Are You a Dentist Who’s Starving for New Clients? Try These 4 Brilliant Marketing Ideas
There is a dentist’s office on every corner nowadays. They are not so common as coffee cafes, but the American Dental Association says, “the unadjusted number of dentists per 100,000 population increases from 60.9 in 2015 to 65.7 in 2035.” The projected growth in practitioners does not guarantee that patients will flock to their offices.
Dentists have some core marketing challenges. Most people do not enjoy dental care. Many potential patients are ignorant of new technology and tools. And, because dental practice fees are not well insured, customers use the expense as an excuse. While most dentists are not starving, they also see their expenses rising. So, how are they to put patients in their dental chairs?
4 Brilliant Marketing Ideas
Writing for Huffington Post, Jill L. Ferguson, “Whether a practice wants to be known as the place to transform a smile, the place for ‘gentle dentistry,’ a company that offers low-cost dental care or even the one-stop shop for a complete makeover, marketing the message is the key to getting clients.” Here are four brilliant ideas to consider:
- Form your message. No dentist is in “general” practice anymore. If every dentist in town is doing the same thing, none of them will move forward because they have not differentiated their practice. If you specialize in pediatric, adolescent, or geriatric services, you must make reach those audiences. If your work is in orthodontics, periodontics, or endodontics, you may know what you are doing, but the public doesn’t.
So, you must know much about the market you hope to draw—even if your dental school didn’t teach you marketing. You need a marketing strategy and that starts with your mission, message, and support from Patient Prism’s dental marketing strategy.
- Seek website support. A weak or middling website is worse than no website. A strong website identifies, attracts, and retains your clientele. But, it needs appearance, content, architecture, and continuous monitoring. Developing websites is beyond the reach of most laypeople and of many of the personal acquaintances who claim expertise.
Web development takes a special expertise in color, composition, and typography. It requires flawless and focused content copy. And, it must integrate with mobile applications, social media channels, and operating platforms. Quality does not come without investment, but it will make a difference.
- Optimize social media. Your potential market is addicted to social media. Pew Research found, “three-quarters of U.S. adults and 94% of 18- to 24-year-olds” use at least three of the eight currently major social media channels. They use Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Twitter, and WhatsApp in that order—as well as YouTube. Your marketing strategy must include the regular but judicious use of these outlets. And, that includes links from your website.
Social media are more sophisticated now. People have changed their reading habits, and their quick check-in with you responds better when you include visuals, Infogrames, and videos. People should appear enjoying your results, film how-to services, and explain no fear practices.
- Make an office of the website. With enough design and planning, your website will administer much of your work. It should provide a map and directions. It can link to reviews and testimonials. It can explain pricing, arrange financing, process insurance, and accept credit cards.
Browsers will make decisions to continue interest in your business within 0.05 seconds. But, that’s only if the site is interesting, informative, and easily navigated.
Are You a Dentist Who’s Starving for New Clients?
If your dental chairs are empty, your staff worries, too. Filling those chairs needs a marketing strategy with achievable and measurable tactics. That means you must know what to do or where to get the help. The rapid expansion and innovation on the internet make marketing more crucial and complicated. So, it may be time to find the strategic and tactical advice you need.