Montage: DICOM Player in Montage

One of our latest features to Montage Interactive Display is the new DICOM Player. Montage Interactive is the ultimate client engagement, entertainment, product and service education available for your practice. It provides an enhanced clinical case presentation for your patients and becomes a social media powerhouse with your clients.

Our new DICOM Player displays any DICOM file captured from your radiography equipment. Many systems on the market including TigerView and Neo have built-in utilities to distribute any captured Xray to a defined location.

See how Shuler Veterinary Clinic uses Montage to give an interactive experience with each vet visit.

Client Engagement, Entertainment, Product and Service Education, Clinical Case Presentation, and a Social Media Powerhouse...and more. Montage continues to grow to become a multi-purpose system.

Over 35 Veterinary specific widgets designed for your practice reception area and exam room.  Learn more about DICOM and Montage.

Social Media: Instagram “Likes” are Disappearing

Social media likes may soon indefinitely be a thing of the past, at least on Instagram. It seemed like 2019 was full of updates for all social media platforms. From Facebook to Twitter banning political ads to Instagram’s various updates, social media is constantly changing and evolving.

One noticeable social media change happening to users of all kinds is the disappearance of “likes.” It was first announced that Canadian users would experience their likes disappearing back in April 2019. In July 2019, the same changes applied to users in Brazil, Ireland, Italy, Japan and New Zealand. Facebook began testing hidden likes on its platform for some Australian users in the Fall.

“The new feature hides users’ public like counts on videos and photos in the Feed, on the web, and within profiles.” Instagram announced that it wants followers to “focus on the photos and videos you share, not how many likes they get.”

“As you scroll through your feed, there are no like counts,” explained Mark Zuckerberg at F8. “You can see who liked a photo or video, you can tap through to see [the list], and if you have the time you can add them all up yourself.”

Instagram is one of the most popular social media apps with more than 1 billion monthly users and about 500 million daily users on Instagram Stories. There is no opt-in or opt-out to hiding Instagram likes and only time will tell if this feature will altogether be removed for everyone on the popular platform.

Zuckerberg said as much during his keynote, stating: “We want people to be less interested in how many likes a post gets, and focus more on connecting with other people.”

Here is what it looks like when the likes count is gone:

Photo: CNN

What does this mean for users and businesses altogether? The challenge is to continue to create engaging content and engage with your followers. Download selfie signs and a social media calendar of fun holidays for free here. This will help you stand above your competitors and help create new content for your social media platforms.

4 Instagram Updates You May have Missed this Month

Social media is constantly changing. New platforms emerge, new algorithms throw away what once worked and new updates change the way we can create engaging content. With all these changes happening in real-time, you may have missed these four essential updates for Instagram.

There are more than 1 billion monthly active users of Instagram worldwide and that number is only growing as more people are using to share and interact with the businesses and brands they love. 90% of brands use social media to increase brand awareness and reach a potential audience through a strategic approach and curated unique content.

1. Eliminating the “Following" Tab

The ‘Following’ tab is being removed from Instagram. The ‘Following’ tab was a feature on the popular app within the ‘Activity’ tab, which would let users see how people they’re following were engaging on Instagram. All activity from people you’re following could be found in that ‘Following’ tab. “The ‘Following’ tab listed which posts and comments were recently liked by people you’re following.”

2. Dark Mode for Instagram

What is ‘dark mode’? Dark mode makes your screen, apps and whole appearance choose a dark system. According to Apple, “In iOS 13.0 and later, people can choose to adopt a dark system-wide appearance called Dark Mode. In Dark Mode, the system uses a darker color palette for all screens, views, menus, and controls, and it uses more vibrancy to make foreground content stand out against the darker backgrounds.” 

Anyone on iOS 13 or Android 10 is able to choose ‘dark mode’ on your phone and Instagram. 

3. New App: Threads

Instagram released its newest standalone messaging app called ‘Threads.’ Similar to Facebook Messenger. According to Instagram's announcement, “a new camera-first messaging app that helps you stay connected to your close friends.”

In ‘Threads,” you can only message your close friends from a list made by you on Instagram. You are able to share videos, messages, photos and Instagram Stories from your ‘Close Friends’ list.

Instagram announced, “for your smaller circle of friends, we saw the need to stay connected throughout the day, so you can communicate what you’re doing and how you’re feeling through photos and videos. That’s why we built Threads, a new way to message with close friends in a dedicated, private space.”

Threads: Instagram

4. Product Launch Stickers

500 million people use Instagram stories daily. As social media introduce more features within their platforms, there will be more ways for businesses to connect with their followers. Instagram specifically, is testing reminder notifications for product launches. 

“Today we’re testing a new way to set reminders about upcoming product launches so people can buy your products the moment they’re available, right on Instagram. From checkout to shopping from creators, this is part of our ongoing investment to make it easier for people to shop.”

Instagram

These reminders will help connect even further with your followers and reach potential customers. Four big updates to one social media platform are huge! Capitalize on online marketing and social media services for your business. Social programs are very much like any other specialized task or responsibility in your business. There is a steep learning curve that requires full-time attention and a continual focus on changing technology. That person has to be accountable for the message and its results. 

Solutions by Design offers affordable social media marketing for a fraction of the cost of what most companies offer. Call us so we can personally assess your needs and build a strategic social media program for you. 

SEO: Google’s Core September Update

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of increasing the online visibility of your website in a web search engine’s unpaid results— referred to as “natural”, “organic”, or “earned” results.

SEO may target different kinds of search, including image search, video search, academic search, news search, and industry-specific vertical search engines. Search engine optimization is something that is always changing with updates by search engines and should be worked on and monitored.

Google is the king of search engines. “Google has dominated the search engine market, maintaining an 88.47 percent market share as of April 2019.” 3.5 billion Google searches are made every day and the number only seems to be increasing every year. Google releases a few core updates to its algorithm, which impacts the way websites are ranked and how the search engine works.

“What is a Google core update? A Google core update is when Google adjusts its core search ranking algorithm with the goal of returning more relevant and useful search results to the searcher.” According to Google, “Each day, Google usually releases one or more changes designed to improve our search results. Most aren’t noticeable but help us incrementally continue to improve.”

Later today, we are releasing a broad core algorithm update, as we do several times per year. It is called the September 2019 Core Update. Our guidance about such updates remains as we’ve covered before. Please see this blog for more about that: https://t.co/e5ZQUAlt0G

— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) September 24, 2019

With each update Solutions by Design analyzes what impacts this has on each client. Google’s core updates come a few a year, however, the impacts can lead to a decline in rankings, a spike for others, emphasizes backlinks or content, while some updates don’t impact others at all.

What is in this update? 

A Change in Rankings: 

With any update, search results change for each website. The website may see a spike in ranking higher for their keywords, while others see a drop in their ranking positions. Updates also impact click-through rates, which lead to a decline in website traffic.

In 2018 alone, Google made over 3,200 changes to its algorithms. However, core updates affecting search algorithm changes happen only a few times a year, with Google announcing the update and what it means for websites.

This September update affected the health and finance industry more than any other website. “Whenever Google updates its search ranking algorithms it means that your site can do better or worse in the search results.” Understanding when Google does these core updates allows us to understand when something has changed on websites such as traffic and where we can improve upon for better rankings. Always optimizing SEO is essential, especially as Google changes its algorithm.

What Can We Do? 

As an SEO company, Solutions by Design is always tracking changes in SEO and how to get our clients to rank as high as possible organically. If SEO rankings have been impacted, it does not mean that your website has been punished in any way possible by Google. According to Google, “There’s nothing wrong with pages that may perform less well in a core update. They haven’t violated our webmaster guidelines nor been subjected to a manual or algorithmic action. In fact, there’s nothing in a core update that targets specific pages or sites. Instead, the changes are about improving how our systems assess content overall.”

Google reminds us of what is rewarded and the best way to ensure search engine optimization is at its best for all websites. Focusing on content and websites that offer great quality content is what is rewarded in search engines. Here are recommendations on what to ask when creating content for your website, straight from the search engine source itself, Google.

Content and Quality: 

• Does the content provide original information, reporting, research or analysis? 
• Does the headline and/or page title provide a descriptive, helpful summary of the content?
• Is this the sort of page you’d want to bookmark, share with a friend, or recommend?
• Would you expect to see this content in or referenced by a printed magazine, encyclopedia or book?

Presentation and Production Questions: 

• Was the content produced well, or does it appear sloppy or hastily produced?
• Does the content have an excessive amount of ads that distract from or interfere with the main content?
• Does content display well for mobile devices when viewed on them?

Expertise Questions

• Is the website source trustworthy?
• Is this content written by an expert or enthusiast who demonstrably knows the topic well?
• Is the content free from easily-verified factual errors?

Comparative Questions:

• Does the content seem to be serving the genuine interests of visitors to the site or does it seem to exist solely by someone attempting to guess what might rank well in search engines? 

As an SEO company, Solutions by Design is always tracking changes in SEO and how to get our clients to rank as high as possible organically. Real SEO is worked on every month: adding, changing, linking, and enhancing so we get you results that are tough to achieve. Contact us for more information on how to get your website ranking in your communities.

Sources: https://webmasters.googleblog.com/2019/08/core-updates.html

5 Tools to Create Engaging Posts for Orthodontists

There is no denying the power of social media and its effect on businesses of any size. From organic content to social advertising, social media is here, it's not a trend and it’s here to stay in one form or another. 3.48 billion people now use social media. That’s an increase of 9% from last year, according to Hootsuite. Social media is changing every day and fast!

Businesses and brands are on social media adapting to trends, pushing content and converting visitors into customers. Social media can help you reach new potential patients by allowing your content to be discoverable and allowing potential patients to see the work you do. 90% of brands use social media to increase brand awareness, with most businesses maintaining between four and 10 social profiles.

While you don’t necessarily need to be on every social media platform, highlighting and creating great content will work for you, if you are on 1 or multiple social media platforms.

Here are five social media tools to create engaging posts for an orthodontist or in any industry. These social media tools will help enhance your practice and your business, creating a recognizable brand on social media, stand above your competitors and turn visitors into patients.

1. Boomerang

Boomerang is a popular app by Instagram. Boomerang allows users to capture mini videos that loop back and forth. Find something (or someone!) that's moving, or create a video selfie by switching to the front-facing camera. We have seen some incredible uses of boomerang, which create fun content that is shareable between Instagram and Facebook.

Boomerang works if you download the app directly on your phone or you can use the feature within the Instagram app. Either way, it is a fun way to create different types of content that is engaging.

View this post on Instagram

Brand New Smile hi-fives!!! Congrats, Caleb! #bracesoff - today!! 😁🌟

A post shared by Bright Orthodontics (@bright.orthodontics) on Sep 17, 2019 at 4:04pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

Pediatric Dental Specialists is sending out good vibes to our Dodgers! Let's Go Dodgers!!! 💙⚾️ #LosDoyers #LetsGoDodgers #DodgerBlue #Dodgers2019 #WeBleedBlue #PediatricDentalSpecialistsLongBeach #DrPlanells #DrSanchez #DrCortez #PDSLongBeach #LongBeachDentist #LongBeachCalifornia #LongBeach #PediatricDentist #KidsDentist #Orthodontist #Smile #KidsSmile #WeLoveOurPatients #ITFDB

A post shared by Pediatric Dental Specialists (@pdslongbeach) on Oct 9, 2019 at 1:08pm PDT

View this post on Instagram

Dab it out for NO CAVITIES! #cavityfree #pediatricdentistry #dancemoves #allsmiles

A post shared by Carolina Ortho & Kids (@mycarolinasmile) on Jun 5, 2019 at 1:11pm PDT

2. Canva

Canva is a highly creative tool that easily allows users to easily create graphics for documents to social media to power points. “Canva is a website that uses a drag-and-drop format and provides access to photographs, images, graphics, and fonts. It is used by non-designers as well as professionals. The tools can be used for both web and print media design and graphics.”

3. Photo Filters

Photo filters are not just for enhancing photos, they make a great way to different types of content, uniform and that complement well with each other.

Filters are a great way to make your content stand out as branded content, specifically to your orthodontic practice or business on Instagram and Facebook. Filters help your photo become instantly recognizable with a specific filter, color palette or gradient used on your photo.

For example, Braces by Benton uses a bright, clean look on each of their photos. Each photo curated, yet altogether as a social media feed looks uniform and unique. Waterhouse Animal Hospital uses bright and blue hue, that makes their entire feed match their branded blue color. It complements well with their website and their content becomes recognizable, without needing a watermark on each photo.

There are various different photo apps that any orthodontic practice (or business) can use such as VSCO, Snapseed, Afterlight or Adobe.

4. Video Apps

Video is increasingly popular on social media. With the ever-changing social media algorithms, video still performs well on any social media platform. Because of its reach video tends to engage more users on each social media platform. Twitter alone gains 1.2 billion total video views per day, just on their platform alone. Live video, is also a big opportunity to engage users. Facebook Live videos get six times more interactions than regular video content.

An effective social media strategy can help you plan out content for videos that can engage potential patients, while also keeping your current audience engaged. Contact us for help with creating a social media strategy that works for your practice.

Video is best used for telling a story, patient testimonials and letting your community see your orthodontic practice or business from behind the scenes. Dr. Castagna uses video to educate his current audience and potential patients on orthodontic treatment. Dr. Wentz has used video to showcase new offices, patient testimonials, and unique orthodontic treatment. Both showcase effective use of video, each on a different platform.

View this post on Instagram

Check out this star patient! ⭐️ Jake shows us how great he is at wearing his reversible headgear. See what he has to say about his experience!

A post shared by Wentz Orthodontics (@wentz_orthodontics) on Oct 15, 2019 at 6:50am PDT

You can use the built-in video editing apps on your phone to edit content such as iMovie, InShot or we at Solutions by Design use Adobe Premiere Pro on our phone to capture our Montage videos.

5. A Marketing Agency

An important tool that can help create engaging posts for orthodontists is by having a team behind your practice or business. Social media is constantly changing every day, with new algorithm changes, what worked last quarter may not work this quarter. Hiring a marketing agency allows your office team members to do what they do best, and leave the marketing to us.

69% of U.S. adults use at least one social media site. That number is growing every day, as 366 million new people started using social media in the past year. That’s more than a million new people joining social media every single day. Reach your potential patient or customer where they are.

With Solutions by Design, you have a team of web developers, social media managers, SEO specialists, and graphic designers as part of your team. Contact us for a customized plan fit for your needs. 

Montage: New Brochures for Your Practice

Montage Interactive Displays have changed the way veterinary practices operate by combining client engagement, patient education, clinical case presentations, entertainment, and social media. Solutions by Design has been working on widgets that allow veterinary offices and doctors to streamline their work.

Each brochure has the ability to be shared. Each display page is also supported by text and email features, so any and all information can be sent home in a touch.

We are continually adding new content to Montage for our Veterinary Clinics, If you would like to see more contact our office to schedule a demonstration at (800) 888-4084.

Social Media: Your Guide to Hashtags!

You have seen them on social media, yet you may be asking yourself, “what are they and how do they work?” These famous blue letters are called “hashtags.” # - This symbol is synonymous with social media and has allowed those who use it, generate a wide reach on different social media platforms.

What is a Hashtag?

So what is a hashtag? In the most simplest of terms, a hashtag is a word or phrase comprised of letters and numbers (and an emoji now) that is preceded by the hashtag symbol (#)

Hashtag’s essential main function is for social media platforms. Hashtags categorize content that is easily searchable by simply clicking on the "hashtag." Clicking on a hashtag will allow you to browse posts and content that has been tagged with it. Posting your own content (photo, tweet, video) with a hashtag will allow your post to be discoverable to anyone who searches for the hashtag. Depending on the hashtag popularity and use, the reach and impressions on your post depend on the popularity of the hashtag. Of course, you will factor in your following strength and how popular your post is.

Why should  I use them?

Hashtags allow people searching for specific related content to find it. Hashtags function similar to links and are clickable. This allows people to find similar content and accounts to follow. Using the right hashtag or a combination of hashtags will expose your content to a large targeted audience. It is a great tool to find like-minded brands. By utilizing hashtags, you allow yourself (your company, your brand, your business) to be more discoverable, leading to new followers, leads, increasing likes and engagement. It is one of the best ways to organically attract a following and reach a targeted group of individuals, interested in your brand.

Where to use them?

You want to use your hashtags in 2 key social media platforms, Twitter and Instagram.

Twitter:

Twitter can be attributed to making the hashtag mainstream and a staple for Twitter accounts. Twitter is a place that group posts based on hashtags, leading to trending topics. Being strategic and relevant with hashtags to the content you are sharing on Twitter can lead to an increase in organic engagement.

Instagram:

Instagram is another social media platform that has embraces the use of hashtags. Using hashtags within captions and your content such as Instagram stories gives you the ability to curate your content. Most importantly, your content becomes discoverable when hashtags are utilized, the same way you can find new content when clicking on hashtags. Instagram goes a step further, allowing you to also follow hashtags, the same way you would follow an account. You can also add a hashtag to your bio, all helping your content reach its highest (organic) potential.

Different Types of Hashtags:

There are different types of hashtags and different ways you can incorporate them into your social media strategy.

Branded hashtags: Branded hashtags are hashtags that are specific to your brand. They most likely will contain your brand name, a particular product or refer to a specific series of content. One of our clients Waterhouse Animal Hospital utilizes the hashtag and their name (#waterhouseanimalhospital). Branded hashtags allow you to keep your content organized, discoverable and invites your customers/patients to use the same hashtag.

Campaign Hashtags: Campaign hashtags have a short lifespan and are tied to an event, a product launch, a contest or something you would like to keep track of for a short amount of time.

Community hashtags are general hashtags that are flooded with content on a daily basis. For example, these hashtags like #instapic or #throwbackthursday are used widely and not specific to a brand, business or person.

Hashtags are ultimately a great way to reach people and have become the best ways to organically attract a following and reach a targeted group of individuals, interested in your business.  Hashtags categorize content that is easily searchable by simply clicking on the "hashtag.” Which hashtags are you using or following? Need some more in-depth tips for your practice or business? Need help with social media or some tips, contact us for more information at info@solutionsbydesign.com

4 Reasons Why Touch Screen Technology is Important

Technology is inundated into everything we do daily. From our phones to how we gather and receive information, to how we order our meals to how we access entertainment, technology has consumed multiple points of interactions in our daily life.

Touch screens are part of this component of technology and have become a staple in technology. From professional to personal use to wearable technology to even how we drive. With a durable surface, touch screen devices are more protected than other technological devices, because of their everyday use. The resilient and easy to use nature of touch screens make them suitable for users of all ages and skill levels, point being, touch screen technology is here to stay.

1. Easy User Experience:

The main benefit of touch screens is the overall simplicity of using them. It is one of the many reasons why we are all still loving our devices, personally. We interact with multiple things on a daily by the simple act of touch, your business/practice should be no exception. By using touch screens, you put the experience of your customer or patient, as a top priority. A defined set of menus is easy to navigate through when all the user has to do is touch the desired option. The user-friendly nature of the touch screen also helps save time, giving the user (customer/ patients) what they want in one place, information, education, resources, and entertainment.

2. Accessibility to All

The opportunity to reach a wide range of customers is important to any business or practice, of any size. With a wide reach of potential customers, your services should be tailored to meet anyone. Touch screens have the potential to be comfortable for any user to be informed, educated and entertained. Impaired individuals can use touch-screen technology, especially if using a mouse or keyboard is difficult. Touch screens can be customized and organized with content and information in a clear, simple way so anyone can operate them. People who have difficulty speaking or standing in lines can take advantage of touch-screen technology to access information easily and at their own pace. Touch screen technology is easy to use for any skill level and anyone of any age. The user experience and interfaces of touch screens are easy to use that anyone with little or no experience using computers can utilize them.

3. Efficiency to Your Business

Running an efficient business is one key to success. Several businesses use touch-screen technology to accelerate their speed of service, allowing customers to find information or serve themselves at touch-screen boards. From simple services, such as purchasing movie tickets, paying bills or accessing account information quickly, touch screen boards (kiosks) are beneficial for both customers and business owners. As a result, businesses can offer shorter lines, fast services, and excellent customer service.

4. Trustworthy and a Clean Look

To stand above your competitors, your business/practice has to be a place where customers can trust and be comfortable. Touch screen devices are smooth, flat screens, which bring your place of business to feel more modern, professional and clean. With accessible information, you are perceived as trustworthy, which is invaluable for any business. The wireless nature of the touch screen also eliminates the mess of tangled power cords behind the desk.

Technology is inundated into everything we do and how we interact. Touch screens are part of this component of technology and have become a staple in technology. To learn more or to request more information on how touch screen boards can change your practice, contact us today.

Solutions by Design: AAO 2019 Recap

The American Association of Orthodontics 2019 Annual Session wrapped up in Los Angeles this month. Solutions by Design was there to introduce our popular interface app “WazUp Trivia.” WazUp Trivia was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from practices who want to take their office contest to a whole new level. It was the perfect patient interaction, along with our photo booth.

Solutions by Design ran a contest with WazUp Trivia, raffling a bike at the end of AAO2019. It got pretty competitive and tested the skills of everyone from pop culture, to sports to, of course, orthodontic trivia. Check out some of our photos and be sure to follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

5 Twitter Marketing Tips for Orthodontists

Did you know there are 500 million tweets sent out every day? That’s 5,787 tweets being sent out every second! According to Twitter in 2018, 326 million people were using Twitter daily. That number continues to grow every day. That is a lot of potential engagement for a platform that mostly goes inactive for most business owners, specifically Orthodontist.

Several accounts are set up for practices but rarely are updated or remain inactive. It can be a challenge for orthodontic offices to use this social media platform, especially if they do not know what to publish in the first place. Assuming most orthodontic practices are active on Facebook or Instagram, they may ask themselves, do I post the same thing from Facebook? How do I even share something on Twitter? Will anyone even see it?

Before you follow these tips, be sure your Twitter account has all the appropriate links, bio description, and images, all match your website and other social media profiles. Here are 5 Twitter marketing tips for an orthodontist to utilize on Twitter, expand their audience reach, build a following and engage with potential customers.

1. Tag / Engage with Accounts:

Social media is meant to be social. Engaging with other accounts will help you build a following and provide value. By tagging other accounts (such as the local chamber of commerce, a school that visited your office or brands) you are starting a conversation online. This also helps with Twitter algorithms, which determine how your tweets get seen by followers.

For example Kelly Orthodontics, in Saint Charles, Illinois, tweeted this fantastic photo of a patient with an American Doll, comforting her as she received braces. Kelly Orthodontics tagged American Girl Doll and their tweet was seen by 323 non-followers.

2. Utilize a Branded Hashtag (#)

A hashtag is a word or phrase comprised of letters, numbers or an emoji, preceded by the hashtag symbol (#). This clickable word the main feature for social media platforms, especially on Twitter. You can see who posts content using that same hashtag.

For example, if I wanted to find what Twitter users are currently saying about braces, I would simply type in #braces and I would see the latest and top post of twitter users talking about braces. Using a branded hashtag for your practice, allows you to see what other people are posting.

Wentz Orthodontics uses the hashtag #WentzOrthoodontics in every tweet they sent out and encourage others to use that same hashtag across Twitter and Instagram. By clicking on that tweet, Wentz Orthodontics can discover other users who have used the hashtag and tagged their photos or comments.

3. Follow People in Your Community

Growing a following on Twitter can be a challenge, especially if you are choosing to do so organically. The most simple and effective way to gain twitter followers is to compile a list of businesses, organizations, and people in your community who are [active] on twitter. By following them, it is most likely they will follow back, thus creating a digital community online that is truly a representation of your hometown (or home state).

One easy way to discover twitter accounts within your community is to search for your local city government or local news stations on Twitter. They will most likely be following other businesses and organizations already.

4. RT Relevant Information

Twitter is an engaging platform that has the ability to spread information so fast, it is often the place where news breaks. With millions of tweets being sent out every day, there is a great wealth of content being shared and spread throughout twitter. As an orthodontist, spreading relevant information on teeth and overall health tips can be easy following different people within the industry. A Retweet can help connect and engage with others in your industry and gain a following.

5. Cross-Promote Correctly

Cross-posting is posting the same content across multiple social networks, often from one place. For example, posting an image from Facebook and automatically posting on Twitter. Which looks like this:

The negative perceptions can be laziness, losing credibility and bad for branding, which can ultimately lead to a decline in engagement and social media growth. For orthodontists and staff members, it might be the easiest way to “be active on social media.” However, there is a difference between cross-posting and cross-promoting.

Cross promoting allows you to tailor your social media content/message to each platform. This includes specific information, image sizes, using hashtags and tagging people such as using the @ symbol. This will allow your content to stand out on Twitter and be Retweeted by others. Each message should be tailored to each platform to ultimately accomplish your goals on Twitter.

Need help with social media or some tips, contact us for more information at info@solutionsbydesign.com.

Social Media: Optimize YouTube to Work for You

YouTube has become a strong social media platform that can help accomplish your marketing goals. YouTube is another search engine part of the Google family, which is another way for people to find you. YouTube is a digital space for entertainment and information, but it’s most used important tool is helping anyone boost their online presence.

Video marketing leads to engagement and brand awareness, just as much as any other social media platform has. With billions of videos and views, a business/practice needs to break through the noise and get noticed in the first place. Here are 4 items that will help your video rank high and gain its target audience. These items are often forgotten and the first step in making YouTube work for you.

1. Optimize for SEO:

If you’re publishing videos on YouTube, you need an SEO strategy that will help your videos optimized for maximum exposure. As another search engine, your videos need to be able to be found. Just like a search engine for websites, YouTube uses an algorithm to rank videos and help viewers find what they are looking for.

• Utilize Keywords: Use keywords in your videos, tags, and descriptions. This is often forgotten when uploading videos, especially when it comes to tags. You can do your own keyword research to see what words or phrases show up related to your video topic. 
• Video Titles – Use the correct keywords related to your videos in the title. The more detailed and relevant to your video, the higher it will rank. 
• Video Tags – YouTube offers category tags when a video is uploaded to help define what overarching subjects it may relate to. The number of tags you can include is limited, so be sure to use only the most relevant keywords and phrases in your video tags. 

2. Be Consistent: 

If you are planning on using YouTube, be sure you have a strategic approach. This means a schedule to regularly upload videos. Being consistent will help you grow your subscribers and will help YouTube take into consideration your videos, ranking them higher.

3. A Branded Thumbnail:

One of the overlooked opportunities to enhance a video is the video thumbnail. By default, YouTube selects a frame from your video for viewers to see when your videos are searched. When editing your video, you can upload and select a frame. This is a great opportunity to create a branded thumbnail with a still image. Changing it to a branded thumbnail will help viewers recognize your videos and catch their attention since it is the first thing they will see.

4. Engage:

YouTube is a social media platform, engagement is one of the considerations in ranking videos. Engaging with your audience, such as reading comments, replying to users and answering questions can be beneficial for reputation management and just interacting with your subscribers.

Montage: Game of Thrones Trivia Live

Are you the biggest Game of Thrones fan? Are you obsessed with each season and know every character and episode? Game of Thrones trivia is here! Just in time for the final season, spoilers ahead, the Game of Thrones trivia is updated each week, which gives your patients the opportunity to test their trivia skills.

You can access the Game of Thrones trivia directly on you Montage board. Call us for more information to set up the Game of Thrones trivia on your board.

Learn more about Montage, the amazing interactive display system comprised of a hardware and software solution. Patient Education, clinical case presentation, entertainment and a social media powerhouse, Montage will create the ultimate customer experience

Join us at AAO 2019 in Los Angeles!

Joins us at the American Association of Orthodontists Conference in Los Angeles. From May 3-7, we will be at the conference showcasing our services and products, including WazUp Trivia, before it is available to everyone.

“WazUp Trivia” is a Solutions By Design Application that will be integrated into the Montage Trivia Module and is now available as a standalone application. Due to the overwhelming success of our Trivia Module we decided that “WazUp Trivia” would be a great fit for any business, taking your practice to the next level and beyond!

Montage Trivia is a fun filled, turnkey professional entertainment application intended for use in the reception area of your office. We are already trending over 2 million trivia interactions annually! Kids and adults love to play trivia while they are waiting for their appointment. We feature over 150 trivia games and over 7,500 trivia questions, with new games added every month.

Visit us at Booth #2825 and be entered to win a bike!

Solutions By Design: Open House

Solutions by Design hosted our open house to welcome our friends and community to see our new office and celebrate our new opening. We are so excited to share this great space and thankful for everyone that showed up. Check out a few photos from the night.

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