Top Strategic Marketing Tips for Dentists

Providing quality care to your patients is essential for maintaining a successful dental practice. However, in order to do that, you first need to find patients to help. That’s where dental practice marketing comes in. Taking a strategic approach to marketing can help you grow your practice, build a strong patient base, and secure long-term success.

1. Build a strong online presence.

Developing your online presence is a cornerstone of dental marketing in the modern landscape. While there are still many other ways to market your practice, building your online presence should be a top priority. Doing so helps you make it easy for patients to find you and improves the chances that they’ll choose your practice.

To start with, your practice should have a modern, professional website. Your site is often a potential patient’s first impression of your practice, and an outdated or amateur website can make you seem unprofessional. It’s well worth investing in making your website a true reflection of what your practice has to offer.

The visual design of your website is critical, but so is the content you include. Search engine optimization (SEO) focuses on crafting your website content to rank highly in search engine results. 

You want to boost your website’s domain authority for relevant search terms. Tailoring SEO for your local area is an important strategy for specifically targeting possible patients in your area.

Online reviews are another excellent way to build your online presence. You can ask patients to leave reviews on a variety of platforms, such as Google and Facebook. Responding to online reviews can further improve your practice’s reputation.

2. Leverage social media.

Social media is one of the most valuable marketing tools for dental practices. While demographic trends can vary depending on age, just about all of your potential patient base uses one form of social media or another. Platforms such as Instagram and Facebook are among the most effective options for promoting your practice.

Take the time to set up social media accounts and use high-quality, professional photos to present a good image. You’ll also be able to include a brief description and relevant business details on most platforms.

Maintaining active engagement is key for successful social media marketing. Ideally, post regularly to reach as many patients as possible. Patient testimonials are one excellent type of post you can make, but remember to get express permission regarding the release of any testimonials or images.

Day-to-day posts can consist of dental tips concerning at-home oral hygiene, things to avoid, or treatment options patients might not be aware of. You can also share any office updates, such as additions to your team or expanded treatment options like orthodontics.

3. Collect online reviews.

Properly managing online reviews is essential to maintain a good image for your practice. First, you’ll want to claim your Google Business Profile, which lets you update information that people see on Google and allows you to respond to reviews. You should also make sure to enable reviews on your practice’s Facebook page.

Online reviews are one of the first things that people look at when searching for local businesses. Having a solid base of many past reviews instills significant confidence in your practice. Remember to encourage your patients to leave reviews, and send them reminders and links to social media pages in communications as appropriate.

You can also respond to online comments, with the best approach being to leave a simple thank you on positive reviews and provide direct contact information for your practice on negative reviews. Keep in mind that discussing any specifics publicly could violate patient privacy laws.

4. Create a patient referral program.

A patient referral program leverages word of mouth to quickly grow your practice by bringing in friends and family of current patients. Offering a discount or other incentive for both parties is a powerful tool for bringing in new patients.

Securing potential long-term patients is well worth the initial referral cost. Consider the ongoing revenue that comes with each patient who makes your practice their new dental home.

5. Engage in community outreach.

Being an active part of your community keeps your practice fresh in potential patients’ minds. Your practice could sponsor any number of local community organizations or activities to raise awareness.

There are also opportunities to give back to your community through charity dental work and education. These efforts can greatly improve both your own professional reputation and that of your practice in general. You’ll also be able to build strong local connections that further establish your practice as part of the community.

Put your strategic marketing to work for your dental practice.

Putting these tips into action is an excellent way to approach strategic marketing for dentists. You can continue to draw in new patients, allowing your practice to thrive and grow. Keep in mind that you don’t have to take this journey alone. The American Orthodontic Society provides a wide range of networking opportunities and resources to support you along the way. Consider becoming an AOS member today to get started.