Dr. Ben Winters on New Social Media Rules for Dental Marketing
What happens when social media (the limitless world of content) meets dentistry? A dentistry revolution takes place. In the latest episode of The Dental Economist Show, host CRO Mike Huffaker of Planet DDS welcomes the world’s most popular dental influencer (backed by 20M followers), Dr. Ben Winters, aka The Bentist, at Orthodontist at Wincrest Orthodontics, for an eye-opening conversation on the intersection of social media and dentistry.
What you’ll Learn:
- How to understand and adapt to social media algorithm changes
- Why focusing on content quality over follower count makes a tangible difference
- How to leverage the “N+1 Framework” to create innovative dental products and content that add unique value
- How to empower dental office staff to create engaging social content while maintaining clinical duties
- Strategies to drive patient acquisition through social media
- Why authentic educational content builds stronger patient relationships than traditional advertising
- Why community-focused content strategy leads to better patient engagement and practice growth
- How to balance clinical excellence with social media presence without compromising either
Tune in for an invigorating conversation on the strategic advantages social media offers, how it’s revolutionizing the world of dental content and how you can become a master at it.
Episode Highlights
In this episode, Mike Huffaker welcomes the world’s biggest dental influencer, Dr. Ben Winters, The Bentist, to discuss the many opportunities that social media and its related marketing frameworks bring to business expansion. Here are some highlights from the show:
Quality content trumps follower count
Dr. Ben Winters reveals that social media followers are now just a vanity metric, with content quality being the true driver of success. Modern algorithms, especially on platforms like TikTok, prioritize engaging content regardless of the creator’s following size. This shift means dental practices don’t need massive followings to achieve significant impact in their local markets.
The key is creating content that resonates with viewers and maintains their attention, which the algorithm then rewards with broader distribution. Practices should focus on producing genuine, educational content that adds value rather than chasing follower numbers. Even small practices can compete effectively by consistently creating quality content that speaks to their local community’s needs.
The evolution of dental marketing
Traditional dental marketing methods like direct mail and local advertising are becoming increasingly ineffective as consumer behavior shifts dramatically toward digital channels. Dr. Winters notes that 80% to 90% of new patients now come through organic social media content rather than traditional referral networks.
Modern patients, particularly younger generations, actively seek out practices that demonstrate their expertise and personality through social content. Dental practices can achieve significant growth through consistent, authentic social media presence without the high costs associated with traditional marketing. This approach allows practices to build relationships with potential patients before they ever step foot in the office.
Empowering staff through social media
Dental practices can transform their social media presence by leveraging their staff’s natural understanding of digital platforms. Front office staff and dental assistants often innately understand social media trends and can become valuable content creators for the practice.
This approach not only improves the practice’s online presence but also provides staff with valuable professional development opportunities. The enthusiasm for creating content often spreads throughout the office, leading to improved team morale and patient engagement.
The N+1 innovation framework
Dr. Winters introduces his N+1 framework for product and service innovation in dentistry, focusing on making meaningful improvements to existing solutions. This approach emphasizes adding one significant innovation to current products or services rather than attempting complete reinvention. The framework helps practices identify opportunities for differentiation while maintaining practical, science-backed solutions.
About The Dental Economist Show
Don’t miss insightful conversations with industry experts on the latest trends and top strategies to grow your DSO or dental business. Tune in to The Dental Economist Show each week as we meet at the intersection of profit and purpose.
