Are you a dentist looking for ways to grow your practice? You’ve probably heard a lot of horror stories—from getting phony teeth fill to being overcharged for a service they didn’t receive. What we can all agree on: finding an excellent dentist is tough.
You may find that getting good clients is hard! Here are some creative marketing ideas for your dental marketing strategy to make it simpler for prospective patients to locate your business:
1. Local Awareness Facebook Ads
While new dentists want to spread the news about their dental practices, being clear with what they’re marketing to is critical. Most likely, you don’t want to be showing advertisements for your clinic outside of a 50-mile radius—if someone in California sees your ad, it’s essentially useless.
Local ads are a fantastic approach to reach a local audience, and the new map card allows you to share locally relevant information about your dental services, such as the address, distance from the business, hours of operation, and a “Get directions” link. Your call button can also be used as a CTA, making it simple for clients to book
2. Click to Call Ads
The primary aim of dental marketing or advertising is for patients and prospects to make an appointment, which is generally done by calling the office. On mobile, desktop, and tablet, click-to-call advertisements are available through Facebook and Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords). This plugin may be added to existing ads or call-only campaigns can be set up.
3. Mobile Call-Only Ads
Most healthcare-related queries are conducted on a smartphone, according to Google. One in every 20 Google searches is for health-related data, according to Google. Don’t pass up this opportunity. With Google Ads’ call-only campaigns, you can create advertisements that only appear on mobile devices.
4. Facebook Demographic Targeting
Facebook has a wide range of demographic targeting available, and you may take advantage of it. You can also target consumers by language, relationship status, employment, income, and interests. According to research, women make 90% of all dental purchasing decisions. Make sure you’re in front of the crowd by advertising to women who have recently bought kids’ clothing and live in your area.
5. Appointment Reminders
Appointment reminders are vital to ensure that your patients attend appointments at your dental office. Using Google calendar alerts and sending appointment confirmations and reminder by email can help you simplify this procedure. You can also use these methods to remind your patients to schedule an appointment, such as for a regular cleaning.
6. Google Ads Income Targeting
Yes, every individual should floss on a daily basis and go to the dentist for annual check-ups. In reality, most individuals do not do so. You may target different demographics depending on your income level in Google Ads.
Select “Advanced Location” from the settings menu. It will display this list:
Select the “Location groups” tab and you’ll see a list of three options.
The one you want is called “Demographics.” Now, choose the household income category (or categories) that you’re interested in and click the large red “add” button!
This may be used to target higher income levels with advertisements for teeth whitening or veneers; lower-income people might be more concerned with preserving basic well-being.
7. Remarketing Ads
It’s been said that remarketing is “simple money.” It allows you to reach out to people who have visited your website or practice by displaying tailored advertisements aimed at re-acquiring those potential customers. You may use Customer Match on Google Ads and Facebook to leverage email addresses if you collect them at your dental practice! Upload the email addresses to establish a remarketing audience, and create an ad that would entice patients to return to your practice—maybe a reminder for their cleaning or whitening.
8. Facebook Messaging Ad Type
Facebook has just introduced a new advertising feature that uses Messenger to communicate with businesses. Advertisers will be able to use “Send Message” as a call-to-action on their advertisements, which would then direct the prospect to messenger. This is still in beta, but it should become generally available shortly!
9. Google Maps Ads
A Google Maps ad may lead a potential patient right to your dental practice. Results are displayed on the map and in the search results list when “dentist” is input into the search bar. These ads also include driving directions and CTAs on mobile devices.
10. Waze Ads
You may also advertise on Waze using the same technology as Google Maps. Because Waze is a community-driven app, advertisement features are slightly different—customers in the vicinity of your business will see a “digital billboard” on the map and in search results. They have two options: visit your dental practice or save the location for later.
11. Emergency Keywords
Bidding on phrases like “emergency” or “urgent,” for example, is a simple way to attract clients who have urgent demands and strong intent; imagine the return on investment for these keywords! But, make sure your practice can handle emergency situations and offers an easy method to contact them, or you may get a negative Google review.
12. ZocDoc
If there’s anything millennials despise more than paying for wifi, it’s making telephone calls with medical practitioners. ZocDoc is a mobile app that helps patients locate doctors based on their area of expertise, insurance coverage, and availability; it’s similar to Open Table for scheduling a doctor’s appointment. It is now available in most major cities across the country, as well as some minor ones!
13. Yelp
According to a survey conducted in 2014, 88 percent of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. I can’t emphasize enough the significance of Yelp; claim your practice! People are most likely already writing evaluations for your business, which should be responded to and verified. According to a recent study, millennials go to Yelp first when looking for a good dentist; make sure you’re getting in front of potential patients.
14. Instagram
Celebrities promote teeth whitening products on their Instagram feeds, and orthodontists share before-and-after pictures of patients’ smiles.
Instagram has evolved into a place to buy, enabling you to establish an Instagram for your practice to promote your unique methods and advertise to potential patients through social media. It’s likely to keep your clinic top-of-mind for followers if you update frequently.
15. Email Marketing
Imagine if your patients could email the practice to reserve a time. Your receptionist could respond with a few scheduling choices, and voila! An appointment is scheduled and on the calendar. Even better, you may send bills, reminder emails, and adorable “we haven’t seen you in a while!” emails this way.
16. Referral Bonuses
Encourage your friends’ recommendations! Referral bonuses can be used to retain current patients and grow your business. Thank them for their help and offer $10 off a dental visit for each referral that schedules an appointment! Make it simple by giving out business referral cards when clients pay their bill and include them in any correspondence you send.
17. Video Advertising
The healthcare sector is increasingly using video marketing.. Don’t sleep on it! Video with actual people from your practice can help you build a personal connection with your prospects, which can lead to trust, recommendations, and more appointments. For example, you can share a video about dental hygiene tips , a day in the life of a dentist, or a tour of your facility.
18. Dental Website
In the dental industry, your website is your best marketing tool. It should be designed to attract new dental patients and promote your brand, as well as educate prospective and existing patients about your services. Your site should also be mobile-friendly and easy to navigate. Local SEO (search engine optimization) should be utilized to ensure that your site appears as the top result for relevant searches.
19. Google AdWords
Google AdWords is a form of paid advertising, in which you can bid on certain keywords in order to have your ad appear at the top of the search results page. This is an effective dental marketing idea to attract new patients, as you are essentially paying for prime real estate on the most popular search engine!
Conclusion
There you have it—19 dental marketing ideas to attract new patients and grow your business! While some of these ideas may be more effective than others, it’s important to focus your marketing efforts to try out a few and see what works best for your practice. And remember, consistency is key!
