Marketing Strategies for Dentists: How to Increase the Number of New Patients

If you’re looking to enhance your online marketing strategy, then dental video marketing is an essential step that you cannot afford to miss. Research shows that around 68% of online customers prefer to watch videos about new services or projects, rather than reading about them. Moreover, the number of online video viewers has almost doubled since 2018. Therefore, it’s no surprise that 92% of marketers consider video content to be a vital part of their marketing strategy.

When it comes to dental video content, different practices require different types of video content. However, here are some ideas that you can include in your dental digital marketing strategy. You can pair videos with your email marketing, as adding a video link to a promotional email can increase your click-through rate by up to 80%. You can also create brief informational videos, answer frequently asked questions, and provide a demonstration of your dental services.
Additionally, you can shoot a day-in-the-life video, provide close-up views of your equipment, use videos on your dental website or landing page, and share fun videos on social media to connect with your audience.
To create a more professional-looking video, you can invest in professional video production. This can help you create an impressive introduction to your practice, utilize footage and produce full-length videos, as well as short promos that you can use in ads on various social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can also encourage and incentivize user-generated content by challenging your patients to submit their own content, such as quick questions, client testimonials, and other fun videos. Finally, you can feature a smile makeover to illustrate your restorative and cosmetic services visually.

A modern and comprehensive website is an essential aspect of any successful dental practice’s digital marketing strategy. The first impression that your website design creates is crucial. If it looks outdated and unprofessional, you should consider upgrading it immediately.

A well-designed website with top-of-the-line aesthetics and functionality can create a positive perception of the quality of your care.
Your dental website should be technically sound and well-organized to enhance visitor experience and increase rankings and conversions.
Customized information about your practice, services, and resources can also boost your practice’s visibility on Google maps.

Please keep in mind the following while developing a new website for a dental clinic:

• Custom design and photography
• Videos, more videos, and more videos
• Blog posts that feature the team and dentist
• Current ‘Meet the Dentist’ and ‘Meet the Team’ profiles
• Live Chat
• HIPAA compliance and security
• Virtual consultation integration
• Mobile Optimization

Once you have updated your dental website with a modern design and ensured that it is running smoothly with technical SEO, it’s important to focus on the text on your website, particularly on your home page.

Your home page is the first impression that potential patients will have of your practice, and a mission statement can help them better understand what you stand for.
To create a dental practice mission statement, start by refining your values, goals, and purpose.
You can even submit your mission statement to ChatGPT and ask it to help you make it more concise or fit a specific tone.

Optimizing your Google Business Profile is an effective way to rank higher on Google Maps. You can also add links to your practice’s social media profiles to help patients get a better idea of what to expect before their first visit.

To add social media links to your GBP, log in to your account either through the Google Maps app on your mobile device or through the desktop portal. Then, select “edit profile,” followed by “business information,” and then “contact.” Under the contact section, you’ll see “social profiles,” where you can choose which platforms you want to display. These links will then appear next to your practice’s name in a Google search or Google Maps search.

It is recommended that all dental marketing campaigns incorporate active social media accounts. Social media allows your practice to stay in touch with current and potential patients in your community. By creating quality content that generates engagement, social media can become one of the most valuable strategies in dental marketing.

Unlike traditional advertising or online paid advertising, leveraging social media tools doesn’t require significant budgets. However, it does require time and training to learn how to create compelling and engaging content.

What social media tools are recommended for a dental practice to use?

Instagram

Instagram is a mobile photo-sharing app that is owned by Facebook. It has evolved over time and is now one of the best ways to advertise and market a dental practice. The app’s user base is generally younger than Facebook, making it ideal for reaching mothers with young children.
One of Instagram’s unique marketing opportunities is with influencers. These individuals have followers who trust their recommendations about brands and products. Micro-influencers, in particular, are those with under 10,000 followers. They are likely to have followers in their local area, which is great for dental practices looking to market to their community.
If you’re looking for a micro-influencer, start by considering your current patients. They may have a strong following on Instagram and be willing to promote your practice.

TikTok

TikTok has become a phenomenon in the world of social media, growing at an unprecedented rate and showing no signs of slowing down. If you haven’t yet joined TikTok, I strongly recommend that you do, but with a caveat – make sure to have an accountability coach who can help you maintain a healthy balance. This person will guide you and intervene when you’ve spent too much time on the app.
Once you’re on TikTok, it’s a good idea to follow some of the trending dentists on the platform. Seeing how other dentists are leveraging TikTok to grow their practices can provide you with inspiration and ideas for integrating it into your digital marketing strategy.

Facebook

It is important to keep in mind that Facebook has the largest number of users among all social media platforms. Therefore, if you are trying to connect with your local audience, Facebook must be a part of your marketing strategy.
One of the advantages of Facebook is its direct messaging feature, which is almost as essential as your business phone number. It is recommended that someone on your team manages these messages. If you do not have someone on your team to handle this, you may want to consider hiring someone for the job.

Blogging can be an effective digital marketing strategy. However, many people do not enjoy writing blog posts. If you are one of those people, you may want to consider hiring a copywriter to create custom articles for you. This strategy is not just for dentists, but for anyone who wants to improve their content marketing efforts.

Regularly posting new content on your website can help your blog gain visibility on search engines, improve your dental SEO, and serve as the basis for all your email marketing efforts. Additionally, it can help you refine your practice mission and purpose. So, investing in a copywriter to create fresh content for your blog can be a worthwhile investment.

A great way to begin a dental practice blog is by writing posts that provide answers to the most frequently asked questions of your patients. Alternatively, you can write posts that showcase your valuable patients and team members, particularly those with interesting stories.

It’s not enough to gather numerous reviews from patients to demonstrate that you care about their well-being and value their opinions. Simply collecting reviews will not leave a great impression on them. Responding to Google reviews is equally important. Responding to patient reviews can help improve your reputation, boost your SEO, and provide solid social proof to prospective patients looking for a new dentist.

Always thank people for their reviews, never argue with negative reviewers, and address their questions or concerns to the best of your ability. However, ensure that your responses are professional, friendly, and HIPAA-compliant.

One of the effective marketing tactics for dentists is to participate in a blog post exchange with another small business. This involves writing a blog post that highlights another business in exchange for them doing the same for your practice.
You can write a feature on someone in your community or make subtle references to their business. To make the most out of this strategy, find a business with a similar audience you want to target and that has an established online presence. It could be an orthodontist practice in your area, a local charity, a dental hygiene product manufacturer, or even a medspa.

Blog exchanges can provide your dental website with inbound links, improve your SEO rankings, and introduce your practice to new potential patients. Even if you’re not currently participating in a post exchange, having an updated blog is an effective marketing tool. The more compelling content you publish on your website, the higher your practice will rank on Google Search, Google Maps, and overall SEO.

When devising your dental social media strategy, it is important to consider the potential of gift card giveaways. This kind of giveaway is inexpensive, easy to arrange, and can be a great way to increase traffic to your Instagram and Facebook accounts.

When seeking out local businesses to partner with for your giveaway, it’s essential to reach out to those with a similar customer demographic and a comparable number of followers to your account. This will help make the giveaway mutually beneficial, increasing the chances of a positive response.

It is essential to target the same audience to increase the likelihood of followers participating in the giveaway. For instance, if you are trying to reach parents of young children, you can partner with a kids’ play center or clothing store. And if your goal is to target young single adults, you may consider approaching a local gym or coffee shop.

Once you have identified the right collaboration partner, select the amount of the gift card and ensure that the giveaway is posted on both of your accounts, as well as your Instagram stories.

Just like any other giveaways, there are certain conditions that you can include to make people eligible to enter the draw and win a gift card. Following these requirements will help raise awareness about your brand and generate excitement among people.

Great marketers always keep up with new technology, and artificial intelligence can be a valuable tool for almost any industry. In dental marketing, AI language models and visual image generators can help you create fresh and engaging content.

ChatGPT, which is a large language model from OpenAI, can generate responses to even the most unusual dental prompts. The more detailed your request, the more detailed the response will be. You can also use local keywords to improve your search engine optimization (SEO). By using ChatGPT in your dental marketing, you can come up with ideas for website copy, blog posts, social media content, and even physical mailers.

With AI imagery, you can use platforms like Midjourney or ChatGPT to create graphics for your dental website, images for social media, and explore creative prompts.

A well-defined mission statement is essential for any dental practice, but it’s equally important to have a compelling value proposition. Your value proposition is a powerful marketing statement that communicates to patients what sets your practice apart from the rest.

To craft a strong value proposition, you need to identify the solutions you offer, the benefits a patient can expect from choosing your practice, and the advantages you have over your competitors.

Many dental practices struggle with identifying which marketing strategies are best suited for their needs. However, even if they know which strategies to implement, they may not have the time and expertise to execute them effectively. In such cases, outsourcing dental marketing efforts can prove to be a wise decision. It enables practices to conserve their valuable resources and focus on their core competencies, which is providing quality patient care.

Dental marketing companies are well-versed in the unique needs and challenges of this field. They stay abreast of the latest trends and technologies and possess the competence to deliver measurable results to your practice.

How to Integrate Digital Marketing Strategies into Your Overall Marketing Campaign?

In order to establish a distinctive brand identity and promote your dental practice, social media, superior website design, cutting-edge dental digital marketing strategies, and SEO are essential. Compared to traditional marketing methods, digital marketing for dentists is cost-effective and much more effective at expanding your dental practice.

The benefits of dedicating effort to social media, dental SEO, and content-based web marketing for dentists are enormous. With Google Maps SEO, your dental practice has a better chance of appearing on the first page of Google search results. But there’s more to gain:

• Enhanced Brand Recognition: By optimizing all aspects of your digital marketing strategy, your dental practice can stand out from the competition. With over 160,000 practicing dentists in the United States alone, developing a memorable name and crafting your brand is crucial to capturing an audience and garnering attention.
• Strengthened Patient and Community Bonds: Regular blog posts, social media engagement, and content marketing can create a strong dental marketing campaign. By addressing their questions and concerns, potential patients will be more likely to trust your practice. Responding to inquiries and concerns via social media adds a personal touch to your brand. This engagement is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate your professional expertise, bolstering your credibility and increasing the likelihood of being chosen.
• Innovative Growth Opportunities: Digital marketing for dentists provides numerous opportunities for your practice to expand. By consistently publishing unique, insightful content, you can quickly establish yourself as a thought leader in your field.