In the 1960s, a dentist could move to a new town and buy the only practice from the retiring dentist. Then they were set for life.
But the number of dentists has increased by 127% since then. There’s a lot more competition for patients to choose from.
Now without an online presence, you might as well throw in the towel. But you need to do more than just put up a website and call it a day.
Digital marketing for dentists is more important than ever. It can make or break your practice. So keep reading to learn how to utilize digital marketing to grow your dental practice.
Digital Marketing Versus Traditional Marketing Methods
Placing an advertisement in the Yellow Pages used to be an effective marketing strategy. So was being in an insurance provider book. Today, that’s not nearly enough.
Most people throw out their Yellow Pages now. Instead, they turn to the internet to do some research before settling on a dentist.
Radio isn’t effective, either. With radio, you’re reaching a passive rather than active audience.
People listening to the radio aren’t always searching for a dentist. Or they already have one.
There’s also no way with traditional marketing methods to tailor the marketing to a specific group. At least, not without it costing a lot of time and money.
While traditional marketing methods can and do still work, they just aren’t as effective. Digital marketing for dentists allows you to easily define and target the age, geolocation, and even interests of individuals.
The Benefits of Digital Marketing for Dentists
The benefits of digital marketing for dentists are many. There’s the cost, time, and ease of marketing to the right group. Let’s go over them individually.
Cost
There are different ways to use digital marketing for dentists online. You can go the paid route and choose PPC (Pay Per Click) or Adwords.
While they’re the most expensive options, when done right, they have a terrific ROI (return on investment).
Advertising on Social Media
But there’s also social media marketing. While there can be a cost in social media marketing, there doesn’t have to be. Simply posting on various social media platforms can be highly effective.
So can using photos and videos. Some people are fearful of dentists. A photograph of a smiling, confident patient can go a long way toward allaying those fears.
A video can go even further. Using your smartphone, you can do a live video chat on social media.
Even spending 15 minutes answering questions about your practice to potential patients can bring in patients.
Best of all, except for your time, it’s free.
Be Found on Search Engines
Another way to ensure you’re easily found is by placing your site on search engines. The more search engines your website is listed on, the more likely you’ll be found by new patients.
You can take the time to list yourself on all the search engines but there are over 100 of them and they’re constantly growing. It’s much easier and both time and cost effective to pay for a service to do it for you.
Lastly, sites for patients to specifically find dentists is another smart and effective way for patients to find your office online.
Social Media Costs
Another option is to pay for ads on social media. Facebook is a great place to do advertising. For as little as $1 per day, you can advertise on Facebook.
The ads are easy to set up.You can also find patients who fit the exact profile you’re looking for. They’ll also be in your neighborhood.
Time
Dentists are busy running their practice. They have to focus on their clients.
So it’s sometimes difficult to feel you have the time to focus on any type of marketing.
Paid Advertising
But digital marketing for dentists doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. PPC only needs to be set up once. The same goes for Adwords.
Using Social Media
With social media, as long as you have time to create the content, you can schedule a time for the posts to go out. It really is that easy.
But digital marketing for dentists shouldn’t even be handled by the dentists themselves. You know dentistry, not marketing.
So let the professionals do their work.They’ll find the right keywords for you to use. They’ll also utilize paid search to ensure you end up on the first page of each and every search.
Ease
Digital marketing for dentists isn’t easy. There are a lot of options to choose from.
Google is also constantly changing their rules and it’s tough to keep up.
Even marketing professionals find it difficult. But it’s not impossible and there are easy options.
E-mail Marketing
Capturing the e-mail of people visiting your site is incredibly easy. It just needs to be set up once and then you’re set.
All that needs to happen after is sending out e-mails with timely and useful information.
Content Marketing
Content marketing doesn’t have to be difficult, either. You see patients every day so ask them what questions they have. You can also automate e-mail marketing if you’re short on time.
You can even write up a simple questionnaire to ask. Or just listen to them. Soon you’ll have plenty of ideas for creating great content for your blog or newsletter.
Online Reviews
It doesn’t stop there. Try sending out an e-mail to new patients with a link to Google asking them to leave you a review.
The more reviews you get, the higher you’ll rise on search engines. You’ll also find your patient load increase.
People really value online reviews, especially when it comes to dentistry.
Get the Right Help
Digital marketing for dentists shouldn’t be done by dentists. It’s not your niche.
While it’s smart to learn about effective marketing methods, you can’t do it all on your own.
It’s best to turn to trusted professionals who will guide you in the right direction. They’ll work closely with you and your team.
They’ll also work within your budget. Don’t wait, find out how we can help.