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dental practice marketing

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The Shift to Mobile Marketing: Is Your Practice Prepared?

by Naomi Cooper January 7, 2013

The Shift to Mobile Marketing: Is Your Practice Prepared?The world of marketing is ever-changing. It can be difficult to stay on top of the newest trends and gadgets. In looking ahead to 2013, many predict the biggest game-changer of the year will be the rise in popularity and the shift to mobile marketing. Is your dental practice prepared?

What is mobile marketing?

Simply put, mobile marketing is marketing via a mobile device, most commonly, a smartphone but also including the increasingly popular tablet devices. People go online to find information on and research healthcare providers now more than ever. And increasing numbers of users are doing so from their smartphones.

What does this shift mean to you and your dental practice?

Mobile marketing is a very broad term that encompasses multiple strategies including text message notifications, digital advertising and website optimization. And website optimization is the greatest takeaway for dental practice owners. You already have a website for your practice, and perhaps you work with an SEO company to be sure your website appears at the top of search results. Take your website to the next level, and convert your website into one that is also mobile-friendly (e.g., easily accessed via a smartphone or tablet with full functionality).

If your website is not able to properly function from a smartphone, what happens? The user leaves your site and finds one that is compatible. Speak with your trusted website designer or work with a mobile marketing company to get your practice website converted and onboard with the mobile marketing trend.

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Crafting Your Dental Practice Marketing Budget

by Naomi Cooper December 20, 2012

Crafting Your Dental Practice Marketing BudgetThe beginning of a new year is the optimal time to take stock of your dental practice marketing plan. Finding the time to give your marketing some serious thought and consideration can pay off hugely n the long run. It helps in staying on top of deadlines. Carving out a schedule ahead of time ensures you are promoting your dental practice consistently and efficiently, and does not leave you vulnerable to knee-jerk marketing tactics every time a sales person calls.

However, it is difficult to finish a marketing plan without determining a budget. Setting a marketing budget may seem like a daunting task. Several factors should be weighed when considering how much money should be allocated, and where your money will be best spent.

  • Consider how well known your practice is within your local community. If you have not done much marketing in the past, you should probably expect to spend more, particularly in a building year (when you are creating your infrastructure).
  • In the building year, best practices indicate approximately 5-8% of production should be put towards your marketing. It’s imperative to track your return on investment, and plan to dedicate 3-5% for the second year and going forward.
  • Always keep your target patient profile in mind. For example, if your target customers are Moms, engaging in social media marketing will be more effective than paying for phone book advertising.
  • Business is cyclical, and dental practices are no different. Think about what times of the year your practice gets busier – these are generally the times when your patients are looking for dental services. Marketing during these times can help to reach new patients when they are searching for you.
  • Do not forget that your marketing budget should be fluid. Set a time frame within which you will dedicate time and money towards a series of marketing activities, and take the time to track and review the results. Make changes where you see there is room for improvement.

Creating a marketing budget does not have to be a difficult process. Simply taking the time to sit down and giving careful consideration to the money allocated to promoting your process is a smart step in reaching new patients and keeping your dental practice running most efficiently.

What questions have you encountered in creating your practice’s marketing budget? Do you have any advice for beginners?

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Put the Power of Google to Work for Your Dental Practice

by Naomi Cooper December 5, 2012

Put the Power of Google to Work for Your Dental PracticeOnline Marketing…SEO and Websites…Social Media…

Dental practice marketing sure has changed over the past few years. The Internet, and especially social media, have completely changed the way you promote your practice. For beginners, this can be overwhelming. However it is essential to modernize your marketing techniques in order to grow your practice in this digital age.

The first name you need to understand – Google. At first glance, you may think it is just another search engine. In reality, it is so much more. It is an influential Internet powerhouse, and putting it to work for your dental practice is a smart way to reach new patients.

I recently wrote a guest blog for Sesame Communications on this very topic. I encourage you to take a look and challenge you to leverage the power of Google for your dental practice.

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Using Video to Promote Your Dental Practice

by Naomi Cooper December 4, 2012

Using Video to Promote Your Dental PracticeYouTube is now the Internet’s second-largest search engine. More than sixty hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, and over four billion videos are viewed each day! Dentists around the globe are realizing that offering short videos on their websites and YouTube channels can be an effective part of an overall search engine optimization strategy.

Google bought YouTube in 2006, and therefore has a vested interest in promoting online video and increasing the importance of video in search engine results. Online videos play into Google’s algorithmic preference for fresh, relevant content so your practice is listed higher on Google searches. And the videos posted directly on YouTube drive YouTube search traffic to the practice website as well.

If you want to use video but are not sure what to talk about in the videos, here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • A welcome message from the dentist(s)
  • Introductions to each of the team members
  • A tour of the practice
  • Before and After videos or interviewing satisfied patients upon treatment completion
  • Answers to any frequently asked questions of the dentists or front desk team

Also, check out this informative blog Time to Become a Videographer from Fred Joyal, co-founder and CEO of 1-800-Dentist, and learn some other helpful tricks to help you get started.

Video is increasingly important for dentists to promote their practices online, and it is a great way for potential patients to get to know you before making their first appointment.

Have you posted videos of your practice online? What advice would you have for beginners? If you haven’t used video yet, what is stopping you from getting started?

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Utilize Your Audience and Enhance Your Online Presence

by Naomi Cooper November 30, 2012

Utilize Your Audience and Enhance Your Online PresenceSocial media and online marketing are big topics here on our blog. Whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or promoting your dental practice blog, we often talk about getting your message out there in the online world. Social media is about engaging, and let’s face it, being SOCIAL!

For dental practices (and other businesses), there is a fine line between engaging online and being too pushy. The goal is to interact with your patients and colleagues, to be authentic and honest, while keeping your dental practice on the tops of their minds. It’s important to remember that it is sometimes okay to leverage your contacts and friends and ask for their support. Here are just a few situations where it’s a good idea to ask for help:

  • Launching a new website: spread the word to your contacts through an email encouraging them to check out the new site
  • Asking patients, friends, and colleagues to like your Facebook business page, follow you on Twitter, or subscribe to your YouTube Channel
  • Implementing a practice e-newsletter and requesting your patients opt-in to automatically receive it

Recently, Facebook announced a new feature where they’re allowing users to sign up to automatically receive all updates from the users favorite business pages. For more information on this new development, and how you can make it work for your dental practice business page, check out this great blog on the topic from My Social Practice.

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