With your brand defined, audience identified, and lingo mastered, you can take dental marketing into virtual overdrive. Getting more patients starts with increasing your visibility online–a well-optimized website, valuable content, and active community involvement are essential. Then, use digital marketing tools like remarketing to target those who have visited your website or practice.
Branding
When prospective patients are ready to choose a dentist, they typically research the dental practices that have caught their attention online. This research can include reviews, photos, office hours, and more. The goal is to determine if the brand’s message and image align with their expectations of a dental office. Consistent social media presence and efforts to engage your community (like a gift card giveaway) can positively impact your practice’s reputation and help potential patients build trust in your business. A user-friendly website is a must-have for any digital marketing strategy for dentists. Whether through improved navigation, better information organization, or more engaging site imagery, UX improvements can immensely impact your site’s performance, impacting traffic from search engines, advertising platforms, and email channels. In addition to improving the content of your dental website, you must regularly update your Google search results. This is called on-page SEO, the process of updating a website to improve its relevancy for specific search terms. These updates must be done gradually throughout the year rather than all at once, as this can throw your organic rankings into disarray.
Audience
When potential patients research dental offices, they often start with a Google search. They will typically look for information about the office’s environment, professionalism, wait times, etc. This research will help them narrow their choices and decide which dentist to visit. This is why branding is so essential to a dental practice. It will allow dentists to gain traction on Google searches before competing practices. Having a solid social media presence is one of the top digital marketing strategies for dentists. Facebook also offers a platform for dental professionals to post photos and other content to engage their followers. This can include blog posts from your website, industry news, or even funny memes relevant to dentistry. Using targeted Facebook ads is another way to promote your dental office. These are similar to sponsored search ads but can target specific audiences with particular online behavior to save on ad costs and enhance conversions.
Lingo
When it comes to digital marketing for dentists, a lot of terminology can be confusing. If you’re looking to grow your dental practice, it’s essential to understand what the lingo means and how it applies to your specific marketing goals. The first step in determining your marketing strategy is identifying your target audience. This will help you determine which channels are best suited for your dental business. For example, if you want to attract new patients from an older generation, you may need to use social media to reach them. Alternatively, you could focus on local search or paid advertising. Influencer marketing is an effective way to attract new dental patients. It is popular because it is perceived as more trustworthy than traditional advertising. Attend local conferences or workshops to learn more. Optimizing your Google Business profile is critical for your dental marketing strategy. It will help you rank higher in Google searches and attract potential patients. Use Google search ads to target specific keywords and connect with your target audience when they are searching for a dentist in your area.
Goals
When evaluating digital marketing strategies and tactics, setting clear goals for your dental clinic is essential. Whether it’s to drive traffic to your website or increase the number of new patients, your goals should be based on your audience’s unique needs and want. For example, many potential patients are looking for a dentist nearby, so your content should include location-specific keywords to appear high on search engine results pages. You also want to ensure that your Google business page is filled out with accurate information, including hours and contact details, as this will help cultivate trust in prospective clients. Another goal might be to build a reputation as a trusted source of expert knowledge, so you may choose to use social media or email to promote articles, blog posts, and videos on topics related to dental health. This will further establish your practice as a leader in the field and demonstrate that you care about your patient’s well-being. You might also use remarketing campaigns to reach people who have visited your website or office. By uploading a list of your existing emails into platforms like Google Ads and Facebook, you can target them with ads encouraging them to return for a cleaning or other treatment.
