Dentistry Today — As technological advancements continue to reshape the digital landscape, dental practices grapple with the need to distinguish themselves amidst a sea of online competitors. With more patients now relying on the internet to discover and vet dental professionals, a dynamic online marketing approach is essential.
According to a survey of 500 dentistry professionals conducted by NexHealth, at least 80% of dental offices are using social media to promote their practices. They utilize online marketing to keep existing patients up to date on dental visits and attract new patients with online reviews and active social media accounts.
Here are five marketing ideas for dentists to ensure their online marketing efforts convert potential patients into loyal ones:
- Integrate Direct Mail With Digital Marketing: Traditional marketing methods, like direct mail, still hold significant value. However, when combined with digital strategies, their impact multiplies. Our Town America’s approach integrates direct mail marketing with effective online channels to ensure consistent brand visibility. By supplementing mailings with digital ads, dental practices can increase conversions, serve ads to their target market, and retarget website visitors on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Google. This multi-channel approach ensures that potential patients encounter your brand multiple times, increasing the likelihood they’ll choose your practice.
- Leverage Social Media: A staggering 72% of people access social media to interact, and at least 70% use Facebook daily, as reported by Pew Research. Ensure your ads reach potential patients on their favorite platforms before and during your mailing campaigns. By strategically placing ads on newsfeeds, you can significantly increase conversion rates. Social media isn’t just about ads. It’s also a platform to share patient testimonials, provide dental care tips, and showcase your practice’s culture, further establishing trust and rapport with potential patients.
- Implement Data Match Technology: Understanding your audience is crucial. Data match technology allows dental practices to receive a list of visitors to their website. This enables more effective campaign tracking and allows practices to retarget more of their website visitors, ensuring potential patients receive consistent messaging and reminders about the services you offer.
- Track ROI: To understand the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns, it’s essential to track return on investment (ROI). Tracking tools, such as call tracking and QR codes, can help you gather information. They also provide insights into how patients are interacting with your ads and mailings, allowing you to gauge the success of your campaigns and adjust your strategies accordingly.
- Optimize for Local Search: Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is crucial for dental practices. When potential patients search for dental services, they often include local terms, such as “dentist near me” or “dental clinic in [city name].” To optimize your website and online listings, ensure your Google My Business listing is updated and encourage patient reviews. Be responsive to online reviews to ensure your reputation is top-notch. According to ReviewTrackers, customers do not trust businesses with less than four stars. It’s also essential to regularly update your website with content relevant to your local community, such as blog posts on local events your practice is involved in, dental health tips tailored to local events or seasons, or even highlighting patient success stories from the community.
New Mover Marketing: Turning New Residents into Loyal Patients
One of the most effective ways to grow your patient base is to target new residents in your area. New movers are actively seeking essential services, including dental care. By reaching out to new residents with a compelling message and offer, you can establish a relationship before they form loyalties with another practice.
If opted-in by the client, Our Town America’s digital ads play an important role in new mover marketing. When new residents use the internet, they’ll continue to see your ads on other websites they visit, thanks to online follow-up. This repetition ensures that your practice stays top-of-mind, increasing the chances that they’ll choose you for their dental care needs.
Dental practices must employ a multi-faceted approach to online marketing. By integrating traditional methods like direct mail with modern digital strategies, dental practices can ensure they reach potential patients at multiple touchpoints, increasing brand awareness and conversions. With the right tools and strategies, dental practices can navigate the digital landscape with confidence, turning potential patients into loyal ones.
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Brittany is the head of Our Town America’s corporate marketing department. She specializes in digital and print media, social media, and public relations.
