Twenty years ago, marketing was considered taboo for those in the dental and medical communities. Word of mouth was king, and those who spent money to attract new patients were considered gauche.
Times have changed, however. Corporate dentistry practices are spending big bucks on marketing. While your practice offers so much more and can’t truly be compared to corporations, marketing allows you to level the playing field. Here’s how:
- Marketing helps you achieve name and brand recognition in your community. You can hang a shingle in front of your door, and passersby can see a parking lot full of cars. But if they don’t know who you are and how you differ from other dentists in a 10-mile radius, they’re not going to cross your threshold.
- Marketing allows you to showcase your specialties. Let’s say you offer same-day crowns. Because they not only save patients time, but also allow patients to avoid the discomfort of temporaries, these crowns are an attractive option to many. If you don’t market this particular treatment, how will anyone know to contact you? They won’t! Instead, they’ll end up in the chair of the dentist who ran a Google pay-per-click campaign about same-day crowns.
- Marketing helps with patient retention. So many people assume that marketing is only about attracting new patients, but new patients only grow your practice if your current patients are staying put. Marketing allows you to stay connected with your current patients on a regular basis, not just the two times a year they’re in your chair. If they don’t feel a connection to you, then they’re going to leave you for the dentist who is closer to work or home.
- Marketing gives you the opportunity to set yourself apart from other practices. Without a customized marketing campaign, your website, social media posts, and other advertisements look just like those of the other dentists in town. The truth is, you are your practice’s best asset. Without marketing, there is no way for others to know why they should select your practice over others.
- Marketing helps you grow your practice. While retaining current patients is important, new patients are key to growing your practice. Whether you’re interested in bringing in enough revenue to hire an associate or thinking about selling your practice down the road, if new patients aren’t aware of you, you’re not going to grow.
You went to school to become a dentist. Bookkeeping, human resources, property management, and marketing aren’t necessarily in your wheelhouse. You have invested blood, sweat, tears, and time in your practice. So why not let others see the fruits of your labor by investing in marketing?
With more than a decade of experience in corporate dental laboratory marketing and brand development, Ms. Ulasewich 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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