Dental schools don’t offer classes in marketing, but they should. A few schools might offer classes in getting the word out about a dental practice, but these classes aren’t commonplace. As a result, the owner of a dental practice may wonder how they can grow their organization. The following techniques are great ways to achieve this goal.
What practice doesn’t want more dental patients? One easy way to attract new patients is to follow trending keywords. These are the words potential patients are entering in search engines. In addition, the keywords appear on social media, online forums, and more. Make use of a keyword tool to monitor any changes in keyword volume, and update or create content using these words and phrases. They should appear on the practice website, in email campaigns, and anywhere a practice might come into contact with potential patients.
Television Advertising
Many dental practice marketing practices are moving away from advertising on TV when they shouldn’t. For example, what better place to advertise cosmetic dentistry services than on channels that feature makeover shows? Cosmetic dentistry is a great way to improve a person’s smile. Once a viewer sees the difference it can make, they may want to call a local dentist. The practice advertising on that channel will get some of that business, if not all.
Patient Referral Programs
Every practice needs to know its target audience. One way to learn more about this audience is to look at existing patients. Their friends and family are likely part of this audience. Offer referral bonuses to those who bring a new patient into the practice, and show short commercials in the waiting room featuring people who have been referred to the practice and benefited from it. This elicits an emotional response in the patient and will encourage them to make a referral themselves. Online reviews are another great way to get referrals, as many people visit the internet to learn about a practice before making their first appointment.
Social Media
Post regularly on social media to bring new patients into the practice. Doing so gives the practice more visibility while ensuring it remains at the top of a person’s mind. In addition, it provides the potential patient with a feeling of the culture of the practice. This is important to many people today, so any practice looking to grow needs to make social media a priority. Learn which social media platforms are preferred by the target audience and focus efforts on that platform. However, don’t ignore other platforms completely because potential patients may also use them.
Community Involvement
Get involved in the community. Health fairs provide a great way to do so, but they should not be the only option. Sponsor a sports team or take part in a Trunk or Treat event and hand out branded toothbrushes along with candy. Every time a child uses the toothbrush, the parents will be reminded of the practice that provided it. Any community involvement is good, so try to find activities the practice can take part in as a unit and those individual staff members can participate in on their own while promoting the practice.
Marketing a dental practice isn’t easy but is essential. For this reason, countless practices today outsource this task. When doing so, they need to find a company that specializes in this type of marketing. With the right provider, a practice might soon find more patients than it can handle.
