How to Use Bound Materials in Your Marketing

A recent advance in printing that is finding its way into orthodontics is the ability to inexpensively produce bound materials in a book format.  In the orthodontic practices that I work with, I occasionally see examples of these printed booklets, usually in soft-cover, and many of these are very well done.

The idea of a bound booklet was recently proposed by a graphic designer to one of my west coast clients, one who has implemented and uses the materials that I suggest be created to communicate value to prospective patients. He asked my opinion on whether or not I liked the format that his designer is recommending. It’s a very good question. It has also come up previously with other practices, and thus is the subject of this week’s post.

So, bound or unbound? The answer is yes and no. It depends on the purpose of the item, or more specifically, what the person who will be reviewing the item will do with it once it is in his or her hands. It also depends on where your recipient of the item is in the decision process.

If the marketing piece is going to have one central idea with continuity, then a bound format will work very well. Think of bound materials as a storyboard; with a story, page-turning is logical. It allows you to engage the reader in a way that controls the release of information and, in telling your story, follows an ordered sequence. Therefore, the example that best fits this format is the story of your practice. If your purpose is to introduce the prospective patient to you, your staff and your practice, this would be the preferred print method. The only caveat I would add is that a well-done video does the same thing, is more engaging and, although more expensive, an investment with many more creative options during production, and many more uses when complete.

A second good use of this format would be a “welcome to the practice, you new patient you” booklet for people who have formally made the decision to start treatment. Many of the items that are typically included in your post-decision literature, such as “caring for your braces”, appointment policy”, directions to our office”, etc. can be consolidated here; the additional benefit being that binding these materials eliminates the new patient’s need to keep up with them.

That said, note that both of these uses are independent of the actual treatment decision process. There is a reason for that.

The bound format should be avoided when the recipient is in ‘buying mode’. During this time, they are interested in specific information and will want immediate access to it. (The fee sheet would be one example). Also, in the absence of a single thread or theme, different people sort and review information in different ways. For that reason, items related to a family’s decision process should not be bound in a way that prevents immediate access to specific information – content that, in many cases, the recipient may want to separate and share with another decision-maker. In those situations, bound materials are a nuisance and an interference.

A good rule of thumb, then, is this:

• Binding is good for telling the story of your practice, and as a welcome booklet for new, post-decision patients.
• Non-bound materials are preferred for decision-related content. In other words, if the item is relevant to the decision process, and you are therefore in persuasion mode, don’t bind it.