Whether you’ve just started your dental practice or you’re looking for ways to attract more patients, you should invest in dental marketing. It will help you generate and convert leads, build trust, and grow your practice.
Here are the most effective ways to do it.
Step up Your SEO Game
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) will help you get your business on your target audience’s radar. It will increase your online visibility, rank you higher on Google, and drive more traffic to your site.
An effective SEO strategy starts with keywords because you want to rank high for terms and phrases your target audience uses to search for the services you offer. Implementing long-tail keywords into your content is the best way to go.
There are many other SEO tactics to use, such as publishing relevant, informative content regularly, using metadata and alt tags, building backlinks, optimizing your site for mobile, etc. However, you have to take a local approach to SEO and marketing.
According to Dental Marketing Guy, a marketing company for dentists, dental SEO that focuses primarily on local SEO, is the most effective way to attract patients in your area.
Some of the most critical steps to take regarding your local SEO include claiming your Google My Business profile and creating business listings on Yelp, Better Business Bureau, and other directories.
Leverage Google Maps and Facebook Ads
Connecting your Google My Business profile to Google Ads will help you advertise on Google Maps. That will help your target audience find you at the right time, and you can even target people on the go near your practice.
If you create click-to-call ads, they’ll be able to schedule an appointment instantly.
Local Awareness Ads on Facebook work the same, although they allow for more focused targeting. Their tracking insights are also more potent than those of Google Ads.
Use Google Maps ads to capture local patients who are searching with high intent, and leave Local Awareness Facebook Ads to reach consumers near the top of the funnel.
Implement Custom Digital Signage
Custom digital signage is a must for your dental office, specifically, the waiting room. It can help you engage and educate patients and reduce their perceived waiting time, thus improving their experience.
Leverage your waiting room TV by displaying custom messaging that makes you stand out from other dental practices. Share promotional announcements, information on various procedures, before & after photos, and anything else that will capture people’s attention.
This is an excellent way to market new services to existing patients, as well as attract new patients, since people often visit the dentist with a family member, partner, or a friend.
Generate and Nurture Leads Through Email Marketing
Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to generate new and nurture existing leads.
You can use it to personalize relationships with patients, educate them, introduce new products or services, announce promotions, encourage reviews, confirm appointments, and re-engage patients who haven’t visited in a while.
Optimize Your Website for Seamless Appointment Scheduling
Can your current and prospective patients make a quick appointment with your dental office anytime? Offering 24/7 online appointment scheduling will enhance the patient experience and make you stand out from many competitors.
The best way to go about it is to utilize dental practice management software that features built-in patient booking that you can integrate into your site. That way, your patients can book an appointment with just a few clicks, even outside your normal business hours.
Don’t forget to add live chat to your website to provide instant answers to patients’ questions and convert website visitors into new patients.
Offer and Promote Subscription-Based Care
According to the National Poll on Healthy Aging, 47% of adults over 65 don’t have dental insurance.
The report revealed that 20% of older adults delayed or completely abandoned dental care in the past two years, primarily because of out-of-pocket costs (77%) or the cost of having dental insurance (52%). Other reasons included the cost of dental care (34%), being afraid of the dentist (28%), and struggling to find a dentist (19%).
You can attract this and other demographics by offering dental subscription plans. They can supplement insurance payment models and make dental care available to older adults with no access to Medicare and their younger counterparts who don’t have employee dental insurance.
You can offer exclusive pricing to members, financial incentives like discounts and lower fees, referral rewards, and more. Just be sure to embrace price transparency, and spread the word via email and on social media to reach more patients.
Final Words
Growing your dental practice requires a local approach to marketing that helps reach out to people in your area looking for dental products and services.
The steps above are only some of the many activities to include in your marketing strategy, but they’re a great place to start. They’ll help you attract new and retain existing patients, forge meaningful relationships, get more referrals, and increase your profitability.