You need to publicize and promote your dental profession if you want your practice to thrive, like any other trade or vocation. You’ll need to create and effectively implement a dental marketing strategy that’ll enable you to entice at least 30-50 new customers/patients to visit your clinic every month. That said, you’ll have to offer something unique and exclusive, which no other dentist in a 3-4 mile radius is offering.
Additionally, the products and/or services you’re offering should be priced competitively without compromising on quality if you want your dental marketing plan to deliver the goods. Carrying out a SWOT analysis (a management concept pertaining to business review) might help you to develop a robust marketing technique. SWOT is an abbreviation which stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats.
- Strengths: What is it about your dental practice that makes it the only one of its kind? If you have any select service or product to offer, then build on it and promote it enthusiastically. You can capitalize on your strengths to gain competitive advantage.
- Weaknesses: Even the most successful of dentists will have a few patients who may have had grounds to complain. And then again no professional, regardless of whether he or she is a dentist or entrepreneur, is flawless. Just as you take advantage of your virtues, you should also address your shortcomings in a manner that they do not adversely affect your practice.
- Opportunities: Opportunities are regarded as external factors that could help contribute to the growth and development of your profession. Favorable market conditions which makes your practice more desirable to a niche segment, dissatisfied customers (to whom you can provide a better service), and the introduction of a new technology are some opportunities you can tap.
- Threats: They are again, external elements that usually have a negative impact on any business or occupation. For you, it could be the arrival of a new competitor. Hence, it is highly important that you stay well-informed about the developments that may affect your business.
Once you realize where you stand in the market vis-à-vis your competitors, you’ll be in a position to comprehend which dental marketing strategies will help you to stay ahead of the competition.
Dental Marketing Tip#1-Identify your niche segment
Majority of the patients (over 90%) who visit your chamber are usually persuaded by a female member of the family to schedule an appointment. Women are more likely than men to opt for periodical dental checkups and more proactive to visiting a dentist or orthodontist. Women will view your practice as more service-oriented than product-based-if they do not find what they’re looking for they have innumerable other options to consider.
So, it does not need to be emphasized that your dental marketing scheme should be pivoted around women.
Dental Marketing Tip#2-Incentivize patients who provide references
Over 70% of the new patients that step inside the chambers of established and well-known dentists are referrals provided by their steadfast clients. As a dentist, especially if you’ve started private practice of recent, you’ll need new clients on a regular basis for your practice to stay competitive and thrive. Incentivizing patients (in the form of a discount or promotional offer) who help bring in more customers is a time-honored canvassing technique.
Dental Marketing Tip#3-Inspire patients to write positive feedbacks
Your dental marketing site is more likely to feature on the first SERP of major search engines if the portal is user-friendly, includes original and relevant content, and contains positive reviews by clients. Send newsletters to your existing clients as well as prospective patients that include a call-to-action and inspire them to leave a positive feedback.
Dental Marketing Tip#4-Offer a package that makes you stand out from the crowd
If your closest competitor is offering Invisalign braces at costs ranging from $3,500 to $8,000, then you can titillate patients by offering the same products at a lower price. Your profit margin might go down but you might be able to retain the patients in the long run.
Dental Marketing Tip#5-Fulfill corporate social responsibility
Almost all your patients will come from the locality where your chamber is located and the adjacent neighborhoods. By participating in local events and festivals as well as endorsing a charity or aid organization, you’ll be making the right impression on your clients.
Dental Marketing Tip#6-Promote and position your brand by making your team more committed
Make your dental marketing team members realize that their professional growth and development as well as the establishment’s depend on their level of commitment and dedication. You can organize team training programs at least once every six months.