With the high cost of new patients, you need effective marketing programs and you always should be to ensure the long-term success of your business and to grow your dental office. There are many things you can do to get exposure for your dental practice such as newspaper ads, bus stop ads, Google AdWords etc. however these methods will be costly and yield much poorer results than some alternative forms of guerrilla marketing and more modern marketing methods that will be much better investments for your dental office.
When it comes to marketing for dentists, it is the key to the success of your business. Without an effective marketing campaign, you’re likely going to have a hard time bringing new patients in and making your practice grow. With effective marketing, you can reach your target audience, put your practice in front of them, generate word-of-mouth referrals, and get a thriving practice as a result. Here are some top dental marketing tips from the experts that will help you bring new patients to your practice.
Also, keep in mind these mistakes new dentists should avoid if they want their practice to grow and thrive.
Referral Programs
70% of new patient growth comes from patient referrals. Word-of-mouth is the most powerful form of advertisement. When someone is looking for a dentist, the first thing they’re most likely to do is ask around. By introducing a referral bonus program, you give an incentive to your patients to recommend you.
Your patients don’t usually see dental practices as growing businesses in need of new patients. Hence, by introducing a bonus system, you put your name at the top of their mind so when someone in their social circle talks about dental hygiene and dental problems, they quickly recommend your name.
Under this program, you can give a bonus service, product or a special discount if a patient recommends your service to a friend and if that friend comes in to see you. To spread the news about the program, hand out referral cards at the office or tuck the message in your practice mailings.
Market to women
Women are responsible for 90% of all dental buying decisions. They are powerhouse consumers who want to make informed decisions for their families. Hence, when making a marketing strategy, keep this important fact in mind and make sure all your marketing material is attractive to your women audience, including your website.
Neighborhood Community Newsletters
The most effective primary target audience includes the people and communities that live within close proximity of the business. It’s important to make sure your business has a positive community image. Sending out a neighborhood community newsletter can really help further your credibility and lead to more community engagements.
Another way is to send postcards to prospective patients in the neighborhood. Tyler Brown, a marketing specialist at DentalMarketing.net reports that on every 5,000 postcards they send, they get an average of 35 phone calls, which leads to 7 new patients.
Marketing to Kindergartens in your Area
Another great way to get parents and especially the female head of the family engaged is to market kindergarteners in your area. Hand out free toothbrushes to children in kindergartens along with a card that sends a message to parents about when they should schedule their child’s first appointment, along with your website address to get more information and a special offer on dental services. Also include your advice on dental hygiene of the child to enhance your credibility.
Focus on local SEO
When it comes to SEO and getting your website to rank on search engines, the most effective internet marketing strategy that brings results is to make your website rank for local keywords. That means when people type up “dentist in Long Beach”, they find you in the search results.
Make News
To really put your name in front of the thousands of people in your local community, create local PR. You may host an event or start a program that stir up waves and give you headlines in the local newspapers and magazines. Your local community should know you by the PR you create and by your marketing activities.
Use videos in your marketing campaign
Videos are the most powerful form of media content right now and they’ve already taken the place of lengthy, stringent content. To make the most out of videos, upload them directly to your Facebook page and also on your website. Consider boosting the videos on Facebook through a strategic demographic plan. The boosts may cost you around $25 but will help you reach thousands.
Send your Clients text and Phone call Reminders
Your existing clients are your most valuable resource that can help you increase your revenues. To make sure your clients don’t miss an appointment, send them a simple text message or a phone call. Studies have shown that sending text messages reduces the number of missed appointments by as much as 50%.