The Best Marketing Ideas for Orthodontic Practices
Orthodontic practices can greatly benefit from implementing orthodontic marketing strategies and maintaining a consistent presence on social media.
These initiatives help increase visibility, engagement, and ultimately, conversion rates.
Through our partnerships with numerous orthodontic practices, we have gained valuable insights into their digital marketing needs and have seen firsthand the positive impact of effective digital marketing initiatives.
Table of Contents
- Improve Website Rankings with Technical SEO
- Modern Aesthetic Orthodontic Website
- Elevate your marketing strategy with innovative video content
- Focus Content on Your Awesome Team
- Give Your Online Reputation a Boost
- Respond to Every Patient Google Review
- Become a Giving Practice
- Discover Trending Ideas Before Anyone Else
- Promote Free Consultations
- Create a Paid Ad Campaign
- Get Comfortable using AI
- Improve Search Rankings with a Blog
- Update Your Practice’s Mission Statement
- Discover your unique value proposition and incorporate it into your marketing strategy
- Convert More Website Visitors with Live Chat
- Outsource as Much Marketing as You Can
#1. Improve Your Google Maps Ranking
Orthodontists who are targeting high-value patients for treatments like clear aligners or braces should evaluate their current Google Maps rankings for relevant search phrases. Understanding your current position will help you develop a strategy for improvement.
The key to improving your practice’s rankings on Google Maps is your Google Business Profile (GBP). Many orthodontists overlook the fact that they can optimize their GBP to climb in the rankings. Google maps optimization depends on three aspects: Prominence, Distance, and Relevance.
Prominence refers to how well your orthodontic practice is recognized in your community. Google primarily measures this by looking at inbound links. For example, a great inbound link for your Orthodontic practice would be to have a local colleague write an article about your practice. When that article is published on your colleague’s blog, and if the post includes a link to your website or GBP listing, you’ll benefit from a great link that will help with your prominence ranking.
Distance relates to the location of your practice and where the person is searching from. A Google Maps ranking report will help you understand location-based results by indicating your practice’s ranking for different locations.
#2. Add Social Profile Links to your Google Business Profile
To optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP) and make your practice more accessible online, it is important to add social profile links. When prospective patients search for orthodontists in your area, your practice should appear with important information such as hours of operation, Google reviews, photos, and a link to your website. It is also important to include links to your practice’s social media pages in the GBP search results.
To add social links to your GBP, follow these steps:
- Access your GBP either through desktop or the Google Maps app on mobile
- Select “Edit Profile”, then “Business Information”, then “Contact”
- Choose the social media platforms you want to include and add your practice’s links
#3. Get on TikTok
Social media is an essential tool for Orthodontic marketing. Social media strategies have proven to be valuable in attracting and retaining patients. Tik Tok is the hottest trend for Orthodontic social media marketing. TikTok is a mobile video app that is gaining popularity and can help you grow your social media following.
Although TikTok Orthodontic marketing is still in its infancy, it is simple and free to set up an account. There is also a simple advertising platform available. Tik Tok Orthodontic marketing is a great way to go viral and become more well-known in your area. Having a larger follower base on your TikTok account can give you an edge over your competitors and position you as a qualified choice.
#4. Post to Instagram Reels
It is recommended that your orthodontics practice should also post on Instagram Reels along with TikTok. Instagram Reels can be an excellent platform to showcase your practice’s personality, target your audience, and potentially even go viral. You can try out some of these Instagram Reels ideas to promote your orthodontist office:
– Give a tour of your practice
– Demonstrate a procedure such as braces installation
– Try out a fun trend like a dance or friendly prank
– Introduce yourself and your team members
– Answer FAQs
#5. Use Instagram Threads
A social media feature that you may find useful for your orthodontic practice is Threads. Threads is a micro-blogging platform introduced by Meta, the parent company of Instagram and Facebook, as an alternative to X (formerly known as Twitter), and has millions of users.
With new features like web browser compatibility, direct integration with Instagram, and a timeline of “liked posts,” Threads continually improves and expands its functionality. You can share orthodontic jokes, FAQs, photos, videos, and more on Threads to engage with your audience.
#6. Connect with local social media influencers
Utilizing local social media influencers is an effective method to attract new patients in your area. Instagram marketing for orthodontists requires creating engaging content, and incorporating influencers into your content strategy can be a refreshing addition.
Influencers are individuals who have a substantial social media following, usually consisting of no less than 1,000 followers. They promote products and brands while blending these endorsements with their regular content. Influencers with less than 10,000 followers are considered “micro-influencers,” but they can still be very beneficial if their followers are part of your local community. Orthodontic influencer marketing tends to outperform traditional advertising due to the trust and credibility that these semi-public figures have with potential patients.
If you wish to connect with your target audience, you can consider collaborating with a local personality who could serve as an influencer for your orthodontic practice. This influencer could be a current patient who has a strong influence in your community, such as a photographer, personal trainer, musician, or blogger. You can approach them with an offer to document their next orthodontic visit and tag your practice or discuss the possibility of partnering for a contest. In return, you could offer complimentary orthodontic services, discounted products, or other attractive incentives.
#7. Host a Social Media Marketing Contest
Utilizing practice giveaways and orthodontic contest ideas can be a fun and easy way to motivate both your team and patients to participate in your orthodontic social media campaigns. You have plenty of opportunities to get creative with contests that promote healthy oral hygiene habits.
#8. Showcase Photos of Your Amazing Patients
Are you aware of how a great patient can make everyone’s day brighter? Why not share that sunshine online? Patient photos can be an excellent way to showcase the human element in your practice, create shareable media, and help potential patients feel more at home and excited about the benefits of treatment. If you feel that you need more patient photos but struggle to make it happen, here are some tips to help:
- Get your team on board with taking daily or weekly patient photos and make it a habit. You can even incentivize them if they need a little push
- Develop a regular system for before and after comparisons that both your team and your patients can take pride in
- Use your office layout to make it fun: set up a photo corner with a great backdrop and props
- Take advantage of silly moments
- Don’t forget about HIPAA compliance! You can ensure that you have all of your legal bases covered with our free social consent forms
Building relationships with patients and team members is crucial for the success of your orthodontic practice. One way to do this is by showing interest in their lives. You can also use social media to showcase your practice’s commitment to patient well-being and team camaraderie. By engaging with other local businesses on social media, you can stay connected and relevant in your community. Remember that social proof is important for referrals. Sharing posts about your patients and team members can also help to alleviate any anxiety they may have about starting orthodontic treatment. Simply staying connected with your patients on a personal level can be a powerful marketing tool.
#9. Improve Website Rankings with Technical SEO
Orthodontic website SEO often goes unnoticed by many practitioners. However, Google prioritizes delivering excellent user experience. Thus, if your website has slow loading speed, broken links, poor security, or lacks mobile optimization, it can hurt your search engine rankings. We estimate that technical SEO accounts for around 30-40% of the ranking algorithm. Therefore, it’s essential to evaluate the technical proficiency of your website as part of your orthodontic marketing strategy.
To keep your website up to speed, you need to monitor its loading speed. In today’s fast-paced digital world, slow page loads often lead to high bounce rates, which can adversely affect your search rankings. First impressions matter, and a sluggish website can be a deterrent. You have only three seconds to catch a potential patient’s attention before they abandon your website.
Your website must have robust security measures in place, especially if you deal with healthcare information. HIPAA compliance is crucial, and you must have full security, especially for contact forms, appointment requests, and online payments. Failure to comply with HIPAA regulations can put your practice and patients at risk of OCR fines.
Mobile optimization is a must-have feature for any website, especially in the healthcare industry. Since the majority of searches are done on mobile devices, it’s essential to have a mobile-optimized website. Google’s mobile-first indexing underscores this necessity, where lack of mobile optimization can lead to lower rankings.
It’s vital to have an SEO-optimized website for the success of your orthodontic practice.
#10. Modern Aesthetic Orthodontic Website
Most Orthodontists have a website nowadays, and many of them look great. However, it’s crucial for these websites to be more than just visually attractive. They must also be technologically advanced and easy for users to navigate, especially since Orthodontic patients expect a smooth and mobile-friendly experience when browsing such websites.
In addition to having an appealing design and being optimized for mobile devices, orthodontic websites must also comply with strict HIPAA guidelines and maintain technological proficiency. Non-compliance of many orthodontic websites does not indicate negligence, but rather stems from the complex and detailed nature of HIPAA regulations. For example, most contact and appointment forms do not comply with HIPAA regulations because they lack end-to-end encryption. It is important to understand that ePHI (Electronic Protected Health Information) requires encryption both at rest and in transit.
#11. Elevate your marketing strategy with innovative video content
In order to fully harness the potential of online marketing for orthodontists, it is crucial to incorporate video marketing alongside compelling images and articles. Social media algorithms tend to favor video content, propelling it to the top of your followers’ feeds. Therefore, it is important to start creating and sharing video content if you want to reach more people.
Orthodontic video content can be customized to meet the unique requirements of each practice, adding depth to your digital marketing strategy. Here are some ideas to get you started:
1. Create informative videos: These could address frequently asked questions, showcase a day in your practice, provide close-up views of your equipment, or demonstrate orthodontic procedures.
2. Add videos to your website or landing pages: Presenting your practice through videos can help visitors connect with your brand, making it easier for them to book their first appointment. You can also include short descriptions of your services and why they are important on your Orthodontic website service pages.
3. Engage with social media using fun videos: Creating relatable videos helps foster a sense of community with your audience. Consider using popular TikTok video concepts to add a touch of creativity to your videos.
#12. Focus Content on Your Awesome Team
Focusing on creating content centered around the orthodontic practice team members can be beneficial for multiple reasons. Firstly, this approach emphasizes the human aspect of the practice, which can help patients feel more comfortable and build a connection with the team. The content that introduces the team, shares their personal stories, highlights their experiences and qualifications, and shows them engaging in their work can build trust with potential patients. By understanding who they are trusting their care to, patients could find it easier to choose your practice over others.
Highlighting the orthodontic practice team provides insight into the culture of the practice. It gives potential patients an idea of the atmosphere, the personalities they will be interacting with, and what to expect during appointments. This type of content could help reduce anxiety for new patients and reassure them of their decision to entrust their orthodontic needs to your team. Additionally, seeing the same familiar faces on social media or the practice’s website can create a sense of continuity and personal attention, something that is highly appreciated in healthcare.
While educational content is essential and can establish the practice as knowledgeable and competent, it is not as personal and relatable as team-focused content. Also, with the saturation of educational content on orthodontics available on the internet, it can be challenging to stand out purely with that type of content. By focusing on the practice team, an orthodontist can differentiate their practice from others, foster a strong sense of community, and ultimately attract and retain more patients.
#13. Give Your Online Reputation a Boost
An orthodontist’s online reputation is one of their most valuable assets, and it’s primarily established through patient reviews on Google. This is because Google is used by approximately 90% of all consumers. On the Bing search engine, your orthodontic practice’s Facebook reviews are displayed, and on Apple maps, your YELP reviews are shown.
It’s important to ask your best patients for Google reviews because if you don’t, you’re unlikely to get a review. Most reviews that come unsolicited by an orthodontist or team member are negative reviews, which is unfortunate but a reality.
You can get more Google reviews by running an in-office Google review campaign. Nowadays, orthodontic patients are more likely than ever to search for online reviews before selecting a new dentist or orthodontist (78%). Therefore, it’s crucial to collect feedback from your patients. Orthodontists who use their online reviews to promote their services reach more patients than those who don’t.
Requesting a review through a text message while your patient is still in the office significantly increases the success rate.
#14. Respond to Every Patient Google Review
One effective way to enhance your online reputation is by answering to patient reviews.
It’s crucial to reply to Google Reviews because it shows that you value your patients and have their best interests in mind.
However, it’s essential to maintain professionalism and kindness while responding to dental Google reviews.
Avoid engaging in arguments with negative commenters and ensure that you comply with HIPAA regulations.
You can always opt for a dental marketing company to automate your replies if necessary, so that you can respond promptly.
#15. Become a Giving Practice
One effective way to enhance your local media exposure, increase social media shares, and strengthen the loyalty of your current patient base is to establish a culture of giving in your practice. People tend to hold businesses in high regard when they are involved in charitable activities and they are more likely to lend a helping hand.
Consider making your practice a hub for toy donations during Christmas season. Offer some free services to people in need. Give staff members and patients the chance to select a charitable organization for you to donate to, or host a fundraiser for a cause of your choice.
Once you have decided on your plan, make sure that everyone is aware of it! Encourage patients to participate, inform local media outlets, post on social media, and take plenty of pictures and videos.
#16. Discover Trending Ideas Before Anyone Else
As a marketer, it can often feel overwhelming to constantly create new content. However, rest assured that you are not alone in this struggle. Many dental and orthodontic organizations have large teams dedicated to keeping their content current and engaging. To get inspired with fresh ideas, consider following authoritative resources such as the AAO or popular brands like Crest. They often share trending topics, industry news, and creative holiday marketing ideas that you can use for your own campaigns.
#17. Promote Free Consultations
Attracting new patients can be a challenging task for any orthodontic office. The first step is to get people through the door. Once you establish that initial connection, it becomes easier to convert a prospective patient into a current one. Even if potential patients do not commit to treatment immediately, they are likely to return to your office when they are ready to take the next step, after becoming familiar with your practice.
So, how can you get more patients to come to your office? One effective way is to offer a free consultation. While most orthodontic offices already offer initial consultations for free, not many know how to make the most out of it. Here are some ideas to help you leverage this opportunity:
– Collaborate with local social media influencers and offer an incentive to their followers to visit your office.
– Create a referral campaign through email marketing and encourage your current patients to recommend your consultation to their friends and family.
– Run a seasonal promotion that offers free referrals for a limited time or with a unique code. Urgency can motivate people to take action quickly.
– Use a user-friendly pop-up on your website’s landing page to encourage visitors to schedule a consultation with your office.
#18. Create a Paid Ad Campaign
Local marketing is crucial for businesses, and one effective way to achieve this is through paid media campaigns. Although there are many paid media platforms available, Google Ads is perhaps the most popular. You can either hire a specialist to manage your campaigns, or use Google’s intuitive and automated tools to navigate them yourself. However, you’ll need to decide which keywords to bid for, how to target your desired audience, how much you want to spend each month, and whether to focus on search or display ads. Other platforms to consider include Facebook, YouTube, and healthcare referral sites. Regardless of your chosen platform, your ads will be more successful if they offer a unique value proposition, such as promotional pricing, and lead to a dedicated landing page.
#19. Get Comfortable using AI
Artificial intelligence can be a valuable tool for orthodontists to save time and money in their marketing efforts. Whether you require assistance with social media, blogging, or physical media, there are various ways you can enhance your practice utilizing AI.
One effective method to get familiar with AI is by utilizing ChatGPT in dental marketing. ChatGPT is a large language model (LLM) that OpenAI launched in November 2022. It has spread rapidly across every industry, including ChatGPT for Dentistry.
To use ChatGPT for free, you can sign up through OpenAI’s website and start chatting. Additionally, you can use AI tools like Midjourney and DALL·E 3 to generate imagery for your orthodontist marketing materials. However, please make sure to brush up on copyright laws in the era of AI dental content marketing.
#20. Improve Search Rankings with a Blog
Writing blogs on SEO for dentists and orthodontists can help boost your search rankings on Google. Consistently creating custom content sends a message to Google that your website is an authoritative resource and should be recommended as a search result more often. To create informative, concise, and easy-to-understand blog posts, draw from your own experiences. Ensure that your orthodontics blog adheres to Google’s E.A.T. standards for content, which include expertise, authoritativeness, trustworthiness, and overall experience. Remember to post regularly to make your website more relevant to Google.
#21. Update Your Practice’s Mission Statement and make sure it’s on your website
A well-crafted mission statement can be an effective marketing strategy for drawing in potential patients. It provides a clear and concise picture of your practice and sets expectations. To create the perfect mission statement for your dental practice, you need to identify your values, goals, and purpose as an orthodontist. Adding your mission statement to your website can also help with SEO.
#22. Discover your unique value proposition and incorporate it into your marketing strategy
A value proposition is a statement that highlights what makes your practice unique from your competitors. It is similar to your mission statement, but more specific. If your dental practice uses unique technology or emphasizes patient comfort, highlight those distinct attributes. To write a value proposition for your dental practice, follow this formula:
1. The solution your practice offers
2. The benefits of choosing your practice
3. The advantage you have over competitors
Putting these three ideas together, your value proposition could look something like this: “At Local Orthodontics, we prioritize patient comfort and offer affordable pricing and financing options to straighten out smiles.”
#23. Convert More Website Visitors with Live Chat
It is important to include ways for patients and potential patients to easily communicate with your business in your marketing strategy. Offering a live chat option on your website can help you grow your business, in addition to direct messaging over social media, phone calls, and emails.
By adding a live chat feature, your website visitors can receive quick, helpful answers to their inquiries. While starting with a chatbot that has pre-selected responses is a good way to begin, redirecting unanswered questions to a live representative can significantly improve your website conversions.
#24. Outsource as Much Marketing as You Can
Orthodontists often lack the resources and time to handle all marketing strategies. Outsourcing dental marketing allows practices to grow while focusing on patient care.
Dental marketing companies can take over the brunt of your marketing efforts including:
- og writing
- Technical SEO
- Social media management
- Google Maps optimization
- HIPAA compliance
- Responding to reviews
- Live chat
- Ad campaigns
- Orthodontic website optimization
Dental marketing professionals possess a deep understanding of what dental practices require to expand and flourish amidst local competition. They provide a new outlook on the situation, deliver measurable outcomes, and are available to communicate with you at every stage of the process.
Frequently Asked Questions
Marketing for orthodontists can be creative and engaging, rather than dull and clinical. If you're seeking innovative orthodontic marketing ideas, consider focusing on three key areas: your social media presence, website, and online reputation. With the right approach, these three elements can help you attract new clients and referrals organically, without the need for paid advertising.
Social media provides an excellent opportunity to connect with your patients, dental partners, and community in a fun and authentic way. Use this platform to showcase your personality and add a touch of humor to your marketing campaigns. Additionally, short-form videos can be a powerful tool for expanding your audience.
Your website and Google Business Profile are also essential tools for building your online reputation and growing your practice. Ensure that both are fully optimized to achieve their maximum potential.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of fine-tuning your website to improve your ranking on search engines like Google. Getting your practice into the top spots on Google Search and Google Maps will give you a higher percentage of overall traffic. Seventy-five percent of users never scroll past the first page of Google Search results.
SEO uses keywords that help the search engine algorithms determine what your website content is about so that they can successfully guide searchers to their desired results. Orthodontic SEO would include using keywords like “orthodontists in [location],” “braces treatments,” “orthodontist for children” or “teeth straightening.”
Improving your orthodontic SEO ensures that you are targeting the right demographic for your practice.
Hiring a general marketing agency may not be the best option for your dental practice, as their expertise may not be specialized enough. Opting for a dental marketing company can lead to better results, as they have a deeper understanding of the dental industry and can provide tailored marketing strategies to help grow your practice. Additionally, dental marketers have access to unique tools and resources which can support your marketing efforts in your practice and online. By working with a dental marketing company, you can also ensure that your social media and website are HIPAA compliant and up-to-date.
Your online reputation plays a crucial role in creating a positive first impression on potential patients and dental partners. Typically, people rely on Google or Facebook reviews to gauge the quality of your services. Although you cannot control what people post online, you can manage your reputation by gathering a large number of positive Google reviews.
For Orthodontists, reputation management involves proactively asking patients who are most likely to leave a positive review to provide their feedback. The more positive reviews you have, the higher your ranking will be on Google Maps.
Furthermore, you need to know how to respond appropriately to both positive and negative reviews in a HIPAA-compliant manner. Implementing these strategies can significantly enhance your online reputation.
To impress your website visitors, it's important to have a clean, modern, and unique orthodontic website design. Your website is the first point of contact for potential patients and dental partners, so it's important to make a great first impression.
Begin with a clutter-free, well-designed homepage that displays your most vital information. This could include how to book an appointment, your areas of expertise, positive patient reviews, FAQs, your social channels, and how to find your practice.
Your website should reflect how your practice operates, so make sure that everything is clean, well-functioning, and easy to use. Other suggestions for a stunning orthodontic website include a regularly updated blog, fun bios about you and your staff, and helpful pages and videos about your practice.
Marketing Ideas for Orthodontic Practices: We’re Here to Help!
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