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How I get my dental practice 30+ new patients per month

Dec. 2, 2013
Dental practices need a variety of marketing techniques

By Tim Bashara

In the dental industry, it’s all about building a steady and loyal clientele, and the use of different marketing methods is integral to attracting new clients. Any dentist serious about maintaining a successful practice and growing needs to embrace marketing. There are several methods available. Some of the ones that I’ve used to grow my practice include SEO, PPC, social media, radio, magazine, and community service events. These important ways of getting the word out about your business can help you to bring in 30+ patients a month.

The importance of SEO
As with any business, it’s impossible to dominate your niche in the modern business world without a website. But just having a website won’t make a difference if no one sees it. Even an award-winning website will fail to gain attention if it’s buried on the search engine results pages. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to making sure those in your area looking for a good dentist will find your dental practice. By showing up on the first page, you will be seen by everyone looking for a dentist. Listings on the second page are seen by only 5% of people who search online.

RELATED ARTICLE: Is PR a part of your online dental marketing strategy?

PPC still pays off
Since SEO can take a while to build up, it’s a good idea to engage in PPC (pay per click) marketing in the short run. This gives you the opportunity to be seen by people in your area looking for a dentist even if your website might only show up on the 10th page organically. You will only pay when people click on your advertisement, and this will usually result in a ROI in a fairly short time. As your SEO garners results, you can scale back on your PPC, but it is recommended you leave the PPC active and stay in the No. 1 position. A quick look at any major company will show you that they are active in PPC and SEO simultaneously.

Social media captures attention and wins hearts
Social media is one of the most powerful marketing tools on the Internet. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and blogs allow you to connect in ways never before imagined. Rather than having to concentrate on capturing attention through your face advertisements, you can simply inform the public, make announcements, and give things away. The power of social media lies in the fact that people can instantly share the things they like with their friends. Whereas this kind of word of mouth used to be limited to small groups of friends, now any person can share with thousands of people instantly. Not only that, but there are many channels to reach people through social media. Examples include Facebook retargeting and newsfeed ads. Yes, most people don’t even know these methods exist.

Why radio is still important
Many folks traveling to work or across town still listen to the radio. Even with MP3 players in every home, people still enjoy the random play offered by radio stations. Marketing through these stations allows you to connect with potential patients while they’re in the car, at home, or at work. Just make sure to keep your message short and to the point and you will see results. It’s all about having a great offer that gets people to take action. Without a compelling offer, your ad will fail.

Get seen in magazines
If you think about what people do in a dentist’s office while they’re bored, they often look at magazines if they’re available. This kind of boredom stretches beyond the dentist’s waiting room. People get bored everywhere and like to thumb through a magazine to help the time pass. By advertising in magazines, it’s possible to catch the attention of people while they are receptive to reading about something new. Make sure your magazine marketing highlights what sets your practice apart from the competition, and it will surely bring in results.

Do community service events
Patients like to be involved with a dentist who has a sense of community. It shows that their dentist cares about his or her patients. One way to do this without having to pay a cent for marketing is through community service events. Such events include Dentistry from the Heart, which allows those who cannot afford dental care to get the help they need through volunteer dental offices. In most cases, your practice name shows up in the news and you get publicity about the event, which means free marketing for you. But alwayw remember it’s important to focus on your patients and providing value first, and good news will follow naturally.

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As the owner of Sweet Tooth Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. Tim Bashara enjoys serving children and making sure that they are treated with care and respect. In his spare time, he enjoys writing articles on various dentistry-related topics in an effort to educate as many people as possible on the benefits of healthy oral hygiene. Connect with him on Facebook.