Dental businesses use marketing to attract new patients, build brand awareness, retain existing patients, educate patients, and increase revenue. By promoting their services and values, dental practices can differentiate themselves from competitors, establish their reputation as a trusted provider of quality dental care, and make their brand more recognizable to potential patients.
Why Use Marketing to Grow Your Practice
Attracting New Patients
Effective marketing can help dentists reach potential patients who may not be aware of their services or who may be searching for a new dentist.
Building Brand Awareness
By promoting their services and expertise, dentists can build a reputation for their practice and establish their brand in the local community.
Increasing Revenue
By increasing the number of patients and procedures, dentists can increase their revenue and profitability.
Staying Competitive
With many dentists competing for the same patients, marketing can help dentists stay competitive and stand out in their local market.
Educating Patients
Marketing can also be used to educate patients about dental health and hygiene, which can lead to better patient outcomes and higher patient satisfaction.
Start with a SWOT Analysis
A SWOT analysis is a strategic planning tool used to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of a business. The acronym SWOT stands for:
Strengths
What sets your practice apart from others?
Weaknesses
What is hindering the success of the practice?
Opportunities
What external factors can benefit the practice?
Threats
What external factors may negatively affect the practice?
Types of Marketing to Leverage
Once you have established where your practice is positioned, you can then begin working on valuable marketing. There are several ways for dentists to market their practice and reach their target audience. Effective marketing can ultimately lead to increased revenue for a dental practice, which is essential to its growth and continued success.
Social Media
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are excellent tools for dentists to reach a wider audience and promote their services. By regularly posting about their services, patient testimonials, and educational content, dentists can build brand awareness and attract new patients.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is a cost-effective way for dentists to reach their existing patients and potential new patients. Dentists can send newsletters, promotions, and reminders about appointments, which can help keep their practice top-of-mind with their audience.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO is the process of optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results. By optimizing the website, dentists can increase visibility and reach their target audience when they search for dental services in their area.
Strategies for Using SEO
- Keyword research: Identifying the right keywords and phrases that potential patients are using to search for dental services is essential for effective SEO. Dentists can use tools like Google Keyword Planner to find popular and relevant keywords to target on their websites.
- On-page optimization: Dentists can optimize their website's content to improve its relevance to their target keywords. This can include optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and body copy to include target keywords.
- Local SEO: Dentists can use local SEO tactics to help their website rank higher in local search results. This includes optimizing their Google My Business profile, building local citations, and getting online reviews.
- Link building: Dentists can use link-building strategies to build backlinks to their website from other high-quality, relevant websites. This can improve their website's authority and help it rank higher in search results.
- Content marketing: Creating and sharing high-quality, informative content on their website can attract potential patients and improve their website's search engine rankings. This can include blog posts, infographics, videos, and other types of content that are relevant to their target audience.
- Website usability: Dentists can ensure that their website is easy to navigate and user-friendly. This can improve the user experience for potential patients and increase the likelihood that they will schedule an appointment.
Paid Ads
When using paid advertising, it's important for dentists to target their ads to the right audience, choose effective ad formats, and use persuasive messaging to encourage potential patients to take action. A well-designed and well-targeted paid advertising campaign can be an effective way for dentists to promote their practice and attract new patients.
Types of Paid Advertising
- Search ads: Dentists can use search engine ads, such as Google Ads, to display their practice at the top of search results for specific keywords. This can be an effective way to reach potential patients who are actively searching for dental services.
- Display ads: Display ads are visual ads that appear on websites, often in the form of banners or pop-ups. Dentists can use display ads to raise awareness of their practice and promote their services to a wider audience.
- Social media ads: Dentists can use social media ads, such as Facebook Ads, to target potential patients based on demographic and geographic criteria. This can be an effective way to reach a specific audience and promote services such as teeth whitening, cosmetic dentistry, or dental implants.
- Retargeting ads: Retargeting ads are ads that are displayed to people who have previously visited a dentist's website or social media profile. These ads can help keep the practice top of mind for potential patients who may not have taken action during their first visit to the website.
- Video ads: Video ads can be an effective way to showcase a dentist's services and expertise. Dentists can use video ads on platforms such as YouTube to reach a wider audience and promote their services.
Referral Programs
By implementing a well-designed referral program, dentists can leverage the power of word-of-mouth marketing to attract new patients and grow their practice.
Strategies for Using Referral Programs
- Incentivize referrals: Offering incentives to patients who refer others to the practice, such as discounts on future treatments, can motivate patients to spread the word about the practice.
- Make it easy to refer: Dentists can make it easy for patients to refer others by providing them with referral cards, social media posts, or other marketing materials that they can share with their network.
- Follow up with referrals: Dentists should follow up with referred patients to ensure they have a positive experience and encourage them to refer others in turn.
- Reward successful referrals: When a referred patient schedules an appointment, dentists can thank the referring patient and reward them with the promised incentive.
- Track and measure results: Dentists should track the success of their referral program to determine which incentives and strategies are most effective and adjust their program accordingly.
- Focus on patient experience: Providing a positive patient experience is key to generating referrals. By delivering quality care and excellent customer service, dentists can encourage patients to recommend the practice to others.
Online Reviews
Listing your practice on review sites such as Google, Yelp, and Healthgrades can increase visibility and attract new patients. By having a strong online presence and positive reviews, dentists can build trust and credibility with potential patients. It's important to note that dentists should never offer incentives for positive reviews or write fake reviews. Doing so can damage the practice's reputation and result in penalties from review platforms.
How to Get More Online Reviews
- Ask patients for reviews: Dentists can ask patients to leave a review after their appointment, either in-person or through a follow-up email or text message.
- Make it easy to leave a review: Dentists can provide patients with clear instructions on how to leave a review on popular review platforms, such as Google My Business, Yelp, or Healthgrades.
- Follow up with patients: Following up with patients after their appointment can remind them to leave a review if they haven't already done so.
- Incentivize reviews: Offering a small incentive, such as a discount on future treatments, can motivate patients to leave a review.
- Highlight reviews on the practice's website and social media: Dentists can showcase positive reviews on their website and social media profiles to help build trust with potential patients.
- Respond to reviews: Responding to reviews, both positive and negative, can show patients that the practice values their feedback and is committed to providing quality care.
Events
Dental offices can leverage events to market and grow their practice. The key is to find events that resonate with your brand and target audience and to offer something of value to attendees.
Types of Marketing Events
- Host an open house: An open house is a great way to invite the community into your office and showcase your services. Offer tours of your office, introduce your staff, and provide information about your practice. You could also offer free dental screenings or consultations to those who attend.
- Sponsor local events: Sponsor a local event such as a charity run or a school fundraiser. This is a great way to get your brand in front of the community and shows you are a business that cares about the local area.
- Host a seminar: Host a seminar on a topic related to dental health, such as how to care for your teeth, or how to deal with dental anxiety. This is a great way to establish yourself as an expert in your field and attract potential new patients.
- Offer promotions: Offer discounts or promotions during events such as National Dental Health Month or National Children's Dental Health Month. This will attract potential new patients and encourage current patients to refer friends and family.
- Partner with local businesses: Partner with local businesses such as spas, gyms, or health food stores to offer joint promotions or cross-promotions. This is a great way to reach a new audience and offer something different to your current patients.
- Attend community events: Attend community events such as street fairs, farmer's markets, or festivals. This is a great way to get your name out there and attract potential new patients.
- Host a patient appreciation day: Host a day to show appreciation for your patients. Offer free cleanings or other services, refreshments, and a chance to meet and greet your staff. This is a great way to show your patients that you care about them and encourage them to refer friends and family.
Summary
Marketing is an essential aspect of running a successful dental practice. Without marketing, it can be challenging for dental practices to attract new patients, retain existing ones, and differentiate themselves from competitors. Dental practices can use a variety of marketing strategies, such as social media, search engine optimization, paid advertising, and referral programs, to reach potential patients and build their reputation as a trusted provider of quality dental care. Effective marketing ultimately leads to increased revenue for dental practices, which is essential for their growth and continued success.
