After acquiring a new dental practice, it’s time for the fun part—marketing your business. Even though you’ve acquired a preexisting practice, which means there will be patients already on file, it’s up to you to make sure you continue to grow the practice. Luckily, there are endless ways to market your dental practice, ranging from word-of-mouth promotion by current patients to digital marketing and everything in between. If you need a couple of pointers, here’s how to market your dental practice for success.
Connect with your community
As a local business, the people in your community are of the utmost importance to your dental practice’s health. It’s important that patients feel you invest in your community, and there are various ways you can demonstrate this commitment.
Visit your local school districts
Does your local high school have a career day? If so, it may be the perfect way to reach out and make a difference. Volunteer to speak about having a career in dentistry. Not only will you help establish your practice’s name, but it will also be a great help to those questioning what they should pursue in college. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.
Have a presence at festivals and farmer’s markets
Who says farmer’s markets are just for food? Nowadays, people want an excuse to get out of the house, and they want to see what new and exciting establishments are on the rise in their community. Festivals and farmer’s markets provide the best of both worlds, and they’re your best bet for reaching out to your community. Set up a booth, write up some informational pamphlets, and create fun, branded items such as stress balls or pens to hand out.
Get involved with local charities
There are few organizations as impactful to the local community as charities, so make sure you’re doing all you can to support them. Whether you help sponsor an event or you donate whenever possible, getting involved with local charities will take your dental practice a long way.
Harness the power of social media
When it comes to how to market your dental practice, you can’t neglect social media. From Instagram to Facebook, each platform will allow you to interact with your clients on a more personal level. Be sure to respond regularly to comments to make people feel like they’re heard.
Make sure your website is up to snuff
Think of your online presence as your first impression; with the advent of the digital sphere, many people are “seeing” companies for the very first time online. And if they don’t like what they see, they may never make it through the door. To avoid this issue, you’ve got to make sure your website looks professional and polished.
Blogs
Want to add a little something extra to set your practice apart? Blogs are a great way to give your clients additional information in a well-written format. This will also give your website authority in the eyes of Google, making it more likely for your practice to appear at the top of the search engine result pages.
Resource pages
The internet makes it easier than ever to find information, but you can make it even easier for your clients by having resource pages. This means building out a page on your website with gathered content, FAQs or helpful links for a particular topic. Going to the dentist can be a nerve-wracking experience for many, so help alleviate those fears by supplying some basic information. Not to mention, it will show that you will go above and beyond to be as informative as you can be.
High-quality photos
Few things can discredit a company’s reliability quite like low-quality, unprofessional photos. Don’t let people think poorly of your practice; be sure to always use high-quality photos that show off your practice in its best light.
Email marketing is always effective
You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t check their email at least a couple of times a week. Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach patients, and it’s worth investing in. Use email marketing for things like sending newsletters to update patients on practice happenings to targeted emails that remind patients to come in for their cleanings. This is a great way to reach out to a wide range of patients at once.
Google My Business is a must
A dental practice is an inherently local business. As such, make sure you’re giving locals the information they need to call you, make an appointment, figure out your hours, and more. With the help of Google My Business, you can do just that. It’s a free-to-use service that allows users to see your hours, location, website domain, and other information when they search for your business or service. For example, if people in your area search “dentist near me,” and you’re listed on Google My Business, your information will likely pop up.
Everyone loves a discount
Let’s face it—everyone wants to get a deal. Whether it’s on something as small as their groceries to something as huge as a car, if someone receives a discount, they’re likely to make a purchase. The same is true of your dental practice. If you have repeat customers, give them a one-time discount to thank them for their loyalty. Similarly, you can have a new patient discount, which will encourage people to visit. No matter what route you decide to take, a discount will help drum up interest in no time.
Online reviews are essential
Online reviews are important for any business, but they’re especially essential for dental practices. Going in for any medical treatment is a big deal for many people. Therefore, they’re going to want to know the office they’re going to has a good reputation. With people turning to the internet for their answers, they’re going to pay attention to any reviews you have—or the lack thereof. Encourage your existing patients to leave reviews, so that people can see these great testimonials and feel more comfortable making an appointment.
Marketing your dental practice doesn’t have to mean you’re creating a full-scale overhaul that will change the entire face of your practice. Whether you’re hoping to increase the value of your dental practice for sale in Connecticut or launching a newly acquired practice in California, small steps can make a huge difference. Start out doing what you can, and slowly implement more and more—before you know it, you’ll notice that others are taking note.
