand. If your brand isn't established yet, decide what you want your company to be; don't let consumers decide for you. Without that curbside recognition, your company will fall by the wayside.

Don’ts: Avoid being overly reliant on AI. It's already happening: brands are starting to become indistinguishable, and AI is replacing creative departments because it's easy and cost-effective. Using too much AI is contributing to this race to the bottom. Hire that copywriter, hire that graphic designer, and don't become complacent with your brand. Just like physical marketing, don’t oversell or overwhelm—keep it simple and engaging; it will go a long way.

Events & Conferences

Do’s: Be there. Even with just a banner and two chairs, your presence will be a gift. It is beneficial for your staff and for both your current and new clients you will meet along the way. Bring a gimmick—we had a spin-the-wheel trivia game paired with a putt-putt competition. It's corny, but it's fun and encourages those who might have just grabbed merchandise and left to engage with your booth. Offer prizes—everyone likes free stuff, but make sure it's related to your brand. For example, mouse pads for dental labs make for good marketing.

Don’ts: Leave the sales team at home. Not every conversation has to be the next big thing; sometimes people want genuine interaction, not corporate jargon. It sounds crazy—wouldn't you want salespeople at a sales event? Yes, if you want to bore your clientele to death. Maybe have one or two, but a whole booth of suits and ties will make people run to the Vitality booth giving away free t-shirts. So, maybe do bring your whole sales team and park your booth next to ours. 😀 

 What is on the horizon?

AI Mania & CopyCats

 Once your brand starts standing out, you will encounter "copycats" who will copy and paste your idea into ChatGPT and adjust it for their own use. That's okay; if your brand is strong enough, you will come out on top. While others engage in the AI race to the bottom to save money and reduce overhead, you will stand out as unique and on-brand. You might not get 1,000 likes or views, but the viewership you have will be genuine. These are numbers you can build on, not paid-for AI-written copy that is unreliable and resembles previous slang from other accounts.

Need more? Click Below!