Technology can help improve your direct mail marketing program as you strive to stay connected with existing clients and grow your business during this uncertain time.
As states have eased restrictions on dental treatments and nearly all dental offices have reopened, it is essential for practices to hone their marketing strategy to revitalize business and recoup lost sales. The dental community can see more marketing successes by reaching customers at home.
More Americans are spending time on the homefront as remote workplaces have recently become more common. Direct mail marketing provides a tangible offer in the mailbox, rather than an email they can delete or lose in a spam filter, or a social media post they can scroll past. Investing in a new mover marketing campaign can help grow your business. New mover marketing is a great way to build your customer base by appealing to new residents.
One of the hallmarks of a worthwhile new mover marketing program is the ability to track return on investment. Depending on the company, the program’s technology should enable businesses to manage their accounts, track return on investment, and gather detailed demographic data. Strategies include:
- Smartphone apps: Easy-to-use apps help practices validate and scan redemptions at the point of sale, enabling a practice to see real-time results.
- Accurate mailing lists: Choosing a new mover marketing company with a long history should ensure it has database management experience. Our Town America receives and stores large blocks of data from up to 11 sources nationwide each month.
- Personalize it: Customers appreciate personalized housewarming gift certificates from local businesses. Name personalization makes customers feel welcome and more inclined to redeem an offer.
- Rate results: A follow-up new mover survey is another great tool to give a practice unbiased ratings and reviews.
“When we looked at the amount of money the patients referred by Our Town have spent with us, we were blown away,” said Regina Green of Century Dental in St. Petersburg, Florida. “One of the families we got [from Our Town] spent a total of $15,000 in year one.”
Of course, not every new mover family will need that amount of dental work. But even one or two average-spending customers will more than pay for the program.
Green suggests that dental offices should not get discouraged if they experience a lapse in the new movers coming through the door.
“The next month, I’ll get five new patients referred from Our Town,” Green said.
Another type of direct mail marketing offers an affordable alternative designed to blanket certain ZIP codes with your message. The United States Postal Service’s Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) is a cost-effective method for distributing your message to the local community by way of saturation mailing.
EDDM postcards are inexpensive and, with the right vendor, have a straightforward setup process. If your main audience is millennials or baby boomers, EDDM allows you to target those specific demographics. It also gives you the option to select ZIP codes near your dental office or further away, depending on your marketing needs.
Targeted postcards are another direct mail solution that utilizes a list of existing customers or potential customers whom you’d like to mail to. This method is ideal for getting a message out to folks whose names you have within a list. You could promote your new office hours, sanitary procedures, or specials. Or, you could provide special incentives for customers to schedule lapsed appointments.
And that’s just the beginning. Here are a few additional tips to create profitable campaigns for your dentistry practice:
- Provide a relevant message: At a time when many Americans are concerned about job security and staying healthy, it is important for your message to be genuine. Make sure to display empathy and positivity throughout.
- Include details on your safety precautions: Stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines temporarily shuttered many dentists’ offices across the country. Your direct mail pieces need to extend a timely and authentic message. Your office took key steps to ensure safety, and your customers are counting on you to offer reliable and credible solutions. Be sure to tell customers your safety plan.
- Create the right offer: Your offer should be attractive and valuable to your customers. Time-limited offers can help lend a sense of urgency. Dental offices can benefit by offering a complimentary exam and x-rays or a free cleaning. Giving the patient an incentive, like in any business, breaks the ice and motivates them to initially come in.
New mover marketing and direct mail efforts provide dental practices with marketing strategies they can trust to generate results throughout abnormal economic times.
Mr. Plummer Jr. is president, CEO, and CTO of Our Town America, which has been the nation’s premier new mover marketing franchise for 48 years. A US Army veteran and Certified Franchise Executive, he has more than 15 years of experience as a senior-level franchise executive and IT professional in the direct marketing industry. He can be reached at jplummer@ourtownamerica.com.
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