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dental practice marketing

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Maximize the Connection between Dental Practice Marketing and the Patient Experience

by Naomi Cooper July 1, 2013

Cultivating Online Synergy for Your Dental PracticeMarketing – it’s a very broad term. What many dentists don’t realize is that marketing encompasses the entire patient experience. Promotional efforts to reach new patents are essential for practice growth, but it’s how you (and your team) treat your patients once they are in your chair is what keeps them coming back year after year.

Dr. Dan Marut, DMD, and founder of Quality Dental Plan and MemberDent, suggests dentists shift their sales approach from the Push Model to the more modern Pull Model in order to meet the needs of dental patients today.

Push Model

The Push Model is a more assertive sales approach with the thought process being the more you promote your practice and your services, the more patients will respond. Traditional advertising such as TV and print ads are examples of the Push Model.

Pull Model

Alternatively, the Pull Model is a more consultative approach, based on building trust with patients to achieve long-term relationships. Dentists take the time to talk with patients, educating them by having conversations not only about the recommended treatment, but the reasons behind the recommendations and how the treatment will improve the patient’s function or aesthetics.

Patients want not only a dentist with strong clinical skills, but also one that understands them. The Pull Model creates a demand for your services over time, increasing patient loyalty and case acceptance within the practice.

Using a mix of both Push and Pull marketing tactics is a strategic way to not only get new patients in the door but to also keep them in the practice long-term. Patient retention is essential to any dental practice. And sometimes a slight shift in a dentist’s approach to patient communication can yield practice growth for years to come.

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Building Trust Online: 4 Strategic Tips for Dentists

by Naomi Cooper June 11, 2013

Building Trust Online: 4 Strategic Tips for DentistsWhen I am consulting with my dentist clients from across the country, there is always one absolute in every conversation about their dental practice marketing needs – internet marketing. While it was not even an area of interest just a few short years ago, internet marketing is playing an increasingly important role in dental marketing strategies, whether we discuss social media, website design, blogging or search engine optimization.

According to Sesame Communications, 80% of adult Internet users search for healthcare information online. This represents countless opportunities for dentists to reach potential patients online.

An essential component of any internet marketing strategy is something that’s hard-won and easily lost – TRUST. And building trust online is just as hard as it is offline. Maybe even harder. It seems like anyone can have a website, so how do you differentiate your practice website and your practice as a trustworthy dental care provider?

  • The first step is building a cohesive online presence, including your practice website as well as your online profiles (social media and consumer review sites).
  • Your practice website should be updated and contain links to your Facebook, Twitter, and other social media profiles.
  • If you have a blog, be sure to feature it on your site. And share your blog posts across your social media profiles.
  • Likewise, on any website where your practice has a profile (such as a consumer review site such as Yelp or Google+ Local), be sure to have all current contact information clearly visible and provide links to your website and blog.

The strategy is having a strong online presence to create a momentum for your dental practice. The above various online platforms (blogs, social media, websites, and consumer review sites) should all work together so that when patients are searching for a dentist online, they come across multiple channels broadcasting your message and validating your practice as the one they need to call.

For more ideas on cultivating online trust, check out my Sesame Communications article here.

How do you manage your online reputation? What strategies have worked well for you?

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Dental Practice Marketing: Saying Goodbye to DIY

by Naomi Cooper June 4, 2013

Dental Practice Marketing: Saying Goodbye to DIYDental practice marketing can be overwhelming. There’s internal marketing, external marketing, online marketing—it can easily begin to feel like there are too many areas to cover, too many new skills to learn, and too many tasks to manage. But the reality is that dental practice owners don’t have to go it alone.

Solo practitioners usually don’t have the budget to hire a full-time marketing director, but someone needs to devise a marketing plan, make budget-conscious marketing decisions, determine a timeline, and follow through on implementation.

If there is not a full-time marketer on the dental team, many dentists benefit from having a dental marketing expert available in a consulting capacity, enabling the practice to get professional, executive-level advice without adding to payroll expenses.

Also, tech-oriented marketing projects such as website development, search engine optimization, or electronic patient communications are typically outsourced to a highly specialized vendor such as an online marketing or software development firm.

For more insight into the leveraging the power of outsourcing, click here for my Inside Dentistry article on Marketing Strategies that Work: What Every Solo Practitioner Needs to Know.

Delegation can be difficult, and many small business owners suffer from the “do-it-yourself” mentality. But continually adding to the dental team’s marketing to-do list without crossing anything off can be discouraging, and knowing when to seek outside help is an important skill to cultivate. A marketing consultant, together with qualified vendors, can get the practice’s marketing plan off the ground, ease the learning curve, and ultimately pass the baton back to the dental team to maintain.

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Quality, Not Quantity, Is the Key To Success in Social Media

by Naomi Cooper May 27, 2013

Quality, Not Quantity, Is the Key To Success in Social MediaThere are endless ways to participate in social media: various sites, videos, comments, sharing, blogging…the list goes on and on. For dentists, and business owners in general, who are looking to get started in social media, the sheer volume of the opportunities to engage can be overwhelming.

There is no need to get frustrated before even starting. Participating in social media is all about connecting with your patients, friends and colleagues. For example, it is better to regularly engage on Facebook (for instance) a few times every week, than to sporadically post random information on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Pinterest, Instagram and YouTube. Find one or two sites that are most comfortable for you, and that you know your patients are also engaged in, and start there. As your comfort level increases, you can start to branch out to more sites.

Varying your content will also help to increase the quality of your activity. This will help to keep your content fresh and engaging. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Sharing links to trade-related articles
  • Posting a thoughtful comment on others’ posts
  • Uploading a video to YouTube – the brief video could offer a tour around your office, or an update on the latest technology in the office
  • Commenting every blog that you read
  • Posting photos
  • Responding to patients’ feedback when shared online

And one more aspect of Quality as it relates to social media would be Consistency. Posting one article every few weeks is not going to build your audience. Create a social media calendar for your office, and continually engage on a regular basis. Your audience will start to know when to expect to see your information, and you will be building credibility along the way.

Getting started in social media can seem daunting at first. By putting a little thought into your strategy, and creating a plan of action, you will be on your way in no time at all.

Have you integrated a social media marketing plan for your practice? What were some of your initial successes? Do you have any advice for those looking to get started? Please share your ideas below.

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Twitter for Dentists: Using Social Media to Grow Your Practice

by Naomi Cooper April 23, 2013

Twitter for Dentists: Using Social Media to Grow Your PracticeHere on the blog, we often talk about social media, with many posts have been geared toward Facebook.  We haven’t, however, talked much about Twitter. While not as universally used as Facebook, Twitter still boasts 500 million users. This social media site remains a successful method for dentists to reach new patients and connect with both the local and online communities.

What’s unique about Twitter is that every single word you’ve ever tweeted is public and searchable unless it was specifically marked private. That means anyone who happens to be searching for any of the keywords you’re tweeting about will find your tweets. This is an incredible way to build a loyal base of followers, regardless of whether they actually know you or not. And because about half of Americans don’t have a dentist, if your Twitter followers are in your local area, they certainly have the potential to become your patients when they’re ready.

I recently came across this informative blog highlighting Twitter from the social media guru Jeff Bullas. Click here to read the blog and discover his 40 ways to increase your Twitter followers.

Facebook is not the only option when it comes to connecting with your patients online. Twitter is a simple and quick way for dentists to distribute information and engage with followers within a matter of seconds.

Do you use Twitter in your dental practice? What has made it successful for you?

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Branding Strategies for Dentists: Why It’s More Than Just Advertising

by Naomi Cooper April 16, 2013

Branding Strategies for Dentists: Why It’s More Than Just AdvertisingAs marketing guru John Jantsch says, branding is the art of being knowable, likeable and trustable. To be knowable, a dental practice has to be both visible and noteworthy; people have to know the practice exists, and as if that weren’t enough of a challenge, they also have to remember the practice’s name in their hour of need.

A dental practice’s brand is conveyed not only through traditional marketing tactics, but also by incidental and sometimes even accidental means; the way financial concerns are addressed over the phone, the tone in the receptionist’s voice when she greets a new patient, the way the doctor compliments the assistant, and even the first impression new patients have when they walk through the front door. Clinical skills, customer service, the carpet in the reception area, the greeting patients hear over the phone—each of these are part of the patient experience, and thus, the practice’s brand.

A practice’s brand communicates the distinctive combination of skills, personality, values and expertise that influence the way dentists practice—and how the community views them. Every practice is different, and every dentist has something exceptional to offer. Branding establishes a practice’s unique identity, ensures patient loyalty, and most importantly, has the potential to keep dentists in the driver’s seat when it comes to their reputations. Branding is about communicating a message—and dentists who employ a branding strategy will ensure their patients get the message loud and clear.

What is a brand? And why should dentists employ a branding strategy? Click here to read my recent article on the topic published in Dental Products Report.

Does your dental practice have a brand identity? How do you think potential patients, and your community, view your practice?

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