When you ask yourself what makes your practice successful, what comes to mind? I hope you said patients!
Quality patients are the lifeblood of any dental or orthodontic practice, so you’d think that oral health practitioners would put a lot of emphasis on marketing.
Unfortunately, this often isn’t the case, and it’s because marketing takes a lot of time and money to do well. Good marketing also makes a night-and-day difference when it comes to the success of your practice.
Marketing for a Prospect
Put yourself in the mind of a prospective patient—maybe someone who just moved to town and needs to find a new dentist. The prospect will probably be receptive to direct mail, online banner ads, radio ads, billboards, and social media ads for different local dentists. Some combination of outbound and inbound marketing will make this person aware that you exist.
But what makes a new patient actually pick up the phone? The special deals you offer can make a big difference, but only if you start with a good marketing foundation. Remember, the prospect can pick from among dozens of dentists.
To get prospects enthusiastic enough to call and schedule a first appointment, your practice should implement solid marketing. Overall, practices with great marketing will consistently attract new patients, while other practices will be left behind.
What Makes You Stand Out
So, since marketing is everything, what can you do to make your practice stand out? Consider how you stand out already. Do you have a specialization that has gained you recognition? Are you Board Certified? Do you serve a niche need that others don’t, such as sedation or cosmetic dentistry?
You can usually think of something that’s unique about you or your practice—but if not, try asking your patients what they like most about you. If even they don’t have much of answer, then maybe it’s time to work toward something that will set you apart.
In the end, nothing will make your practice thrive like marketing. The days are long past when you could hang up your sign and expect new patients to walk in the door. Coordinate your online efforts to attract new patients, and use MyProViewer to hook them when they enter your waiting room for the first time.
Want to know more? Inbound Systems is here to help!
Relax. More customers are on the way.
~Inbound Systems
