Quick Tips for Direct Mail Marketing Dentists Should Know (2024)

Direct mail marketing has taken an exciting turn in recent years, even in the digital age!

For dentists, this means a golden opportunity to reach patients in your community in a personal, trusted way. But let’s face it – your flyers need to stand out to make a lasting impact. So, how can you ensure your mail lands in the “keep” pile and not in the trash? It’s all about trust, education, and relevance. Let’s dive into 12 quick tips that can help your practice SHINE through direct mail marketing.

Ready to look at direct mail for your practice? Schedule an initial call now! 

1. Use An Educational Approach.

Let’s start with the number one secret: education builds trust. Your potential patients don’t just want to know that you exist – they want to know why they should choose you. The key to standing out is offering valuable, educational content. Your flyer shouldn’t just scream, “We’re open!” but rather, “Here’s why oral health is important, and we’re here to help.”

TIP: Include tips for maintaining healthy teeth, warning signs for common dental issues, and solutions you have for overcoming patient issues. Offering this kind of value makes you a trusted authority in your field.  

2. Emphasize Your Unique Value.

Not all dental practices are created equal, so make sure your potential patients know what sets you apart. Highlight these unique selling points (USPs) in your direct mail campaign. A direct mail newsletter can be an extension of your practice’s personality! Make it friendly, fun, and visually appealing. Patients will appreciate the positive vibe and associate it with their experience at your office.

TIP: Keep it simple but impactful. Use bullet points or bold headings to list the top three to four reasons your dental office is the best choice.  

3. Catch Their Eye – Design Matters!

The design of your direct mail piece is crucial. It’s got to grab attention immediately. You want your material to be visually appealing and easy to read, with enough white space so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.

TIP: Feature positive images of your team, office, and patients, clean environments, and anything else that conveys warmth and trustworthiness. Also, don’t forget to make the most important information POP – like your call to action (CTA) and contact details. These should be front and center, easily visible at a glance.

4. Statistics For 2024: Direct Mail Isn’t Dead.

You may be wondering if direct mail is still effective in 2024. Spoiler alert: It absolutely is! In fact, direct mail has seen a resurgence in the past few years as people grow tired of their cluttered inboxes and crave tangible, personalized communication. Direct mail drives activity to all channels.

According to recent statistics:

• 74% of consumers say they prefer to receive promotional offers via direct mail because it feels more personal.
• 90% of direct mail is opened, compared to only 20-30% of emails.
• 40% of consumers try new businesses after receiving direct mail from them.
• A 4-page newsletter format has the highest motivation-to-act score over all digital and direct mail formats.

With those kinds of numbers, it’s clear that direct mail is not only relevant but also thriving!

5. Offer An Irresistible Promotion.

People love a good deal, and nothing motivates action quite like a special offer. For dental offices, consider including a free consultation, discount on services like clear aligners or sleep apnea solutions, or a special with a new patient exam (if in the US, offer a membership program). Whatever you choose, make sure it creates urgency and gets people to act.

TIP: Tangible value offers work best. A free electric toothbrush or free teeth whitening works better than a basic consultation offer.

6. Personalization Is Powerful.

Personalizing your direct mail can make a huge difference in engagement. Address recipients by name in a unique way and include relevant content that speaks to your specific target audience in your community based on current patient draw areas, demographics, interests, etc.

TIP: Include the recipients’ names in bold color in at least two locations. Tailoring your message to your audience makes them feel like you’re speaking directly to them, increasing the likelihood they’ll respond.

7. Use A Strong Call To Action.

This can’t be emphasized enough: your direct mail newsletter must have a clear and compelling call to action (CTA) to direct your target audience’s next step. Should they call to book an appointment? Visit your website to learn more? Whatever the action is, make it obvious and easy.

TIP: Use phrases like “Call today for a free consultation,” “Visit our website to learn more,” or “Book now for a special offer.” Include all necessary details, including your phone number, website, and location, in bold, easy-to-read text. Also, make it multi-channel. Offer a QR code that allows users to click to call or links directly to your website, where they can schedule an appointment or learn more. When offering online booking, ensure that new patient appointments are readily available!

8. Attract More Patients Who Resemble Your Best Ones.

Direct mail newsletters allow you to focus on specific neighborhoods where your ideal patients live. You can use tools like geotargeting to pinpoint areas with demographics similar to your current high-value patients and reach households that are likely to respond to your services – whether they’re families needing pediatric care or adults interested in cosmetic or restorative treatments.

TIP: A targeted approach ensures that you’re delivering your message directly to the people most likely to need and want your services.

9. Be Consistent.

Direct mail isn’t a one-and-done deal. To build recognition and trust, you need to consistently reach out to your community. A one-time flyer may be forgotten, but regular (yet not overwhelming) mailers can keep your practice top-of-mind.

TIP: Plan out a series of mailers to land in homes at least monthly. Include new oral health articles each month and add a healthy recipe to get homeowners excited to see your latest edition. If you’re offering specialty services to attract consumers, like clear aligners, consider mixing in a dedicated edition into your schedule every few months. Consistency, along with variety, helps reinforce your practice as a reliable and ever-present resource for dental care in your community.

10. Track Your Results.

It's essential to track the success of your direct mail campaigns. How many new patients did your flyer bring in? Did traffic to your website increase? How many calls did your team convert to appointments? What percentage of inbound calls get answered? Knowing what works helps you refine future marketing campaigns for even better results.

TIP: Include a unique call scoring number on marketing campaigns to track results. Ensure your dashboard offers both address and phone matching. This way, when someone books an appointment from your dental flyer, you’ll be able to see the full patient journey and the actual revenue generated from your campaign. When a new patient doesn’t book, you can better understand why.

11. Get More By Mailing More.

A leading print provider has found that the easiest way to get more calls and better results from your direct mail campaign is to simply mail more. The more you can promote your practice, the more likely new patients are to respond. Particularly in the competitive dental market. If you’re targeting 5,000 households per month, try twice a month or increase to 10,000 homes. You’ll build more awareness for your practice in your area while you’re increasing new patients. Consider how many households are in your current market draw area, and then it’s simply a math equation to build awareness for your core audience.

12. Get Expert Guidance!

At Patient NEWS®,  we help successful dentists implement highly effective direct mail campaigns that deliver a very strong ROI and drive practice growth. Schedule an initial call and find out more about our proven process and get access to a custom Reveal Report, which includes demographics, patient personas, current market share, competitive landscape and much more. Valued at $795, you can access this FREE with our compliments!

Stay positive, stay consistent, and keep engaging your community! Direct mail newsletters are a fantastic way for dentists to connect with current and potential patients. Done right, they can boost patient engagement, build trust, and increase treatment acceptance even before patients set foot in your office!

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