An integrated dental marketing strategy is essential for the survival of your dental practice. And by integrated we mean the interplay of various branding and marketing elements, which all need to come together for an effective communications strategy that attracts new patients and markets to existing patients.
What’s Your Identity?
Because patients have so many choices, your dental practice branding must stand out. The adage ‘a picture says a thousand words’ is true for your logo and professional brand because in one glance your brand should communicate your dental practice’s core competencies, values, and professionalism.
The layout and structure of the logo, the fonts, colours, and iconography you use should all complement your dental practice’s brand vision. And this is why you need a professional dental marketing agency to assist you.
It may be tempting to give it a go yourself, but it is very obvious when a logo has been pulled together in Powerpoint. Mediboost’s team of professionals are well versed in dental marketing and will assist you in crafting the most appropriate brand image for your practice.
Where In The World Wide Web Are You?
Love it or hate it, the Internet is here to stay. Not only that, it’s expanding at an exponential rate. So, if you don’t have an attractive store-front where your target audience is hanging out, you are losing out.
We can’t tell you how often a new client tells us they have a website built in 1999 and it has never brought in a new patient so online marketing doesn’t work. Let’s unpack what’s wrong with this stance.
Firstly, web design has come along in leaps and bounds over the last ten years and what would have appealed to a patient back then really has no bearing on today’s market.
Secondly, Google releases algorithm updates on a regular basis and if your site is not compliant with its best practice recommendations, it’s unlikely to show up in the search results. On top of that Google knows if a website hasn’t been updated for seven years; in fact, that’s a sign that it’s been forgotten or is no longer relevant.
Thirdly, a landing page or three isn’t a big enough presence to make your mark in today’s digital landscape. Google rewards sites that offer expert, authority, trustworthy content and that means you need to add quality content to a website on a regular basis.
Integrated dental marketing: What Does This Actually Mean?
Well, you need a website that will appeal to your target audience in terms of your design aesthetic. It should contain useful and relevant information that potential patients want to read and encourage potential patients to book with you.
You’re probably wondering where you’re going to get the time to do this (or thinking there’s no way this will ever happen) – and that’s okay. You don’t have to do it all yourself. At Mediboost we understand that our professional clients need to maintain their professions, and that means seeing patients. Our content generation service has been designed to enable busy professionals to do what they do best, and our dental and medical marketing professionals will take care of your strategies for ideal dental marketing.
Marketing Makes The World Go Round
Having an attractive and relevant brand getting it out onto the web is one thing but letting patients know that you’re there and what you stand for is a completely different matter. Effective dental marketing campaigns let patients know who you are, where you are and what you stand for. But how do you do this?
Content Marketing For Dental Practices
Think about a consultation with a patient and the questions that arise. A patient has limited knowledge about their teeth and treatment options so he or she needs to ask questions.
Your website content should pre-empt and address these questions and provide information that establishes you as a thought leader. Remember that you aren’t allowed to say you are the best or a leader in your field, but you can demonstrate that you have the answers and let your patients make their own deductions from that.
But, who has time to read – and who is interested in reading so much, you might ask?
Quite a few people in fact:
- People who make informed decisions research before they buy or book.
- People who don’t know anything about topic research first.
- Patients who want the best possible service are prepared to vet you before they make contact.
- Patients who have had negative experiences at other service providers will ensure that their next dental experience lives up to their expectations.
- Patients who are comparing providers will read more to make sure your practice is the best move for them.
Word Of Mouth Marketing Strategies for Dental Practices
Good news travels fast – so it really makes sense to get into the conversation. If you haven’t done it already, you do need a social media presence: at least one channel where your brand is active.
Social media makes it easy for your dental practice to connect with your target audience. You can target a group by age, gender, location, and interests. And unlike traditional or print media you can also see how your audience interacted with your campaign, to assess how effective it was, and where to make changes in order to improve it.
Referrals are an effective way to reach out to potential customers. Remember, in the words of Simon Sinek, the goal is not to do business with the patients who want what you have, it’s to “do business with people who believe what you believe”. So if you can get referrals from patients who already hold a lot in common with you, the chances are that their friends, and the people they know, will too.
Integrated marketing for dental practices is about getting all of these elements to work together harmoniously. It requires consistency in the sense that a potential patient should have the same impression of your brand whether he or she is on your website, on your Instagram or reading one of your newsletters or blog articles. And further than that, when the said patient arrives at reception, your brand vision is communicated in your brick and mortar practice too, from the signage on the walls to the conduct of your receptionist.
We get it: you’re busy, you’re seeing patients and running a dental practice. You need a professional partner that can take care of these responsibilities while you tend to yours. Mediboost has the skills and experience to implement integrated digital advertising for the benefit of your dental practice.
To find out more about a dental strategy or how we can work together, get in touch with us on 1300 163 058 today.
