You’ve got a great office location, but your phones aren’t ringing, and you want them to! Here are some great tips for how you can get literally hundreds of new calls in a few short weeks.
#1 Set Yourself Apart: You have to have a unique selling proposition (USP) for your online presence and your storefront. It might be sleep appliances or a particular oral hygiene product. Your marketing should highlight your USP.
#2 Community Events: Get involved in the community to get your name out there. Join social clubs, library clubs, performing arts, health fairs and other events, or host your own event.
#3 Welcome To the Neighborhood: You can get lists of new homeowners and send them a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” card to showcase your services.
#4 Press Releases: Older people read print newspapers, so press releases about a new product or service do work for this audience.
#5 Patient Referrals: It’s hard to beat the very effective patient referral from a current patient to their friends. Your patients are a walking testimonial.
#6:Discounts: Offer a unique discount or free service, making sure you’re not duplicating other area dental practices.
#7: Pre-Pay Discount: If your patient pre-pays, then files insurance, they get a 5% discount. It helps both of you, and patients are more likely to not cancel an appointment they’ve already paid for.
#8 Blog: Blogs are a powerful way to connect with new patients. Give them interesting and relevant information on your website and social media.
#9 Social Media Engagement: Modern dental practices simply must use social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest are all possibilities to engage your audience. Like your blog, your content must be interesting and relevant.
#10 Facebook Retargeting: With Facebook in particular, you can retarget Facebook ads to drive traffic to your website. The good news is, it’s incredibly cheap to do so!
#11 SEO: Your website needs to be sprinkled with the proper SEO content to drive people to engage with your practice. More traffic means you move up higher in search engine results.
#12 PPC: PPC is pay-per-click advertising and a great way to market. Purchased ads help develop new clients that your ad targets based on demographics and other factors.
#13 Cross-Marketing: Form partnerships with other businesses. For example, partner with an oral surgeon and refer patients to each other.
#14 Newsletter: consider a periodic newsletter to stay in contact with your current patients. They’ll forward it to friends. Make sure it is in an e-format and optimized for mobile so patients can read it on their phones.
#15 Optimize for Mobile: Also make sure your website is optimized for mobile devices. Lots of folks use their phones today for pretty much everything!
#16 Patient Testimonials: Like patient referrals above, testimonials are also a great marketing tool. More and more, patient testimonials and reviews are becoming really important. Most new patients search online for a new dentist.
#17: Call to Action: Every web page and every marketing item should have a call to action (CTA) prompting the person to call, go to your website, or download material. It’s crucial!
#18 Expertise: patients want an expert dentist who knows the latest techniques. Feature your expertise in your blog and e-news.
#19 Video: Use video to market your practice. Create a video office tour, a “meet the staff” video, or patient testimonials.
#20 A Great Logo: Design an attractive logo that patients will remember, and use it in all your marketing materials to create brand recognition.
#21: Incentives: Give your current patients an incentive for referrals—special prizes, gift cards, or discounts. The average new patient that walks in your door is worth at least $2000 in lifetime business, so a $25 gift card will serve you well.
