The goal of dental practice marketing is usually to search for potential patients within a given neighborhood or locality, while informing existing loyal patients about new services or product changes. Engaging with existing patients is a considerably easier and more straightforward task. However, looking for new patients provides a different challenge altogether. It is difficult to appeal to potential patients and their needs without first understanding what they are looking for. Dental practices need to find the right dental practice marketing company that will assist them in identifying the key factors that potential new patients are interested in when choosing a dentist. Once these factors have been identified, dental practices can specifically target them in dental postcards or dental newsletters. Here are some key characteristics about dentists and dental practices that are important to new patients.
Location and hours
Dental practices conveniently located near patients' homes are the top winners. Offering easily accessible locations and longer hours of operation, to accommodate professionals who might not be able to steal away during work hours for a checkup or surgical procedure, are both popular strategies for acquiring new patients, according to WebMD. Nobody wants to travel great distances at awkward hours to visit the dentist. Be sure to highlight your location, including common names of your community, to create a connection with readers. Additionally, if the dental practice is open on weekends, emphasize this. After-hours appointments are a great competitive feature.
Insurance & Financial Considerations
The first question potential patients think of is, 'Do they take my insurance?' Be clear about what and how you handle insurance and depending on your target audience, include offers for insured and non-insured patients. For more complicated and cosmetic procedures, patients want to know that you have the necessary qualifications. In many cases, including the lowest price point through financing can also be very effective. Practices offering more complex procedures need to outline their expertise and emphasize that they use the latest technologies. When you include technical information, such as the latest developments in this particular field as well as photos and testimonials from previous customers, you further establish your practice as the one patients should trust. Before and after photos, coupled with a genuine recommendation from someone who has previously undergone the surgical procedure, can carry significant weight and convince a potential new patient that this is the right decision for them.
An appealing office
Again, in this department, photos can make a big difference. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, a clean office - with the accompanying pleasant staff - can be a big draw. People expect safety and cleanliness, but what they want is friendly customer service. Include photos showing you and your team interacting with patients in a warm and welcoming manner.