If you are responsible for dental marketing then I hope you will find these 5 top tips valuable, so please read on.
The first step to winning new dental patients is to think like a potential patient who has an issue with their smile. Put yourself in their shoes.
What thought processes will they go through? Which websites do people visit when they are looking to learn about cosmetic dentistry? How can you engineer so they “see you” online when they are searching for a solution?
TOP TIP 1
Initially, potential patients will be searching online for information. This is your ideal opportunity to become their trusted dentistry advisor. Have information on your website to educate them to the issue they are experiencing and looking to solve, and even give them help on the solution. It may seem counter-intuitive to give free advice but this really does build you as the trusted dentist. So this can comprise of blog posts, PDF guides or videos. I recommend this book to my clients on how to create content that draws clients to you. They Ask, You Answer by Marcus Sheridan. And this becomes even more powerful when it can be linked to a marketing automation system, see point 4 below.
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TOP TIP 2
Be visible online. These days the first port of call, when someone is interested to learn about dental treatment options will be the internet and primarily using Google. It is imperative that your dental practice is visible on Google.
So do a check – how do you appear on Google right now in your local area. Because most of the time patients will be looking first for a local dental practice they can call upon.
Step 1 – Go to Google, enter the name of your local area followed by the keywords and phrases that potential patients will search on eg. “dentist”, “cosmetic dentist”, “emergency dentist”, teeth whitening, into the Google search bar.
Example: Manchester emergency dentist, London Invisalign treatment
Step 2 – Make a note of the websites that come up on Page 1. Study them and get inspiration for your own ideas. Is your dental practice on the list? If not…
TOP TIP 3
You need to get your website listed.
Google Adwords ads are at the top and bottom of the search results page. Advertising is a quick win, but can be expensive and you need to know what you are doing. I would recommend hiring a Google Adwords Expert as it can be complex to set up Adwords and expensive if you get it wrong. (I would definitely recommend using Google Remarketing, this enables you to display ads to your website visitors AFTER they leave your site – the ads follow them all over the internet. These work great and costs next to nothing).
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). This is the process to optimise your website so that Google lists it in the rankings. You need to be on page one of Google. The good news is that this is free, the bad news is that it can take months of work to achieve a result. But once you do you will reap the rewards for a long time. SEO is a huge subject so you can either hire an expert or if you have the time and inclination you can teach yourself, check out the book I mention in TOP TIP 1.
TOP TIP 4
Use a CRM system – Have a dental marketing and sales follow up system.
This is what the majority of dental practices do not have or understand. Most UK practices rely on practice software such as Software of Excellence – which is excellent at managing patients, but it only has rudimentary marketing capabilities. In points 1 to 3 above we are looking at ways to generate interest in our dental practice, which is essential. But what you have to realise is that of those patients who visit your website only one or two in every 100 are ready to buy today. So if they do not buy today then that means 98% leave your website and the chances are they will never come back. That 98% is where the gold is for your practice. So you have to have a system in place that enables you to consistently follow up with EVERYONE who expresses an interest in dental treatment. This can be really simple – paper-based or Excel, it is possible but it is a definite chore that requires dedication and time to manage. And that leads me nicely on to what I do. I specialise in helping clients set up marketing automation systems.
TOP TIP 5
Referrals. Even in this online world, word of mouth advertising is still the best. How can you encourage previous delighted patients to talk about your dental practice? Can you offer them an incentive if one of their friends becomes a patient? Can you reach out to all your previous patients and remind them about your practice (if they are not already on a treatment plan), this is really easy if you have a marketing system in place, see Top Tip 4.
TOP TIP 6
Grow and manage patient testimonials and reviews—Reviews are steadily becoming more important as new patients conduct online searches to find a new dentist in their area. It takes commitment and work but make it part of your system when dealing with clients to ask patients to write reviews on your Google My Business page ( you have got this set up?) and your Facebook page (you have set this up?) and make sure to respond to reviews, whether good or bad.
TOP TIP 7
Identify and engage your target audience—You can’t reach everyone, everywhere. But you can decide who your target audience is and find unique ways to reach them. Identify the areas where your best patients live and then target these areas with your marketing campaigns eg. leaflet door drops, posters, local community magazines etc etc. A great book to read and to give you inspiration is called The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes.
If you are interested to learn more about how I help and support dental practices with their dental marketing then please schedule a free 1-hour Discovery call.
Dental Sales leads – do you really need more new dental sales leads? Check out my post
Photo by Hush Naidoo on Unsplash
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