While you’re busy managing the day-to-day operations of your practice, marketing your services tends to get put on the back burner. Many dentists view marketing as a “nice to have,” but don’t have the time or expertise to put effort into it.
Marketing is something you can do on your own, like posting on Facebook or sending out a monthly newsletter. But it’s the thoughtful strategy, consistency, and often the aid of an expert running it that will help grow your practice.
Strategy
Chances are you didn’t choose your services, purchase equipment, or hire staff haphazardly. Just as you had a plan as to how you would build your practice, your marketing also needs a strategy if you wish to attract new patients and keep the ones you have.
Marketing includes a comprehensive set of tools and techniques, not just social media or an email here and there. It also requires testing to find out what works and what doesn’t. Think of it as experimenting to get optimal results. With a solid plan in place, you can automate marketing tools to reach your target market with one cohesive message.
Consistency
Think of marketing as the way you communicate with your patients, new patients, and your community at large. How you communicate reflects on you and your practice. When you are in a relationship with someone, you communicate on a regular basis to strengthen and build that relationship. The same goes for communicating with patients.
Consistently “talking” to the public keeps you on their radar for when they need your service. It informs them of your services, what makes you unique, and the advantages you offer. What happens when they only hear from you every once in a while? Chances are, they will forget about you, think you don’t care, or move on.
Have a plan in place to market your practice on a regular basis. Frequent social media posts, emailing a monthly newsletter, and running digital ads throughout the year will help keep you top of mind in your area.
Hire a Professional
You may have the best intentions when it comes to marketing, but consider having a dedicated person in your office handle it or hire a professional to fulfill these tasks. After a conference, you’re motivated to post to social media every day or run Facebook ads to promote your new services. But eventually, your main job of taking care of patients sidelines your marketing efforts.
Hiring an in-house person dedicated to these tasks or using an outside marketing professional will ensure your marketing stays on course. What’s more, they will keep up with the frequent changes and updates in digital marketing.
Your Turn
Marketing can be vital to growing your practice and keeping you visible in the marketplace. Now more than ever, it’s important to stay in front of your patients in an online world where they are bombarded with information. With planning, consistency, and professional expertise, your practice won’t get left behind.
With more than a decade of experience in corporate dental laboratory marketing and brand development, Ms. Ulasewich Cullen decided to take her passion for the dental business and marketing to the next level by founding My Dental Agency. Since starting her company, she and her team have helped a wide variety of business owners all over the nation focus their message, reach their target audience, and increase their sales through effective marketing campaigns. She can be reached at (800) 689-6434 or via email at jackie@mydentalagency.com.
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