Wednesday, July 5, 2017
As the years go by, it seems like there is less and less time available in a day. Between managing your practice, seeing patients, and the countless other items that scream for your time and attention, marketing your dental practice can quickly become an afterthought.
That’s why we gathered five effective marketing activities that take less than an hour each to complete, but can make a steady impact on your dental practice’s marketing strategy.
1. Write a blog post
Writing a blog article for your website offers numerous benefits. First, search engines love fresh, new content. This means posting a blog that covers a topic related to your expertise can help you get better rankings in search results. It also helps you build trust and establish yourself as an expert among current and prospective patients. Because the majority of prospective patients conduct research online before they select a dentist, providing helpful, educational articles will position you as a credible professional.
And don’t worry, blog articles don’t have to be super lengthy. A simple post packed with relevant and helpful tips only needs to be about 300-500 words. Make your article clear and easy to read by using headers, bullet points and spacing for optimum success.
2. Share a photo of your staff on your practice’s social media networks
Today, people post a great deal of their lives on social media, and they expect businesses to be equally as transparent. Showcase your practice’s personality by posting a photo of your team with a caption that lists an interesting fact about each person. People like to see their trusted service providers are humans too, so using some professional humor can help put prospective patients at ease and entice them to contact your practice.
3. Create a patient loyalty program
It takes much more effort to gain a new patient than it does to keep a current patient happy. You can help ensure your patients continue to come back by offering an incentive program or discount on your services. Another way to encourage patient retention is to develop a referral program that rewards patients when their referrals book an appointment.
4. Update your website design
If you haven’t changed your website design in more than three or four years, it’s likely outdated. Internet browsers constantly change, which can create an unpleasant viewing experience if your website design is out-of-date. Ask your website provider if they have any new website styles available that can be easily changed without a fee.
5. Email your happy patients and encourage them to leave a positive review on your website and other online review sites
Online reviews are trusted just as much as a personal recommendation and are a critical part of your online marketing strategy. But, to gain more positive reviews you must ask for them! Start by putting together a list of your most loyal patients. Then, write a personalized email asking them to share their experience to help educate prospective patients. Make it as easy as possible for them by including a direct link to where they can leave a review for your practice (i.e. your website’s reviews page, or your Google My Business page).
For more marketing ideas, visit www.ProSites.com or download their free whitepaper, The Definitive Guide to Online Marketing for Dentists.