Growing your dental practice can be challenging. The American Dental Association notes that, in the last 15 years, the number of adults seeking dental care has dropped. But bringing new patients through the door is essential to increasing production and replacing patients who, for whatever reason, have left your practice. We’ve put together 9 tips to attract new dental patients.
1. Develop a referral system for current clients.
Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the best ways to grow any business, and it’s especially true for a dental practice. When people are looking for a new dentist, they trust a personal recommendation more than advertising. They feel more comfortable knowing someone who has experience and is satisfied with your practice. You can encourage referrals by offering patients an incentive such as a free cleaning or a discount when they refer someone who becomes a patient. Simply handing them a referral card is both easy and effective.
2. Ask for online reviews.
87% of Americans report that they trust online reviews to help them choose a local business for the services they need. The more important the service, the more online reviews they are likely to read. That means that asking for reviews from your patients is a vital part of your dental marketing strategy. A dentist with no reviews is not likely to be the first choice for someone in need of dental care.
3. Participate in community events.
Sponsoring a local event can be an effective part of your marketing strategy and a good way to build brand awareness. It can be something as basic as handing out flyers and coupons at a local event to participating in local health fairs and back-to-school events. Community events are also a good way to grow your contact database.
4. Offer new patient incentives.
One way to encourage prospective patients to take action is to offer them something, such as a free report in exchange for their contact information. You can also offer a discount on service bundles — cleaning, x-rays, and exam — or even a free cleaning. It’s critical to give people a reason to call you.
5. Promote that you are taking new patients.
Ensure that your marketing lets people know your practice is accepting new patients. This can be one of the first questions a prospective patient may have, and it’s a piece of information that can cause them to call you instead of a competitor whose marketing doesn’t make that clear.
6. Educate through your advertising.
Provide prospective patients with relevant, useful information. Offer tips on choosing a dentist and how regular flossing affects their health. For example, consider a radio ad that explains the benefits of using an electric toothbrush or an ad that discusses cavity prevention tips. By offering valuable information, instead of just another annoying ad, you can build brand awareness and help ensure that your practice is top of mind when consumers are looking for a new dentist.
7. Be active on social media platforms.
Social media is an essential part of marketing your dental practice. It humanizes your practice and provides an opportunity to engage with both current and prospective patients. Use social media to promote the local events with which you’re involved and use event hashtags. Build trust by asking satisfied patients to provide video testimonials and post to social media.
8. Focus on Local SEO and an Exceptional Website.
Local SEO targets people in a specific area, which is important for a dental practice. In addition, Google displays local results higher in mobile browsers. Optimize for location-specific keywords, such as city, neighborhood, and zip code.
9. Use digital promotions to interact and engage with potential patients.
Build a community that keeps current customers coming back for more, and they are likely to refer others who may become patients. Have fun with it. For example, post quizzes and photo contests.
While dental advertising has changed, some things remain the same. Providing great service is the best way to attract new customers, by encouraging word-of-mouth advertising and asking for referrals and online reviews. Add useful educational content and other brand awareness campaigns to grow your practice and attract new patients.
