Improve chair occupancy
Protect useful demand, reduce enquiry-to-booking losses and match activity to available chair capacity.
Prepared for Ellen Stirling Dental
3-Month
Marketing Roadmap
This roadmap uses the available June–August acquisition evidence, then sets the recommended priorities for October–December 2026. It follows the Q4 roadmap standard: focus on chair occupancy and new-patient growth, recommend activity from evidence, and make each decision easy to approve.
Practice nameEllen Stirling Dental
Next quarterQ4 2026 · October–December
Prepared byShoutout Digital
Where we are now→Where we want to be→What we recommend→What we need from you→What you approve
Quarter at a glance
Three simple priorities for Q4
Grow suitable new-patient demand
Use Search, Paid Meta and warm real-Ellen content to support local patients who are ready to take a next step.
Learn before scaling
Use historical performance, clinic outcomes and capacity to decide what to continue, re-angle, pause or expand.
Brand character & local audience
Warm local care, made recognisably Ellen
Ellen Stirling Dental presents itself as a locally owned, caring family practice for patients of all ages. The roadmap translates that position into a calm, human content style rather than a corporate, discount-led or generic dental feed.
How the brand should feel
Warm, welcoming, patient-focused and polished. Show the team listening, explaining and guiding—without pressure, fear or exaggerated promises.
Who the content should help
Local adults and families deciding where to start, what a visit involves and whether a service may suit them. In the 2021 Census, Ellenbrook's median age was 32 and around 26% of residents were aged 0–14, supporting practical family and first-visit content.
How it should look
Jost-led typography, charcoal slate, soft mint and alabaster grey; real clinic and team imagery; clear faces; uncluttered layouts; minimal effects and mobile-first crops.
Evidence basis: Client preference records and the supplied brand guide, supported by Ellen Stirling Dental's official website and ABS 2021 Ellenbrook Census profile. Census context informs audience framing only; it is not a current population estimate or proof of patient behaviour.
Where we are now
Previous Quarter Baseline
The available June–August evidence shows meaningful local search and phone demand, but the two core roadmap outcomes—chair occupancy and new-patient count—are not in the supplied clinic data. Those Q3 baselines are required before the +10% Q4 target can be finalised.
| Metric | June–August baseline | What we learned |
|---|---|---|
| Chair occupancy / utilised chair time | Not available | Required Q3 baseline for the +10% Q4 target and capacity decisions. |
| New patient count | Not available | Required Q3 baseline for the +10% Q4 target. |
| Google Ads spend | $10,680.68 | Budget should not increase until capacity, tracking and enquiry quality are confirmed. |
| Google Ads clicks | 666 | Search is producing traffic, but clicks are a diagnostic signal—not a patient outcome. |
| Inbound calls | 197 total · 148 at 30s+ | Meaningful phone demand exists and should be protected. |
| GHL opportunities | 112 | Demand is reaching the CRM, but 47 opportunities were recorded as Unspecified. |
| Current booked-or-later | 34 | Directional only; these are current GHL stages, not verified clinic attendance. |
Target note: The current performance pack covers June–August acquisition activity, while the +10% roadmap target must be anchored to the previous quarter’s clinic-confirmed chair occupancy and new-patient count. August covers 1–29 only, and Google primary conversion definitions changed, so June, July and August primary totals are not like-for-like.
What worked
Google Search and phone enquiries produced consistent demand.
What needs improvement
Caller matching, source recording and clinic outcome evidence are incomplete.
Main opportunity
Protect active demand, improve the handoff and use authentic content plus controlled recall.
Social strategy
A distinctive Ellen content system
For Ellenbrook and surrounding local audiences, content will show the warm, independent patient experience rather than generic dental graphics. Three connected pillars keep the quarter focused while allowing enough format variety to stay engaging in-feed.
1. Warm Patient Experience
Real reception and consultation moments, plus consented or staff-staged journey scenes showing arrival, welcome, explanation and preparation. Purpose: build familiarity and reduce uncertainty before contact—without patient endorsements, testimonial-style narratives or implied outcomes.
2. Calm Dental Education
First visits, anxiety, common questions and relevant treatment processes. Purpose: create useful saves, shares and informed next steps.
3. Real Ellen People & Local Presence
Team personality, clinic moments and appropriate Ellenbrook context. Purpose: make the clinic recognisable, human and locally relevant.
Creative rule: Real clinic/team assets first; request raw footage from the clinic and use light, friendly humour only where it fits Ellen’s tone. Limit inspiration/reference-led video concepts to 1–2 per month. Use calm vertical editing and closed captions; no testimonial-style advertising, patient endorsements, implied treatment outcomes, cluttered layouts, excessive effects, visibly AI-generated/cartoon-like visuals or private patient information.
Platform and execution plan
Each format has a specific role
The client has confirmed that suitable organic content may continue, coordinated around Jemma's activity and sent for approval before posting. The cadence below remains a quality-first working recommendation—not a fixed volume commitment.
| Platform / format | Primary role | Recommended execution |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels | Reach and human familiarity | Vertical, staff-led or process-led videos with a clear first-three-second hook, calm captions and one relevant CTA. |
| Instagram Stories | Interaction and timely support | Behind-the-scenes clips, question prompts, simple polls, availability reminders and links supporting the month's main content. |
| Carousels / statics | Education, saves and shares | Search-friendly patient questions, first-visit steps and concise treatment education using clean, real Ellen imagery. |
| Facebook organic | Local relevance and practical updates | Adapt approved ideas for local context, opening information and community relevance; do not blindly duplicate every Instagram post. |
| Paid Meta | Controlled awareness, traffic or lead support | Separate campaign lane with an approved objective, audience, destination and creative. Use the currently approved Meta budget after account verification. Standard limit: maximum 5 Meta ad campaigns per month; any request above the agreed budget or volume requires Ani or Charlie approval. |
Working cadence: Up to two high-quality feed posts per month, led by at least one Reel, with supporting Stories when approved assets permit. Keep inspiration/reference-led video concepts to 1–2 per month, request raw footage from the clinic, coordinate with Jemma, submit each item for client approval before posting and prioritise quality over volume.
Approved asset direction: Suitable approved photos and videos from the recent shoot may be adapted across paid ads, organic content and the website where relevant. Review the content passed on by James, verify exact-use consent and match each asset to an approved destination and final reviewer.
Creative direction context
Clients should see the proposed style before approving it
The team’s recommended approach is to show clients examples of engaging, trend-aware dental content and ask whether they are open to trying a different format. The sample links in this roadmap make the proposed style visible instead of asking the client to approve an abstract description.
1. Show the example
Present the relevant sample video and explain the specific format or patient message being considered for Ellen.
2. Let the client decide
The client may approve, reject or request an adaptation. A reference is not approval to copy the creator’s script, claims, music, branding or execution.
3. Develop after approval
If the style is approved, the strategist and creative team develop an Ellen-specific concept using consented real clinic assets and compliant wording.
| Supplied reference direction | Reference | Potential Ellen use |
|---|---|---|
| Behind-the-scenes clinic story | Dr Aodhan example ↗ | Team preparation, welcome and workflow content using Ellen’s own approved people and clinic environment. |
| Process-led dental content | First Bite Dental example ↗ | Visually satisfying process content only where the service, footage and clinical context are relevant to Ellen. |
| Gentle dental-anxiety / overdue check-up prompt | Lewis Daly example ↗ | A calm, non-shaming check-up or anxiety angle. Adapt the tone—not the script—and keep the wording factual. |
| Team personality trend | First Bite Dental team example ↗ | A short team-led format if the exact visual execution is reviewed and fits Ellen’s warm, polished brand. |
Approval principle: These are supplied style references, not performance evidence or approved concepts. Exact visuals, on-screen text, audio and claims must be reviewed before an Ellen adaptation is briefed.
Planning method: Before finalising each month, review the most relevant historical performance—ideally Ellen’s comparable prior-year campaigns—and use Hermes to pressure-test whether a successful idea should be repeated with a new angle or replaced. AM should confirm the services the clinic wants to prioritise before the roadmap is locked. Where prior-year or cross-client data is unavailable, record the gap rather than inventing a benchmark.
Where we want to be
The Next Three Months
The plan focuses on chair occupancy, new-patient growth, reliable enquiry-to-booking evidence and authentic Ellen content. Shoutout should act in an advisory role: recommend campaigns from historical evidence and capacity, then ask the client to approve, reject or adapt the recommendation. Recall remains conditional on an eligible client-supplied list and clinic-owned follow-up.
Approval guide: Choices stay saved in this browser.For ApprovalApprovedNeeds ChangesNot Needed
October
Objective: Validate the commercial path and open only approved demand.
| Recommended Activity | Why It Matters | Expected Impact / Result | Quarterly Goal | What We Need From You | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Google Search and enquiry-path review Validate campaign role, search quality, conversion actions, call/form capture and booking destination. | July's zero primary conversions did not mean zero demand, and the August caller gap shows platform and CRM records need alignment. | More reliable measurement and fewer suitable enquiries missing from the CRM. | Support new-patient growth and chair occupancy by improving the path from active search demand to recorded bookings. | Confirm weekly capacity for general care/check-up and clean and whitening, the preferred booking action and clinic outcome owner. | |
Authentic clinic story Reel + supporting Stories Hook: “What happens before your appointment even begins?” Use suitable approved footage from the recent shoot to follow the real team from preparation to welcome. CTA: Meet the team or explore the clinic. | Warm, real clinic content fits Ellen's preferred human, local direction. | Greater familiarity with the real team and clinic experience before an enquiry. | Support new-patient consideration by reducing uncertainty and making the real clinic experience easier to understand. | Approve, reject or adapt the style; confirm which James-supplied assets are approved for this use, nominate the final reviewer, and assign who will monitor comments/DMs plus the response/escalation standard before publishing enquiry-generating content. | |
Paid Meta objective & creative review Review the active objective, audience, destination, conversion path and current creative. Retain, refresh or pause activity based on current delivery and suitable enquiry signals. Test only approved Ellen-specific creative and keep the monthly Meta campaign count within the standard maximum of 5 unless Ani or Charlie approves an exception. | Paid Meta is a separate strategic lane and should not continue on autopilot without confirming what it is optimising for and whether the enquiry path is measurable. | A clearer paid-social role, stronger creative decisions and less risk of spending against weak or unverified signals. | Support suitable new-patient demand without exceeding capacity or scaling against weak signals. | AM/client to confirm priority service(s), current approved Meta budget, campaign objective, destination and capacity limits before finalising the month’s paid activity. | |
Recall workflow readiness Client supplies eligible list → COM prepares three templates → client selects one → COM supports the send and checks delivery/failures → clinic monitors replies and updates GHL outcomes. | Recall needs client-controlled eligibility and clinic follow-up. | A controlled, approved send with clear responsibility. | Support chair occupancy from eligible existing-patient demand without increasing acquisition spend. | Confirm eligibility, consent, exclusions, selected template and the clinic owner responsible for replies, follow-up and GHL outcome updates. |
October finish line: Capacity, tracking rules, booking destination, creative decisions and clinic/COM handoffs are documented.
November
Objective: Improve conversion and test approved trust-building content.
| Recommended Activity | Why It Matters | Expected Impact / Result | Quarterly Goal | What We Need From You | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Google optimisation and reallocation Review search terms, valid calls/forms, source completeness and capacity. | Commercial quality cannot be judged from platform conversion totals alone. | Less waste and stronger concentration on searches producing suitable enquiries. | Concentrate spend on suitable enquiries that can contribute to new-patient growth and occupied chair time. | Confirm available appointments for general care/check-up and clean and whitening, and share booking outcomes. | |
Year-end Check-up & Clean Reel or carousel Hook: “When was your last dental check-up?” Use suitable approved team or process footage to explain the value of routine care and what patients can expect. CTA: Learn more or request an appointment. Do not mention health-fund renewal, preferred-provider status or the expired $300 offer. | The client identified check-up and clean as a useful year-end focus without nominating a single priority treatment. | Clearer routine-care information and a test of suitable year-end interest. | Support suitable new-patient and general-care appointments within confirmed chair capacity. | Confirm capacity, approved routine-care wording, destination and the suitable James-supplied assets; approve before posting. | |
One eligible recall/reactivation test Only if October approval and ownership gates pass. | A focused test is more responsible than a blanket or unclassified send. | Delivery learning and clinic-recorded replies/bookings where GHL is updated. | Use eligible existing-patient demand to support available chair capacity. | Confirm segment, exclusions, reason to return and the clinic owner responsible for replies, follow-up and GHL outcome updates. |
November finish line: Supported search activity and one authentic format are identified; weak or unready activity is corrected or paused.
December
Objective: Match activity to capacity and close the quarter responsibly.
| Recommended Activity | Why It Matters | Expected Impact / Result | Quarterly Goal | What We Need From You | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Operational / Patient Communication — Christmas/New Year closure poster and channel update Publish an approved seasonal poster and align website, Google Business Profile, ads and organic information: the clinic closes from 24 December 2026 and reopens 4 January 2027. | The client requested a closure announcement, and accurate operating information prevents avoidable confusion or wasted demand. | Clear expectations across channels and fewer enquiries for unavailable dates. | Support patient experience and prevent wasted enquiries during the clinic closure period. | Approve the poster wording/design, posting date, holiday greeting and any final-hours changes before publishing. | |
Website, Google Business Profile and booking-path review Check that current services, clinicians, opening hours, holiday closures, clinic imagery, phone number and preferred booking destination are consistent across mobile, the website, Google Business Profile and active advertising. | Existing demand can be lost when clinic information conflicts or the next step is unclear, especially during changing December hours. | A clearer route from local discovery to a call, form or appointment request. No ranking or booking-volume outcome is guaranteed. | Help local discovery progress into suitable new-patient enquiries and bookings. | Confirm current services, clinicians, hours, closures, approved clinic images, phone number and preferred booking link. | |
Early-December whitening suitability content Only proceed if confirmed clinical lead time and December appointment capacity make the timing appropriate. Hook: “Thinking about teeth whitening before the festive season?” Explain that whitening requires individual suitability and approved timing; avoid guaranteed shade or outcome claims. CTA: Ask the clinic whether whitening may be suitable for you. | The client identified whitening as a possible Christmas-season opportunity. | A compliant test of relevant seasonal interest without promising treatment or results. | Support suitable new-patient or existing-patient demand within confirmed whitening capacity. | Confirm whitening availability, lead time, clinical wording, destination and approved imagery; approve before posting. | |
Quarter review and Q1 decision Reconcile enquiries, booked stages, attendance and capacity. | The next plan should use clinic outcomes rather than raw clicks or platform signals. | A clearer Q1 baseline and evidence-led priorities. | Measure chair occupancy and new-patient performance so Q1 priorities are based on clinic outcomes. | Provide clinic-updated booking/attendance outcomes and confirm AM reporting. |
December finish line: Activity matches capacity, operating information is accurate and Q1 decisions use the best available clinic outcomes.
How success will be measured
Core business outcomes first
Per the roadmap standard, the two core success metrics are chair occupancy and new-patient count. The Q4 planning target is +10% versus the previous-quarter baseline once the clinic confirms the Q3 figures. Channel and funnel metrics remain supporting diagnostics—they explain performance but do not replace the two business outcomes.
| Level | Measures | Decision informed |
|---|---|---|
| Chair occupancy | Clinic-confirmed occupied chair time / utilisation vs Q3 baseline; Q4 planning target: +10% | Whether marketing demand is translating into fuller usable capacity. |
| New patient count | Clinic-confirmed new-patient count vs Q3 baseline; Q4 planning target: +10% | Whether the quarter is increasing the number of new patients entering care. |
| Supporting funnel diagnostics | Suitable enquiries by source/service, caller-to-opportunity coverage, booked-stage progression and clinic-reported recall outcomes | Where the patient journey is helping or losing potential bookings. |
| Supporting social diagnostics | Relevant reach, Reel view quality, saves, shares, Story responses, profile actions and website taps | Which content pillar, hook and format deserves reuse, adaptation or retirement. |
| Supporting paid diagnostics | Paid Meta objective-aligned delivery plus Google search quality, valid calls/forms and source completeness | Whether to retain, refresh, reallocate, pause or propose a change. |
Before execution
Decisions still required
The strategy can be reviewed now. Launch and final target-setting remain conditional on the following confirmations.
Goal, baseline & capacity — activation gate
AM/client must provide the Q3 chair-occupancy and new-patient baselines, confirm the +10% Q4 planning target, confirm weekly capacity and identify the priority service(s) before demand is increased or scaled. Until then, the roadmap remains a decision draft.
Publishing, moderation & assets
Organic posting and cross-channel use of suitable approved shoot assets are confirmed. Coordinate around Jemma and obtain approval before posting. Before enquiry-generating content goes live, assign the comments/DM owner, response standard, escalation path, exact asset permissions and final reviewer.
Confirmed campaign boundaries
The $300 offer ends 30 September unless separately reapproved. Do not use health-fund or preferred-provider messaging. The clinic closes 24 December and reopens 4 January. Dr Rachit/client reviews treatment-specific content.
Campaign volume & approval guardrail: Standard limit is a maximum of 5 Meta ad campaigns per month. Any request above the agreed budget or volume requires Ani or Charlie approval.
Clinical review checklist: confirm the service/procedure is relevant to Ellen; verify clinical wording and limitations; remove implied guarantees, urgency or superiority; confirm practitioner context; check consented people/assets; and approve the final Reel, carousel, caption, landing destination and CTA.
How we will manage the quarter
This is a dynamic roadmap, not a fixed plan.
At the end of each month, review chair occupancy and new-patient performance first, then use channel evidence to explain what changed. Relevant prior-year performance and Hermes learnings should inform whether to repeat a successful campaign with a new angle or choose a new topic.
1. Review
Compare the month’s chair occupancy and new-patient results with the confirmed baseline, then review supporting funnel and channel evidence.
2. Learn
Identify what worked, the largest remaining loss and whether a proven idea should be repeated with a different angle or replaced.
3. Adjust with approval
Record a Continue / Adjust / Pause / Hold decision and present any change to activity, budget, offer, service priority or campaign volume before implementation.
Proposed month-end governance: Channel owners/COM provide available campaign and delivery data; the clinic/AM provides clinic-confirmed chair occupancy, new-patient and booking/attendance outcomes where available; the strategist records the Review–Learn–Adjust decision. Final reporting owner and review timing remain to be confirmed.
Submission workflow: The Account Manager or Client Success Manager sends the roadmap for client approval, with Ani copied on the approval correspondence.
Client approval rule: No proposed change will be implemented without first being presented to Ellen Stirling Dental for approval.