Five Ways To Improve Your Dental Advertising
Motivate the right prospective patients to choose you
When a person realizes they’ve been putting off seeing a dentist for far too long and that it’s time to get back into the dental chair, it’s very common for them to start looking around for what their options may be.
If your practice is in their neighborhood, how do you ensure they see you and choose you?
Effective advertising (print and digital) can help you get your name and number in their hands and in their minds.
In this article, I’ll give you five surefire ways to improve your dental advertising strategy to get more new patients to call your practice first.
Understand your demographics. Before buying up all the willy-nilly ad space you can get your hands on … you need to understand what will be most effective, and that is based on the makeup of your community. An in-depth marketing analysis will help you identify who is most likely to choose your practice. This needs to be an integral part of your marketing strategy to ensure you craft your dental advertising to resonate with the right people. (Don’t forget … women make 90% of the healthcare decisions for their family.)
Develop a direct mail campaign. Once you know who your ideal patient is, introduce yourself with a researched-based newsletter in their mailbox. Unlike billboards or newspaper ads, direct mail has 100% reach into the homes you want to count as your patients of record. You’ll connect on an emotional level – and that’s important. 57% of people feel more valued when brands send them mail.
Direct mail is also likely to lead the consumer to research you further.
Make sure to highlight your competitive advantages (the services that make you stand out) and offer real value (e.g. educational tips readers can use). Demonstrate that you’re the dental authority in town and can be trusted to meet their dental needs. Direct mail is also likely to lead the consumer to research you further. Nearly 60% of consumers who receive direct mail will check you out online.
Don’t miss out on digital traffic. You’ve got their attention! Good job! But is your website giving them an easy experience – one that reflects your practice? Ensure you have a responsive website (it adapts to all devices!), that all your online listings are up to date, and that your practice has positive reviews. These are powerful ways that work together to convince potential patients that you’re the one. If a patient visits your site but leaves before calling you (undecided, got interrupted, etc.), a remarketing campaign will work to your advantage. This means that an ad for your practice will be visible in the side bar when they browse Google or its partner sites. This immediately puts you on their shortlist and successfully prompts viewers to call your practice! Stats prove that users who see your ad on Google’s display network are 70% more likely to take action on your site (i.e. call your practice, request an appointment, etc.).
Get social. The average dental office has 266 “likes” on Facebook. While doing research, prospective patients will probably check out your social channels. How active is your practice on Facebook or Twitter? More than 80% of millennials use Facebook. And there’s been a rise in use among other demographics. A study by PEW Research Center shows that 76% of Gen Xers (age 39-54) use the platform while 59% of boomers (age 55-73) are logging on. If they’re part of the group you’re targeting, you need to post quality content regularly and stay engaged with your followers.
Be seen and get involved! A great way of raising awareness of your practice is by volunteering and attending community events. You can set up a booth at a festival and hand out brochures while you meet people and get to know them. Volunteer for an organization that offers free dentistry to those who can’t afford care. If you’re passionate about sports or have kids who play, sponsor a local team and get your practice name stitched on their gear! Giving back is very rewarding and an effective advertising method.
Ready to get started … but not sure how you’ll do it all? For 26+ years, Patient NEWS has helped thousands of dental practices Stand Out and Grow! With a full range of innovative marketing solutions, we’ll help you get results on all your dental advertising campaigns. And with Practice ZEBRA business marketing and intelligence, you’ll gain valuable insights into what’s working and what can be improved.
We really make it easy for you! Call now and speak to one of our friendly marketing experts to maximize your dental advertising dollars.