4 Social Media Contest Ideas for Orthodontists

Solutions By Design

Having a presence on social media for any orthodontic practice is important to grow, reach potential patients and gain credibility. Especially for orthodontists, social media can be a powerful tool to give information, showcase the amazing smiles and reach someone who is on the fence on receiving orthodontic treatment.

Most practice have trouble getting started using Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Check out our blog posts on Twitter and Instagram marketing tips for orthodontists. Finding ways to utilize these social media platforms is the first step in creating a great social media strategy for your practice. If you are using social media for your practice, you may be wondering how to take your social media strategy to another level. If you do not have a social media budget, growing and engaging organically can be just as effective on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

One way to grow your social media following and engage organically is through contest through social media. Social media contest allows your patients and community (past or future patients) to get involved and participate. Here are 4 social media contest ideas to take your orthodontic practice to the next level.

1. Giveaways - A giveaway is a great easy way to gain followers on either social media platform while reaching new potential patients. Depending on the prize, how someone will enter and determine eligibility will be up to each practice, the actions should be simple and clear. You want to make the process of entering your contest as clear and simple as possible.

For example, TLS Orthodontics designed a giveaway with the goal of increasing their Page Likes on Facebook. The instructions were clear, like the post, share the post and tag 2 people on the contest. Tagging people in the post encourages additional entries from those who were tagged and expose your practice to someone new.

2. Encourage Patients to Share Photos - What is better than having patients leave raving reviews and letting us know how amazing their appointment went? Sharing photos of their smiles and the work the orthodontic team has created. Encouraging patients to share selfies or smile photos as contest entries is a great way to receive content you can share and be shared among your patient's friends and followers.

Bunn Orthodontics did a successful contest that encouraged their patients to share photos wearing their merchandise. This gave Bunn Orthodontics a wider reach in growth, a strong engagement and an increase in followers all organically.

3. Action Contests - Action contest can have participants do something to enter. In this example, Beim Orthodontics provided a small 8 x 10 cutout of Dr. Beim. The contest encouraged patients traveling around during their summer vacation to take a picture of the cutout at their destination. Other contest have had patients create a jingle for an orthodontic practice. This is a great way to get creative and think outside of the box.

4. Holiday Themed Contests - Creating a contest around a holiday or theme can be the perfect opportunity to engage your audience and grow your following. This can range from Halloween to Christmas to national events such as the Olympics and the Super Bowl. There is always a holiday or “national something day” the internet is always celebrating.

Hinesly Orthodontics surrounded their holiday season with “elf on the shelf” photos around the office while encouraging their followers to submit photos of their “elf on the shelf.” This created a strong engagement on Facebook. Another example is another practice that made the Super Bowl a fun game before it had begun. Contest participants had to submit their game predictions through Facebook, and the winner would win the grand prize. This can go for other events such as award shows and major sports such as the World Series.

Ultimately, contests are a great way to grow your following and keep your followers engaged across all platforms. Most orthodontic practices have trouble getting started using Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Check out our blog posts on Twitter and Instagram marketing tips for orthodontists. For those who are ready for their practice to step up their game on social media, contests are great for engagement.

Need additional help or tips on social media? Contact us for more information at info@solutionsbydesign.com.

Montage Interactive Display: Montage Overview

Solutions By Design

Technology is inundated into everything we do on a daily basis and has consumed multiple points of interactions in our daily life.

Touch screens are part of this component of technology and has become a staple in our daily lives. 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.

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.

Ranging from various industries, Montage Interactive is available for veterinarians, orthodontists, sports, museums and so much more. Take a look at all the displays available in Montage. Let your imagination run wild and think how any of them may apply to your business. Visit our new stand-alone website for Montage.

Montage Hardware Options

Solutions By Design

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. We interact with multiple pieces of technology on a daily by the simple act of touch and your practice should be no exception. Enhance your practice or business with Montage Interactive.

Take your practice to the next level and beyond! Montage is an interactive digital display system for veterinarians. We feature a variety of hardware options! Floor Kiosks, wall-mount units, and our popular jumbo smartphone.

Ranging from various industries, Montage Interactive is available for veterinarians, orthodontists, sports, museums and so much more. Take a look at all the displays available in Montage. Let your imagination run wild and think how any of them may apply to your business. Visit our new stand-alone website for Montage.

3 Benefits of Touch Screen Technology

Solutions By Design

Technology is always evolving, changing and creating new trends across different industries and business markets. At Solutions by Design, we have first hand seen this evolvement. Since its inception in 1985, Solutions by Design began with offering advertising, marketing, and graphic design services. As technology and times have changed, Solutions by Design has positioned itself with technological services that are state of the art, while providing excellent marketing services to our clients.

As a technology company, one of our areas of expertise is the use of touch screen technology in museums, veterinarian hospitals, orthodontic practices, sports hall of fame spaces and other industries. Within the last few years, Montage has generated thousands of touches, provided education to various patients and has enhanced case presentations to various doctors in the veterinary and orthodontic space. Montage now is trending over 2.2 Million trivia interactions per year.

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 isn’t going anywhere. Here are three benefits to touch screen technology.

1. Engaging and Interactive - Touch screen technology is interactive by nature and can bridge the gap between your customers or patients and the information you are trying to get to them. Touch screen technology brings natural ease because more often than not, they are easy and simple to navigate. It is also direct in engagement because it is intuitive, instinctive and users can pick up on it quickly.

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. Time-Saving - The navigational ease allows for customers/users to save time weather it is looking for information or going through an on-boarding process. A touch-screen interface can empower customers to look up information. Touch screen technology also can save doctors and staff time on tasks as well. Our veterinarians and orthodontists have used touch screen technology in Montage, as a way to enhance their clinical case presentations with their patients.

3. Accessibility to Every Customer - The opportunity to reach every customer and their needs are as important and integral to your customer service. Touch screens have the potential to inform, educate and entertain individuals at their level, in accommodating users with physical issues that might make a traditional mouse and keyboard setup difficult to use.

Touch screens can be customized  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.

Learn more about how touch screen technology can help you in achieving your goals.

 

 

See How Shuler Veterinary Clinic uses Montage

Solutions By Design

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.

Shuler Veterinary Clinic uses Montage to give an interactive experience with each vet visit. Shuler Veterinary Clinic uses the whiteboard feature to explain through medical images what a pet may be experiencing and explain issues. 

 

Instagram Post Shared by Shuler Veterinary Clinic

 

With over 2.2 Million interactions per year on trivia alone, Montage has enhanced veterinary practices throughout the U.S. Montage features over 35 veterinary specific widgets designed for your practice, reception area and exam room. These specific widgets range from the chocolate toxicity meter to the toxins widget, which allows your clients to dig in and learn more about the toxicity of plants, household items, food items, etc. Each display page is also supported by text and email features, so any and all information can be sent home in a touch.

Take your practice to the next level and beyond! Montage is an interactive digital display system for veterinarians. We feature a variety of hardware options! Floor Kiosks, wall-mount units, and our popular jumbo smartphone.

Montage: A Custom Interface for Your Business

Solutions By Design

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.

Ranging from various industries, Montage Interactive is available for veterinarians, orthodontists, sports, museums and so much more. Take a look at all the displays available in Montage. Let your imagination run wild and think how any of them may apply to your business. Visit our new stand-alone website for Montage.

Choose one of our standard layouts or a custom designed interface. We feature industry specific widgets as well as a completely custom solution.

Virtually anything in Montage can be customized! Customizing the content on your Montage Board can take two paths. You can add your own content and maintain that content by logging into ANDI. ANDI is a very powerful tool utilized to add, delete, change the content on your displays. If you choose, you can also rely on our design team to create beautiful, consistent graphics to maximize the professionalism and effectiveness of Montage.

Contact us to view a demo on how Montage can work for you.

A Week of Social Media Ideas Just For You

Solutions By Design

Social media is a necessity in today's digital age, especially for businesses. More than 40% of digital consumers use social networks to research new brands or products. Allowing your business to be discoverable on social media by crafting a social media strategy is important for business growth.

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.

Here is a week of simple easy social media ideas for orthodontists, that can be applied to any business in any industry. These are simple ways to keep your followers engaged and even show your business personality online.

1. #MondayMotivation
Try posting an inspiring quote, a branded graphic, or even a video of your doctor or team members giving an inspirational message for those going in for orthodontic treatment for that week.

A video or branded graphic will showcase any business personality and who can go wrong with the hashtag MondayMotivation, which has over 17 million users using the hashtag.

2. National Holidays
There is always a national holiday to celebrate. From National Donut Day to National Boss’s Day, celebrate with your staff and showcase on social media. Download our holiday calendar and never miss a national fun holiday again.

3. BTS Wednesday!
Build trust among your community by showcasing behind the scenes of your office, patients and team members. Share your daily routine and a different side of your business to build trust among your current followers and potential customers.

4. Throwback Thursday
#TBT / #ThrowbackThursday is one of the most popular social media hashtags on different platforms. This is a perfect opportunity to showcase past photos or videos and even give a history of your orthodontic practice (or business).

5. FAQ - Fridays
Everyone loves Fridays! Use this opportunity to answer questions. Bonus points if you include a video or use video when answering these questions.

6. Saturday Tips
Give some health tips and ways your followers can keep their smile healthy. Use this opportunity to tell your audience a tip, and describe your products and services.

7. Sunday UGC 
User-generated content is content posted by your patients or customers. These are usually photos and reviews that are directly from your patients, raving how fantastic you are. Always ask if you could ‘repost’ and share their content on your social media sites.

Social media is integrated into our daily lives and rapidly evolving. 69% of U.S. adults use at least one social media site. The chances that your target audience and ideal customer is on at least one social media platform is highly likely. 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.

Montage: Calorie Counter

Solutions By Design

If you are looking to bring efficiency to your veterinary practice and a great experience for your customers, Montage has widgets that will take your practice to the next level.  We interact with multiple pieces of technology on a daily basis by the simple act of touch and your practice should be no exception.

Pet obesity is a problem worldwide. One of the widgets veterinarians use on a daily basis is the Calorie Counter. How many calories should your pet consume each day? What does that equate to in the amount of food? Now you can calculate everything to get specific food recommendations in an instant.

The Calorie Counter in our Montage Interactive Displays is a useful tool that is being used by pet parents at their veterinary office to determine how many calories their dog or cat should consume. Veterinarians have used this tool to educate their patients on the health of their pets as well.

Montage has continued to grow to become a multi-purpose system with over 35 Veterinary specific widgets designed for your practice reception area and exam room, including the new DICOM player.

 

Interested in learning how you can get Montage Interactive in your Veterinary Practice? Contact Solutions By Design at 800-888-4084 today to get started!

4 Instagram Stories Tips for Orthodontist

Solutions By Design

Instagram Stories are one of the most popular features on Instagram. You could argue that Instagram Stories is a social media platform in and of itself, separate from Instagram. Approximately 1 billion people use Instagram each month. Instagram Stories usage is 500 million people, according to Hootsuite. One-third of Instagram Story views are attributed to business accounts of all types. That could include your favorite coffee shop to your hairstylist to your orthodontic practice.

Launched in 2016, Instagram Stories quickly became a staple component on Instagram. If you are not using Instagram Stories, then you are missing out on an important marketing opportunity on Instagram. Instagram Stories are another great way to showcase information and reach a new network of an audience who may not be following you. You can do this by using hashtags and tag locations on the Stories. It is also a great way to showcase fun, behind the scenes of your business.

Here are 4 Instagram Stories tips for orthodontists. Be sure to check out our Instagram tips here.

1. Showcase Behind the Scenes:
Showing your orthodontics practice culture and personality can help make a potential patient feel better about orthodontic treatment. It can also be the deciding factor whether they choose your orthodontic practice. Parigini Orthodontics showcases a behind the scenes of fun with Dr. Parigini, the team, and patients, all giving a glimpse of what a patient's appointment will entail.

2. Your Patient’s Bright Smiles on Display:

If you're not sharing your patients' smiles on social media (of course with parent permission), you're missing a big marketing opportunity. Patient smiles not only showcases the doctor’s work, but it also gives an opportunity for potential patients to see their possibility. 

Sharing smiles also allows the patient and their parents to share your social media content to their networks. Showcasing your smiles on Instagram Stories allows you to highlight your smiles through Instagram Stories Highlights. That way anyone who visits your profile can view them anytime. 

3. Use Location Tags and Hashtags! 

Use location tags and hashtags to reach more people. 63% of Instagram users log in at least once per day and 42% check multiple times per day. Creating and sharing content on Instagram Stories is a great way to reach a larger audience who are in one specific location. Using location tags and hashtags will allow you to appear on the city highlights and any hashtags that people are searching for. 

4. Post about Your Events! 

Instagram Stories is the perfect social media channel to post about an upcoming event or even post about an event, using a story highlight to share with your audience. You can share your team and office celebrating a fun holiday or showcasing a fun event in the community. 

Instagram Stories are another social media vehicle to showcase work, reach your current and new audiences while building a reputable orthodontic practice online. Instagram will reach 112.5 million U.S. users in 2020. That’s a 5.4% increase over 2019, as estimated by eMarketer, which also predicts the network will reach 117.2 million U.S. users in 2021, according to Hootsuite. Instagram Stories is a staple component on Instagram. If you are not using Instagram Stories, then you are missing out on an important marketing opportunity on Instagram. 

Solutions By Design can help you make professional and intelligent decisions that will be advantageous in setting the fate of your overall digital marketing efforts. Never miss a fun holiday, by downloading our yearly calendar of fun holidays here. 

See How Waterhouse Animal Hospital uses Montage

Solutions By Design

Waterhouse Animal Hospital is an 8 doctor animal hospital that believes in treating every patient as if they were our own pet, and giving them the same loving attention and care. Serving Fresno and Clovis California, Waterhouse uses Montage to deliver a unique patient experience, using technology and attentive care to each pet and pet owner.

Waterhouse Animal Hospital uses Montage to educate patients using the digital brochures that pet owners can directly share to their phone. The Chocolate Toxicity Meter, also helps educate on the danger of chocolate consumption in dogs. The DICOM widget is a popular tool that 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.

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.

With over 2.2 Million interactions per year on trivia alone, Montage has enhanced veterinary practices throughout the U.S. Montage features over 35 veterinary specific widgets designed for your practice, reception area and exam room. These specific widgets range from the chocolate toxicity meter to the toxins widget, which allows your clients to dig in and learn more about the toxicity of plants, household items, food items, etc. Each display page is also supported by text and email features, so any and all information can be sent home in a touch.

Montage: Toxins Widget for Veterinary Practices

Solutions By Design

Have you learned about our Toxins Widget yet? The Toxins Widget for veterinary practices is similar in style to the Dog and Cat Breeds widget, which will allow your clients to dig in and learn more about the toxicity of plants, household items, food items, etc. Each display page is also supported by a text and email features, so any and all information can be sent home in a touch.

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.

See how Shuler Veterinary Clinic uses Montage to give an interactive experience with each vet visit. Solutions by Design has been working on widgets that are impactful and allow veterinary offices and doctors to streamline their work.

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.

The Importance of an SSL Certificate on your Website

Solutions By Design

How we access information has changed significantly in the past few years alone. From websites to mobile phones, the amount of information we can consume is endless, all accessible right in our pockets. Internet privacy has been at the forefront of nationwide discussions for quite some time. With the potential of having thousands of users visit your website, you want to ensure your users are safe and deem your website as a trustworthy source. This is where an SSL Certificate comes in. Online security is an important factor in how we use and experience the internet.

What is an SSL Certificate? An SSL Certificate stands for Secure Sockets Layer. Its purpose is, “[having] an SSL ensures that the sensitive data of your website's visitors will be transferred over a secure network.” according to Forbes. All the information users put in your website will remain secure. Implementing an SSL Certificate on your website is an easy process that Solutions by Design can help you with.

Do I Need an SSL Certificate? The short answer is Yes! SSL Certificates tell Google (and other search engines) your site is secure. It increases your website’s security. If your website accepts payment information, has login details, sign up forms or a place where users input their personal information, an SSL certificate protects your visitor's data and personal information.

Having an SSL Certificate authenticates your website and tells your visitors your website is trustworthy. Not having an SSL Certificate will show up like this to your website visitors. “Your website will be displayed with a security padlock in the address bar of the browser. This will indicate that the connection is secure and will show your website’s visitors that you take their privacy seriously. If your website doesn’t have a certificate, some browsers may label it as “unsafe,” according to Forbes.

Another benefit to having an SSL certificate is an increase in rankings for your SEO campaigns. Google and other search engines recognize the secure website and prioritize it over websites that do not have an SSL certificate.

If Solutions by Design hosts your website, we can help set up your SSL certificate on your website to keep your website visitor's information safe.

Google decided in 2018 to make websites have an SSL certificate, making it mandatory in 2018. According to Google, “Beginning in July 2018 with the release of Chrome 68, Chrome will mark all HTTP sites as “not secure”. This is an effort to make the internet safe and keep user's personal data safe. Google will flag websites that do not have an SSL certificate and will let users now their website is marked as unsafe. Here is what it may look like, depending on what type of internet browser you are using.

It’s 2021 and the way we access information, shop, set up appointments and ask for information is through websites. Your users personal data should be secure. Contact Solutions by Design for more information on SSL certificates or if you need one set up.