There are many ways to market your dental practice. The key is finding the best method for you and your patients, who will ultimately be the ones who decide whether or not your marketing efforts paid off.
Using digital marketing methods that reach more people for less money is vital to success.
These methods include everything from Facebook ads to email campaigns, as well as social media posts and videos that can be easily shared online by friends and family members.
According to a survey by the American Dental Association, nearly 80% of patients use the internet to find a new dentist. A study by the Journal of the American Dental Association found that practices that invest in marketing see a return on investment of 2-10 times their initial investment.
Research by the American Dental Association has found that practices with strong online presence and reputation are more likely to attract new patients. A study by Dental Economics found that email marketing has an average return on investment of $38 for every $1 spent.
According to a National Small Business Association survey, social media is the most effective form of advertising for small businesses, including dental practices. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can increase website traffic by up to 300% and is a cost-effective way to improve online visibility for dental practices.
A study by the Journal of the American Dental Association found that practices that invest in marketing see a return on investment of 2-10 times their initial investment. Research by the American Dental Association has found that a strong online reputation can boost patient loyalty, reduce no-shows, and increase practice revenue.
In this post, we’ll go over some of the best strategies for generating leads for your dental practice.
Have a great website
One of the most important elements of a great marketing campaign is to make sure your website is easy to navigate. This means having a clean and simple website with clear destinations and headings. Include blogs and videos where appropriate, as well as resources like patient reviews and testimonials—these are all things people are likely to find on your site. Consider having a page where you can manage your online reviews from patients and other dental professionals (e.g., “Dr Smith Reviews”).
Make sure it’s mobile-friendly — more than 50% of Internet users access the web on their phones or tablets now!
Be active on social media
Social media marketing is an excellent way to connect with patients, share content related to your practice, and showcase the work that you do here.
Some things you can do on social media include posting photos of your office and staff. These are great for patient engagement and for building trust with potential patients who may not know much about dentistry or what goes into the process of getting their teeth fixed (or cleaned). Seeing pictures of smiling faces will help put people at ease when they visit you in person.
Additionally, share patient testimonials and reviews on Facebook, Google+, Yelp, etc. You can also use this strategy within emails in order to convert visitors into leads or even new customers!
Ask for patient reviews and testimonials
One of the best ways to grow your dental practice is by asking for patient reviews and testimonials. These are great tools for increasing your visibility on Google, one of the first places potential patients will look when searching for a dentist in their area. By collecting reviews from your current patients, you can post them online (e.g., on your website), where they’ll be seen by others searching for dentists in their area.
Patient reviews are powerful tools that can help build trust with potential patients, improve your practice, make more money for your business and help reach new patients looking for a dentist like you! You can ask for patient reviews and testimonials in a few different ways. You can post an email address on your website and social media pages or ask patients to leave reviews on websites like Google or Yelp.
Make your practice stand out with a fun in-office experience
Make your practice feel like home. Dentistry is not an easy business, but a little effort can go a long way in creating a fun and welcoming atmosphere that makes people want to come back. Think about what you would want if you were on the other side of the desk and create that environment for your patients.
Decorate your office with art, music, and other decorations that make it stand out from other practices in the area. This could be as simple as hanging up some inspirational posters or setting up fun games such as cornhole (a beanbag game) in your waiting room.
Have fun with your staff and patients! It’s important not only to have fun while working but also with each other during breaks or downtime at work—it will show on both ends when interacting with clients who see how much everyone enjoys being there together every day.
Make sure visitors enter into an inviting space upon arrival so they feel comfortable knowing they made the right choice for their oral health needs by coming into this place versus anywhere else nearby where there might not be as much friendly energy present throughout each interaction throughout their visit(s).
Use content marketing to provide valuable, relevant and interesting content for readers
There are many types of content marketing; some of the most common ones are:
- Blogging: Regularly publishing articles on a company’s website
- Infographics: Visual representations of information or data
- Video content: Explainer videos, product demos, and other types of video content
- E-books and white papers: Long-form content that provides in-depth information on a specific topic
- Case studies: Detailed accounts of how a product or service solved a particular problem for a customer
- Social media content: Sharing of brand-related content on social media platforms
- Email marketing: Sending regular newsletters or promotional emails to a subscriber list
- Webinars: Live or pre-recorded presentations delivered over the internet
- Podcasts: Audio content that can be consumed on-the-go
- Interactive content: Quizzes, surveys, and other content that engage the audience.
Let’s look at blogs, for example. They are a great way to connect with potential patients, but they’re also a fantastic way to build your SEO and social media presence. People who read your blog posts are more likely to click on the links you include in them, which will bring them back to your practice’s website and hopefully convert them into new patients.
If you don’t have time to write blog posts daily, here at Invigo Media, we produce content that reaches your market and gets people interested in your services. We’re a full-service digital marketing agency that can help boost your website traffic, generate leads and increase sales. We have a team of experienced professionals ready to work with you to build your online presence today!
Remember: Google loves fresh content! So make sure all your articles contain valuable information rather than just being promotional or self-serving ads for what services or products are available at the office (unless those two things go hand-in-hand). Try using keywords relevant not only to dentistry but also to other industries, such as dental implants or orthodontics; this will help humans and search engines find these pieces when they search online later down the line!
Create informational videos for YouTube and other social media channels
YouTube is one of the best platforms to share your practice’s expertise with current patients and potential ones. As opposed to text-based content, which requires more effort on the part of the viewer (and may not be read or understood), videos are much more likely to be watched in their entirety by patients who want to learn more about a subject or procedure before visiting your office.
Videos also allow you to show off your office space, equipment, staff members—anything that helps potential clients decide whether this type of dentist suits them. Use this opportunity wisely!
Make the most out of an email marketing campaign
Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with your patients, strategically guiding them to the different sales funnel stages.
But it’s challenging if you don’t have a strategy for your email marketing campaign.
Have a goal in mind before you start sending emails. For example, do you want your patients to send referrals? Do they need education on what services they need? Or maybe there’s a big event coming up that will bring more traffic into the office (like free exams).
Ensure each email message has a call-to-action — it should give them something specific that tells them what action to take next. For example: “Call us today!” or “Schedule an appointment online now.”
Don’t forget about traditional marketing channels such as radio, TV, and print
Don’t forget traditional marketing channels such as radio, TV and print. You can get a lot of bang for your buck with these media types if you know how to use them properly. For example, if you’re launching a new product and want a lot of exposure for it in the community, consider getting it on local radio or TV. You can also create print ads in local newspapers or magazines. Other traditional marketing channels that can provide value to your dental practice include billboards, direct mailers, business cards and fliers.
Set up a direct mail campaign
Your direct mail campaign should have a clear call to action and be relevant to them (for example, if you are a general dentist, don’t send letters that advertise braces). You need to know your audience and understand the specific needs of your target market.
Make sure you have a good return on investment – because direct mail marketing can be expensive and may not always produce results as quickly as other methods like search engine optimization (SEO), it’s vital that you’re getting a return that makes sense for your business.
Get creative with your business cards and handouts
It’s important to use your business card to reflect your personality and brand. A fun design can help you stand out from the crowd, and give patients an added reason for keeping it around (and sharing it with others).
Include a QR code that links to your website. One great way to make them more interactive is by adding a QR code on the back of each one that links directly to your website or blog post about dental hygiene care tips—and then include this information in the text of your card as well!
Include links to social media channels so people can reach out if they have questions about your practice.
Host a fundraising event or charity drive at your practice
A fundraising event or charity drive is a great way to raise money for a cause you care about while also building goodwill with your patients and community.
Hosting an event at your practice offers the added benefit of getting more people in the door. Once there, they’re likely to be interested in learning more about what you do and buying your services—which means you can also use it as an opportunity for marketing!
The best event type varies depending on where you are located. For example, a dentist in a city might want to host a community service day where his team volunteers at local homeless shelters; this would help him and others.
A dentist who lives on the coast could host a beach cleanup day during which his employees collect trash from the coast while educating people about preserving their environment through recycling programs or other initiatives like beach cleanups (and maybe even offering free dental screenings).
Sponsor local youth sports teams or other organizations
For some dentists, sponsoring a local youth sports team is an ideal way to get involved in their community and show support for the city’s youth. By sponsoring a team, you can help underprivileged children have access to sports equipment and uniforms that they may not be able to afford otherwise. This can also help you gain exposure for your practice by putting your name on uniforms, scoreboards and event posters. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to develop relationships with the parents of these children (which is especially important if they are looking for family dentists).
Run a sweepstakes or contest
A sweepstakes contest can easily get people excited about your business and spread the word about your practice through social media shares. One way to do this is by offering a prize or two when someone signs up for your email campaign.
For example, if someone signs up for a dental newsletter, they could be entered into a drawing for any number of prizes—the more people who sign up for the newsletter, the better chance they have of winning! Another option would be hosting an online contest where entrants submit their best photos of teeth; one winner will receive free dental services.
Become a mentor to students studying dentistry
One of the best ways to market your dental practice is to become a mentor for new dentists. Many organizations, including the American Dental Association (ADA), offer training to medical professionals on how to help children who have been victims of abuse or neglect. The ADA also has a mentorship program that matches aspiring dentists with experienced dental specialists who can share their knowledge and expertise.
Use Targeted Ads
To reach your target audience with specific messages, you can use targeted ads on social media, Google Ads and email newsletters from industry publications you subscribe to or read regularly. This will help you find the right audience for your marketing message and ensure they see it.
Targeted ads are more effective than general ones because they are customized based on what the person has already done online. For example, if a potential customer is interested in buying a product like yours but hasn’t made a purchase yet, then targeting that person with an ad could be effective at getting them to buy.
Stay Current
Keep up with dental news and trends so you can tailor your marketing accordingly (for example, if patients are looking for specific types of dental work, market those services). There are many ways to stay on top of the latest developments in dentistry.
There are many ways to stay on top of the latest developments in dentistry. You can read dental magazines, attend industry conferences and visit dental schools. In addition, consider getting on social media—you can use it to stay current with trends and even engage with other dentists about them. Keep a watchful eye on your competition—know who they are and what they’re doing so that you don’t fall behind (for example, if another dentist in your area offers free whitening for new patients, consider doing the same).
Conclusion
Finding a marketing strategy that works for you and your practice is crucial, giving you a good return on investment and generating worthwhile leads. Marketing is a great way to expand your dental practice, and a combination of traditional methods and digital methods, as outlined above, can be a great way to grow your presence.
If you’d like to know more about how to set up a marketing strategy for your practice, get in touch with us here at Invigo Media. We can help you set up a marketing strategy, develop a website and social media presence, and provide training on how to use the tools effectively.
