Today, Lacie is joined by Mary Katherine Vonpotts, the Marketing Director for Scenic City Orthodontics in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Mary Katherine shares innovative ways to serve your community while marketing your practice. She emphasizes the importance of community involvement with schools, which has paid dividends in her office. Mary Katherine also reminds listeners to remember the Dentists who refer patients, and she has a proactive way of making those Dentists feel appreciated. After listening today, you will see the importance of keeping your brand visible in your community.
IN THIS EPISODE:
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Click here to download this episode's printable tip sheet, "Is Marketing In Your Community Worth It?"
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
What follows is an AI-generated transcript. The transcript may contain errors and is not a substitute for watching the video.
Practice Talk-23-0907-Mary Katherine Vonpotts
(00:00:00) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Welcome to Practice Talk, a deep dive into the world of healthcare practices, where we invite team members to share strategies to make your work life easier. Now your host, Lacey Ellis.
(00:00:17) Lacie Ellis: Welcome to our third episode of Practice Talk brought to you by People in Practice Media. I'm excited to dive into today's topic. Is marketing in your community worth it? With my guest, Mary Catherine, Mary Catherine is the marketing director for scenic city orthodontics in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with over six years of orthodontic marketing experience under her belt.
She can't think of a better job than making people smile when she's not talking teeth. You can find her shopping at her local farmer's market with her husband and two year old son, in my opinion. MK has mastered the art of building relationships in her community. And I am so excited to dig into the topic with her today.
Welcome Mary Catherine.
(00:00:59) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Thank you so (00:01:00) much, Lacey. It is a pleasure to get to talk to you, um, about marketing, what I get to do on a daily basis and make people smile.
(00:01:08) Lacie Ellis: I know. I love that we get to geek out about marketing together. This is really fun.
(00:01:12) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Absolutely.
(00:01:14) Lacie Ellis: So as a reminder, don't worry about taking any notes today.
We're going to put together a printable. It's going to be a for free, um, downloadable on our website and it's going to be filled with discussion, um, details from today. So I'm especially excited about the topic today because at people in practice, we really specialize in digital marketing. But we love it when we get to work with a practice that has a strong community presence.
It really is the best of both worlds in our opinion. And so I'm looking forward to discussing how offices can better achieve the aspect of community marketing on their end. So what we do has even more impact. So let's dive in. What type of events in your community have you found to be the most beneficial for the practice?
(00:01:59) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: (00:02:00) Yeah, I mean doing events is something that we take so much pride in at Scenic City Orthodontics. It's a whole team endeavor. It's not just me and my marketing assistant. It's, we ask the entire team to come and help whenever possible, so we do Over the years, we've we've done a lot. Um, and I would definitely say that you can always count on any event that is linked with a school to be successful.
Um, definitely, because those relationships. Um, it's, there's just, you can't put a price on that ROI, um, because you keep building that relationship and solidifying that relationship with that school, um, over the years and with those, um, different events. And then of course, events that we host at our office that we host as a practice, um, that we try and get as much reach, um, as possible into the (00:03:00) demographic that we're looking at, but also just to spread brand awareness.
So, I would definitely say that schools, we love to dig in there, and then, of course, the events that we host.
(00:03:10) Lacie Ellis: Excellent. That's perfect. So, I know this really can be very area specific for the practice where it's located and things like that. I know, um, one practice I worked in, it was like, a community thing, but they had this huge kite flying festival every year.
And it was just always really successful to be there. So aside from partnering with schools and hosting something in the office, is there any other events out in the community that you've done that you felt like were like just really successful for you guys?
(00:03:41) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Absolutely. There, um, recently, actually the, one of the last events we did, um, in August, this past August was, Um, a health fair, um, where we set up our table and tents and we have our Plinko games and, um, can jam and cornhole set up.
And it's, um, if it's at a popular (00:04:00) venue, um, like this one was where people are already milling about and you're putting your brand and your name in front of them, um, it really. I think that that also is defines a successful event. Excuse me. Um, so health fairs are always great. Um, where people are actually, you know, they're shopping.
They know what they're going to. It's a health fair. Um, it's not. Random from for an orthodontist to be there. If
(00:04:30) Lacie Ellis: that makes sense. Yeah, absolutely. So that really leads well into my next question. And I get this a lot. How do you define a successful community event?
(00:04:42) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Yes, absolutely. Um, and, you know, all the marketing terms looking at that, your return and in the orthodontic world, how many starts did we get from a set event?
Um, Which are all necessary evils and great to track and look at, but also (00:05:00) if you see someone that says that maybe a new patient comes in the door and you ask what is their, um, referral source, how did you hear about us? And they might say, Oh, I saw your billboard. But I also, um, you guys brought your photo booth to my child's school three years ago.
Um, yeah. We're building on that. It doesn't, they might not come in the Monday after a weekend event, but we're putting our brand in front of them. Um, and eventually, you know, we always say that our blood runs lime green here at Scenic City Orthodontics, but we want to make their blood run lime green without them realizing it.
Um, so I would definitely say that there is a large showing. It's successful. If you've put your best people out there, it's going to be successful.
(00:05:52) Lacie Ellis: I love that. So I, because I know what some practices I've worked in, it's really defined by how many leads did we collect or, you know, (00:06:00) how many patients scheduled, how many started because of that event.
And I love what you said. It's about building that brand awareness and really just being in the community. That is. the goal of the event. I mean, yes, we love it when we get a patient from it. But if that's the only way we're defining the success of the event, I think you really are limiting yourself and the practice in getting out there and doing it.
You feel almost defeated because, oh, we got one lead from the event, but that's not true. And like you said, the way that we qualify when somebody comes in and we say, oh, so how'd you hear about us? They're usually going to tell us, like, What they think we want to hear, it seems, you know, like, uh, the dentist referred me because that feels like such a strong referral, but really it's a combination we feel of so many things.
They've seen us at an event. They did ask their dentist and he said, yeah, they're great too. And then they go online and read our reviews and do their homework online as well. So I just think there's not one (00:07:00) path that somebody takes usually to get to us. And so. Defining the success of an event really shouldn't be tied, in my opinion, to how many people started because of it.
(00:07:13) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Absolutely. We, I try not to track, you know, if we're going to do an event the next year, tracking exactly how many new patients we did receive from that, but looking at it as a whole, like, There was a great turnout. Um, you know, we collected this many emails or this many phone numbers. Um, there's just not one way, obviously, in marketing to do something.
And so, um, I don't, we don't like to put all of our eggs in one basket just based off of if we actually had a patient come in our office and start treatment with us on that one event.
(00:07:50) Lacie Ellis: Perfect. Yep. I totally, totally agree. So we have reached out to our clients at People in Practice. And we also asked on our last episode (00:08:00) for team members to submit questions about today's topic.
So let's hear our first question.
(00:08:05) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Throughout the years, we have given away swag at events and to our patients, but it seems to always come back to the concern that all of these things are just being thrown away. Have you found anything that you think people really keep and that that actually helps to market the practice?
(00:08:25) Lacie Ellis: Oh, I, I feel like you probably get this question a lot as well. Um, I think it's such a great question. And MK, I'm just so curious. What have you found that you get the most kind of bang for your buck for inside and outside of the office for swag?
(00:08:44) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: This is such a great question because I, a lot of times, um, like I said, I do have a wonderful marketing assistant and she's kind of like, I'm the left hand.
She's the right hand. And so I feel like between the two of us were always ordering some kind of swag inventory. (00:09:00) Um, but as far as those, um, items that you're handing out at events and the ones that you have in your office, even what we found is you have to go with what is The most popular with what age group, what demographic you're trying to hit.
Are you trying to impress the mom or are you trying to speak to the child? Right now? Um, fidget spinners are still all the rage. We get this all the time that people love our fidget spinners. Um, so definitely that is obviously on the child's level. Um, and there are little things that we have like stress balls.
With our logo on them, but we try and find pens and pencils to find something that is Popular like a nice ink pen so getting maybe your bang for your buck isn't the route that we necessarily take because we want it to Be something (00:10:00) that these people are going to use in their home at school playing with their friends We really do want it to be something Like at events, um, now we take Stanley cups that we have our logo engraved on, and we do a raffle with a Stanley cup, because what mom isn't going to see a lime green Stanley cup and be like, Oh, no, i'll just pass that up.
Just give us your name and your email and this could be yours, you know Um, so and the same thing we um sweatshirts and t shirts that speak That are still branded but speak to what is popular and trending right now um, I think that that is what we found is the key is to really what is trending now versus What can 4imprint give me for the best price point, if that makes sense?
(00:10:50) Lacie Ellis: Sure. Yeah, no, that really does. And I thought about,
n
(00:10:54) Lacie Ellis: ,um, what do I have sitting around from past offices I've taken my son to? Um, and the (00:11:00) things that seem to stick in our house, at least, are like chapstick never gets thrown away. away. And then, um, one office gave us, it wasn't like a Stanley cup or a water bottle, but it was like a stainless steel tumbler cup.
And I swear that thing is dirty in my sink all the time. And we haven't been to that office. We moved from near there. So we haven't been there in like five years. Um, so things like that, that just feel like. You know, sometimes the plastic water bottles, I think we get like six or seven of those and we go through them every so often and throw away the ones that have gotten kind of gross and things like that.
But the things that kind of stick, um, that's the things that I think, you know, we want to have available to the patients. And like you said, I completely agree spending a little more. on a little better quality item as well is going to make somebody not want to throw it away. If I get a pen and it writes really good, I don't care what it says on it.
I just want it to write well. So, and then I'm looking at your name every day when I'm writing with it. So, I think things like that (00:12:00) are super important.
(00:12:02) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Yes, absolutely. Yes. So I do think that we tend to spend a little, a little bit more, but I think it goes a longer way. Um, because people are more, um, prone to keeping something if it is a little bit nicer.
And I mean, I hope that people take our high quality fidget spinners away at events and they're like, wow, they, they're just giving these away for free. You know, that's what, that's what our hope is.
(00:12:28) Lacie Ellis: Awesome. I love it. So, uh, next we didn't get a question, we kind of got a comment and so let's listen to the comment and then let's talk about it.
(00:12:37) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: A couple different ways. We have been able to stay in touch with our local school communities is by donating to the booster clubs. Um, we also sponsor quite a few sports events and of course when we're doing these things, we're very active on our social media, showing us out in the community. Um, and. In return from all of that, we've (00:13:00) seen support in our business from the community.
(00:13:03) Lacie Ellis: Win win. Yeah. This is probably one of the top five questions I get asked being in marketing, um, with dentists and orthodontists. And they'll say, how do you build that relationship with a school? It's just getting harder and harder to get in with the school to build that relationship. So I know you guys really shine at this.
at your practice. And so how have you guys achieved the relationships that you have with your schools?
(00:13:33) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Yes, this is such a fantastic comment and question because obviously, um, being a part of our local schools is something that every practice wants to do, right? If your patient base is coming from children, it makes the most sense.
Um, but what we have found is going to a school or getting a contact from that school and sending a survey to them (00:14:00) asking, Hey, what do you need? Tell us your top three needs this year and that can be whatever they're thinking and then we give them kind of an option Um sheet so to speak of this is what we can do if you guys need us to such as like field trip t shirts Um with you know, the school's logo on the front our logo on the back We pay for those.
Um, but a lot of schools don't have the funds to do that Car line tags obviously or something we do or hey we say Just if your teachers and staff need to pick me up, we would love, let us know. Like we would love to drop coffee and donuts off. Um, and so doing that survey, um, at the end of the summer, um, and then when school starts, um, going.
The schools and dropping breakfast or lunch or coffee, whatever it may be off to have that extra touch with them. Um, this (00:15:00) past August, because school starts really early here in Tennessee. Um, so we, um, between me and Emma, my marketing assistant, we um, hit, I believe, 12 or 13 schools where we were dropping off a breakfast, a lunch or, um, snacks, because a lot of schools now have, um, happy carts for their teachers or a little snack display in the teacher's lounge.
And so we. It's just a simple Costco run for us to replenish, um, for them. We're happy to do that. And that's just an extra way to say like, Hey, we hope your school year starts off on a great foot. But because we have that survey from them, we know that we're going to be, um, in connection with them more throughout the school year.
If that makes sense
(00:15:49) Lacie Ellis: as well. That does know that I could not agree with you more. That asking the school what they need is like the best route to go. We did that with, (00:16:00) um, an office I worked in. We, you know, we just reached out. We said, Hey, what do you need? What can we do? And they're like, oh my gosh. The nurse said that they need little mini deodorants, middle school boys.
What can I say? You know? And so we provided a little mini deodorant, so we just slapped a sticker on the back with our logo on it, with a fun little saying. Um, and they flew out of there. She was so grateful and it really was. more about giving back something to the school more, almost, and building that relationship, then, ooh, this is going to be marketing material for the practice, so to speak.
(00:16:37) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Yes, absolutely. I love that idea. We actually, we did just take some, like, toothbrush and toothpaste for a little hygiene corner that, um, a school social worker was setting up for the school year. And so, just those small touches go a long way. This was the first year that we really honed in, um, Done, you know, delivering breakfast or lunch to 12 or 13 (00:17:00) schools that it is not the most cost effective way.
But, um, I will say that from that, once again, and marketing so much of it is just having the right person in the position. Um, Emma, she talks to people so well and just me and her doing these deliveries. I think we've had three people schedule already. I know of one start, I would have to go and look at our numbers, but so we've spent 2, 500, 3, 000, but we've already made that back.
Um, so it definitely is. tangible, you know, people, someone's looking for an orthodontist, whether they know it or not, they're looking for you. Um, so it's just so nice to be able to see those results. Um, but like I said, even if we hadn't seen, um, those. Numbers already, it still is more than worth it because they're going to remember who we are and as they have their fun runs and (00:18:00) fundraisers and fall festivals throughout the year, um, we'll be there again to partner with
(00:18:05) Lacie Ellis: them.
That's awesome. I love it. I love everything that you guys are doing and stand for it just is so valuable. Um, so my last question and something that I get asked. Probably the most often is, should a practice still be doing deliveries to their referring partners, um, you know, general dentist offices and things like that?
And if so, um, what do you bring and how often are you going?
(00:18:33) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: So hands down, I say absolutely. Um, I know that we live in a digital age where people are searching, um, Instagram and Google and other search engines. Um, For an orthodontist, but you can't beat that professional referral because people put their trust in their general dentist.
Um, and most people have been seeing the (00:19:00) same general dentist for years and years. You know, you, you go twice a year and you see that same person. Um, so I say, absolutely. We. Um, how we kind of break it up as we do a one quarter or one delivery per quarter. Um, and then a Christmas, um, delivery as well. And so what we always do, um, and try to keep as our rule of thumb.
Is to bring a treat one quarter and then the next quarter, something that's branded for us. So back at the start of the summer, right before Memorial Day, Um, we, for our top 10 referring offices, we've got to partner with a fun new local business who does ice cream cookie sandwiches. She makes them herself and she has a cute little cart.
So we went around to our top 10 referrers and gave them The ice cream sandwiches. Our other referrers, our B and C list referrers, (00:20:00) we got Publix to cater, um, almost the exact same thing except it was icing in between the cookies instead of ice cream. They're called yo yos. They were so cute and people went bananas over them.
Um, and so that counted as like our treat delivery. So our last delivery we did, um, after the summer craziness, you probably need a little, um, office supply restock. So we took branded pens, um, pencils, a branded cup of ours, um, branded Letter openers because our office manager always says that she uses the same letter opener and people needed to see our name when their office managers were using that.
Um, but, and then like lime green rubber bands, lime green paper clips. Um, but so something that isn't necessarily a treat, but they're going to use. So. And then this next round of (00:21:00) deliveries will be another treat. We're going to do, um, cinnamon rolls from a local, um, bakery.
(00:21:08) Lacie Ellis: Okay. So you brought something up.
I don't know if everybody who's in marketing or maybe they're new to it will understand A, B, and C. So how do you define an A office? And does that determine the frequency of, uh, you visiting that office?
(00:21:26) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: So typically our A referrals are obviously our top referrals are our bread and butter. We know that they're there.
They typically, you know, it's, it takes a lot for someone to move out of the top 10 spot and kind of move a new person to move in. Um, we still see them the same amount of times in a year. They still are on our regular delivery schedule. However, we might be taking a lunch to one of our a list referrals here and there.
If one of them shoots way (00:22:00) up, we're definitely going to take a lot of catered lunch to the entire office and same thing. If one of our a list is kind of slipping down, same thing, same sort of deal. Um, and then, of course, our C list are those, I like to always talk about A and then C and then come to B, but our C list are kind of those that have referred in the past, but really aren't doing a lot.
Um, and a lot of those generally are like kind of, um, old school dentist or general dentist for us and our circumstances who are doing Invisalign on their own. So they're not really referring orthodontics, um, out of their office. And so we're not going to spend as much time and energy on them, but they still are included in those quarterly deliveries.
And then of course, B list are kind of those that we want to court because we know that they have the potential to become A listers. And so maybe taking a (00:23:00) lunch to them as well. Um, um, and just maybe setting up a lunch or a dinner or a happy hour. with the doctors, um, of those potential offices.
(00:23:13) Lacie Ellis: Okay. So I, I'm glad we defined that because I know it used to be in, especially in a few of the practices that I worked in.
And I know this is probably very demographic, uh, an area specific, but it seemed like we had those handful offices that they sent us every seven year old that has a birthday. They sent us anyone who needs treatment. Um, but now with so many offices doing orthodontics or their nephew just moved to town as an orthodontist himself.
Or I don't, there just seems to be a wider range of reasons why we might not be getting the same amount of referrals from that office. And I think it was a good mental shift for me to change my idea from why aren't we getting these referrals to how do we become one of the three to five business cards that they do hand out when they hand them out?
You know, cause usually they're like, (00:24:00) these are all great doctors. Find one that's near you and take your insurance. Like, I want to be at least one of those cards that's handed out. So I think that helped me through the processing of it's, it's, the landscape's just a little bit different than it used to be with deliveries.
And I think some offices have just given up on marketing to them. And I agree with you. I think that is a huge mistake because I'm not delivering necessarily to be like, Send us everyone. I'm delivering to be like, Hey, don't forget about us. And thank you for the partnership that we do have. So it's a part gratitude part, you know, trying to get something from it.
But mostly I try to deliver out of gratitude for the relationship that we have in the community and for what they. Give back to the community. And I think that little bit of a shift, at least for me, it really helped me through that time of, we're just not getting the same amount of referrals that we used to get from offices.
(00:24:58) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Yes, (00:25:00) absolutely. Um, like one of, for example, one of our top refer, she has been for a very long time. Um, She kind of had fallen back just a little bit, not, not a terribly too much, but enough for everyone to go, whoa, what's happening here? And if you're tracking that and looking at those, you have those A listers and those B listers, and of course your C as well.
We could see that she probably, she just didn't have the patients coming in that she was referring out. She always sent quality, quality patients. And so, you really do have to look at those trends, but it is so important to dig in and know those relationships, because like I said, we live in a digital world, and you can throw all the money you want to at Google Ads, it's a necessary evil with, you know, playing with meta and having those ads, but at the end of the day, um, a relationship and face to face, it (00:26:00) goes a long way.
(00:26:02) Lacie Ellis: Yeah, absolutely. So are there any other tips, tricks, wisdom, anything that we didn't go over that you wanted to share?
(00:26:11) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Um, I don't know if we've really, I think we've hit everything. Like, you know, community engagement is absolutely a huge part of what we do, um, in our entire marketing plan for each year here at Scenic City Orthodontics.
Um, so, and we're also, we're always, I want to say like, Email me if you have any questions, because, um, you know, sharing tips and tricks in the industry, um, is always a great thing to do to get brainstorming going. And I'm always happy to partner. with other people in similar positions.
(00:26:48) Lacie Ellis: Oh, I love that. You are the sweetest.
Um, I really hope that everyone enjoyed this conversation as much as I did today. Like I said, I love it when I get to geek out on marketing, especially with a friend who I (00:27:00) respect so much, uh, what you do and how you guys do it. Um, so thank you for your extremely valuable time and information, Mary Catherine, we really appreciate it.
(00:27:10) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Well, thank you, Lacey. This is awesome that you guys are doing this and putting this out there as a resource. So like I said, I'm happy to help in any way. Awesome.
(00:27:19) Lacie Ellis: So as a reminder, our goal for this podcast is to give you truly tangible items that you can use in your day to day life at the office. We really want to elevate the voices of the people that actually work.
in the office and sit in the same chair that you sit in every single day. Our next episode, we will be talking to a fantastic office manager and discussing how she manages a team as well as a busy practice. Um, we would love for you to send your anonymous questions and stories to practice talk. com.
Please subscribe and share this episode with your friends and family that might find these conversations helpful and interesting. And don't forget about our other podcast called the golden age of orthodontics. (00:28:00) It is hosted by our. Founders of people in practice, Dr. Leon Klempner and Amy Epstein. Um, and they really dig into some fascinating topics about technology that's out there, um, in the field and talk to the leaders in the industry building that technology.
So it's, it's super fascinating if you're in this space, uh, to listen to them as well and tell next time. Thank you for joining us on Practice Talk where your voice has value.
(00:28:26) Mary Katherine Vonpotts: Thank you for listening to The Practice Talk podcast. Head over to practice.
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