For your dental practice to thrive, you know it’s important to market your business.
The more patients you acquire, the increased revenue to your business. And when you start to make a profit, you will then have the means to grow your practice with new services, technologies, and extra staff members. You might even have the means to move to new business premises or open up a second practice elsewhere.
So, without further ado, let’s look at some of the marketing strategies you can use for your dental practice.
#1: Spend time in your local community
You’re a localised business, so you need to get involved with local people. You could do this by delivering workshops on dental hygiene or healthy eating to local schools and community groups, and and by offering your services for free to marginalised communities, such as to the homeless. You might also sponsor local sports teams and offer your fundraising support to local charity groups. By showcasing the faces behind your business, and by supporting the needs of your local community, you will improve your brand image and gain trust from potential and existing patients.
#2: Localise your SEO
You probably have an understanding of SEO already, as this is one practice guaranteed to propel you into the higher echelons of Google’s search engines. And you probably know too that certain keywords will attract more interest to your practice website. In this respect, however, go beyond the dental terms that prospective patients will be googling. Ensure you localise your SEO too, including your location as a keyword for anybody looking to find a dentist in your area. Keep this in mind when making changes to your website, and contact a marketing company specialising in dental SEO if you need any help and support in this area.
#3: Use social media to your advantage
And no, we aren’t talking about commenting on the unhealthy foods your prospective patients might be posting on Facebook! Rather, connect with your current patients by letting them know about new technologies and other innovations within your business. Encourage your patients to spread good word-of-mouth about your practice to their followers. Post pictures of your practice, alongside quotes of happy patients and employees, to generate interest in your business from potential new customers. And advertise your practice using the facilities provided on social media, such as Facebook’s business listings and LinkedIn’s sponsored ads. By taking these simple steps across all available social media channels, you have a better chance of attracting new patients.
#4: Advertise your practice on local listing directories
We have already mentioned Facebook, but there are many other websites for business listing purposes. These include Yelp, Google My Business, Bing, Apple Maps, and MapQuest. There might also be listing directories that are localised for the community you are trying to reach, such as any health websites that have been set up for the locale in which you are working. Aside from your website when using local SEO, these local listing directories could be the first contact potential patients will have with your business, so use as many as possible within this part of your marketing strategy.
There are all kinds of other ways to market your dental practice, of course. We have only scratched the surface. Still, use our suggestions and then do your research to find other effective ways to promote your business. And please let us know if you have further suggestions of your own.
We wish you every success with your dental practice.
