People understand the importance of regular dental visits. In fact, 93 percent of Americans planned to visit the dentist in 2021, according to a survey by Delta Dental Plans Association.
There’s no shortage of people in need of your services. If you’re looking to get new dental patients into your office, it’s time to get in front of a larger audience with proven digital marketing tactics. Here are six online dental marketing ideas, designed to help expand your patient base.
Attract new patients with these dental marketing ideas
1. Enhance your web presence by claiming business listings
If you’re ready to get more patients into your practice, claiming your listing on directories is an important step. Sites like Facebook, Google My Business, and Yelp automatically generate business listings for businesses like yours, so it’s important to claim your dental practice page.
Taking ownership puts you in control of the page content. This allows you to input — and update, as needed — important details such as contact information, business hours, and a link to your website. Depending on the directory, you might also be able to add photos and respond to patient reviews.
This is an effective dental marketing strategy because it greatly expands your reach and online presence. It can also be helpful for reputation management purposes, which is crucial when working to attract new dental patients. Getting notified of new patient reviews allows you to keep a pulse on your online reputation and enables you to address any negative feedback in a timely manner.
2. Create an SEO-optimized, mobile-first website
When choosing a new dentist, savvy patients do their homework. In a survey, three out of four patients have reported looking online when researching a doctor, dentist, or medical information. If your current website is seriously lacking or you don’t have one at all, attracting new dental patients will be a challenge. Investing in a sleek new dental website optimized for search performance will make a world of difference with your online presence. Sharing detailed information about the dental services offered, provider bios, and testimonials from current patients increases SEO and engages prospective patients.
To score the best Google ranking, you’ll also need a mobile-first website, which means the website adapts to and loads quickly on mobile screens.
3. Ask patients to write online reviews
If you’re wondering how to attract new dental patients, part of the answer lies within your current patient base. Asking those who have received your dental services to write patient reviews for your website can boost your reputation.
People put a lot of stock in the opinions of fellow consumers. In fact, 71 percent of patients begin their search for a new doctor by reading patient reviews, according to Software Advice. In a 2021 PatientPop survey, patients listed online reviews as their no. 1 decision making factor when choosing a provider.
Several factors play into your online reputation, including average star rating, total number of reviews, and how regularly you receive new patient reviews. Patients don’t always take the initiative to write reviews on their own, so don’t be afraid to ask them to share their experience via an automated patient survey.
4. Invest in paid advertising
If you want to attract new patients, you have to get in front of them. Most (85 percent) of Americans use the Internet each day, according to a 2021 Pew study, making online advertising an effective way to connect.
Dental advertising and robust social media ad campaigns are great dental practice growth strategies. They can alert local patients to the specific dental services offered by your practice. Your ads will appear at the top of search results, allowing prospective patients to find you with minimal effort.
In addition to expanding your online presence, dental paid advertising is a great digital marketing tactic because it allows you to target your ideal patient. Customize your dental marketing campaigns to reach patients in specific areas, demographics, household income levels, and more.
5. Step up your social media presence
According to Pew Research Center, about 7 in 10 U.S. adults have a profile on at least one social media site. Given these numbers, your practice can’t afford not to have an active social media presence.
Using popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to share dental marketing campaigns will help you connect with potential patients and increase your online presence where your patients are spending their time. Because it is a photo-sharing app, Instagram is a great social media tool for dentists. Take advantage of Instagram to show off your teeth-whitening services or before-and-after photos of other cosmetic procedures.
For best results, make sure your profiles are up to date and also be sure to post engaging, informative content on a regular basis.
6. Start a practice blog
As a respected dental provider, you have a wealth of knowledge to share. Attract more patients by blogging about interesting dental health topics.
Creating unique content will improve your search results, while also positioning you as a dental industry expert. Write new blog posts on a regular basis to drive traffic and showcase your expertise.
Getting started with a great dental marketing strategy
Successful dental practices know that to drive practice growth they must satisfy patient demand and preferences. That includes using digital marketing to attract new dental patients. It also includes offering patients convenience and access to enhance patient engagement and retention. PatientPop offers dental practices an all-in-one practice growth platform that eases and enhances every step of the patient journey without additional work for your practice.
What should you do next?
1. Learn how PatientPop works by scheduling a free PatientPop demo.
2. Are you showing up in online searches? Find out by using our free scanner.
3. Check out this dental marketing case study about a San Francisco dentist who increased his appointment bookings by 673 percent in the first 90 days with PatientPop.
