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dental marketing plan

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Dental Marketing: When It’s Better to Just Say No

by Naomi Cooper January 3, 2018

There’s a well-known concept that I often discuss with my dental clients when we’re talking about marketing dental marketing strategywithout first having a strategy in place, and that’s the “spaghetti on the wall” idea. And perhaps you could even call this a “strategy”, but it’s certainly not one I would recommend.

What I mean by “spaghetti on the wall” is the idea of doing all kinds of different marketing efforts to see “what sticks”. Many dentists employ this method of marketing, which often leads to frustration and wasted money.

It is understandable why so many smart, educated dentists employ this “strategy”. Dentists and office managers are bombarded constantly by sales calls, each one promising astronomical results. So how can you filter the good from the bad?

This year, start by going back to square one. Think about your practice vision and/or philosophy. What is it that you ultimately set out to do?

Next think about what kind of patient type you want to attract. Who would you like to see more of in your practice?

Then, the next time a salesperson calls, resist the urge to say “yes” and tell them you’ll think about their offer and will be in touch. Take the time to ask yourself:

  • Will this action help me meet my vision?
  • Is it in line with my philosophy?
  • Is it targeted enough to reach my ideal patient type?

If the answer is “no” to any of the above, simply tell the sales caller a firm “thanks but no thanks”. There is no need to waste time and money on ventures that won’t help you get to your desired end point, no matter how enticing the offer may be.

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Dental Practice Marketing: Can You Really Afford to Opt Out?

by Naomi Cooper February 1, 2016

Naomi Cooper Minoa MarketingWord of mouth can only take a practice so far. It’s essential for dentists today to have a modern marketing strategy. If you’re not sure where to begin when developing a strategy for your practice, check out this video & discover the 5 key areas every dentist should focus on…

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Is Your Dental Marketing Plan in Need of a Refresh?

by Naomi Cooper April 9, 2014

Is Your Dental Marketing Plan in Need of a Refresh?What is your plan for sparking new patient flow? If you are still relying on phone book advertising for your dental practice, you might want to refresh your marketing plan.

Sure, phone book advertising still has a place in the marketing plan for some dental practices. If you are targeting seniors, it may still make sense. Keep in mind that as the population ages, eventually you are going to need to shift your strategy to the online world.

Not yet convinced? Consider the following statistics:

With recent stats like these, it is hard to deny the importance of having an online marketing strategy. Updating your practice website, employing SEO tactics and joining social media can help to bring your practice marketing plan into the modern era. And there is certainly no time like the present to get started!

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Goal Setting: How to Achieve Dental Marketing Success

by Naomi Cooper December 30, 2013

Goal Setting: How to Achieve Dental Marketing SuccessAhhh…The beginning of a new year. A time for resolutions and plans, both personally and professionally. It’s relatively easy to come up with a list of new goals to accomplish over the next 12 months, but do you notice a stalemate when it comes to taking the first, second and third steps needed in order to take action to achieve your goals?

You’re not alone. A recent online article from Healthcare Success Strategies talks about the 7 Deadly Sins of Healthcare Marketing and how to identify the roadblocks to productivity. It is a terrific read for dental practice owners, and extremely timely as we enter 2014.

In terms of dental marketing, a common goal I often hear is to “increase social media activity”. This sounds great in theory, but goals should be more specific. How do you plan to increase your activity? What social media sites will you use? How do you define “increase”? A better-stated goal might be: Post 3 times per week to Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. When stated like this, your action plan is more clearly defined — and more measurable.

Setting annual marketing goals is a necessary habit to keep your dental practice moving forward, but setting short-term, specific objectives to help you reach them is often the first step towards achieving success in marketing.

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Is Phone Book Advertising Still Relevant for Dentists?

by Naomi Cooper November 19, 2012

Is Phone Book Advertising Still Relevant for Dentists?Determining whether advertising in the phone book is a smart way to reach new patients is not as simple as yes or no.  Several factors should go into whether or not you continue to advertise. Here are 4 important ideas to consider:

  1. Consumers are becoming increasingly reliant on search engines (i.e., Google) and online review sites (i.e., Yelp) when looking for information about healthcare providers. Younger patients (those in their 20s, 30, and 40s) are more likely to find a dentist online. Senior citizens, on the other hand, may still prefer to use the phone book. 
  2. Generally speaking, residents in more urban areas are younger, more technologically savvy and are less likely to have a word of mouth referral to rely on, making them more likely to search for a dentist online. Those in more rural locations are more likely to turn word of mouth or to the yellow pages. However, in today’s world, regardless of where you live, the internet has absolutely become a ubiquitous resource for search and research.
  3. If your target customers are young families, the dollars allocated to yellow pages advertising should not exceed 15% of your marketing budget. If your practice focuses more on senior citizens, it might still be appropriate to spend 25% or more of your total marketing budget on yellow pages. But don’t forget that Baby Boomers are spending an increasing amount of time online, and that women over the age of 60 are still the fastest growing demographic on Facebook.
  4. Return on Investment: How much in production or many new patients do you have to receive to make yellow pages a cost-effective marketing tool? Have you achieved this threshold this year? Last year? How are you measuring success?

A recent study by The Wealthy Dentist found that only 25% of respondents still report getting new patients through phone book advertising. Do you advertise in the phone book? Why or why not? Please share your opinions below.