It’s important that you market your New York dental practice to both prospective and existing patients, but you need to rethink how you do so in the ongoing pandemic era. Cheap, traditional marketing strategies, such as distributing flyers, may have brought in new patients before the pandemic, but they likely won’t be as effective — or sanitary — as then. In this blog, we give you a list of marketing strategies that will help you win over patients in the new normal.
Optimize your website
Stay-at-home orders imposed during the pandemic meant people mostly transacted with businesses through the internet. In fact, eCommerce’s share in the global retail trade increased in 2020, a trend that experts say might continue well after the pandemic. As your prospective patients likely spend a lot of time online, a brilliant way to engage them is by using your website.
Think of your website as a salesman who attracts prospects and converts them into paying clients. With that being said, make sure your site has the following:
- Clean and mobile-responsive design
- Intuitive navigation
- Clear information about and pictures of your practice, dentists, and hygienists
- Complete business contact information
- Positive reviews and testimonials from previous patients
Make sure to invest in search engine optimization (SEO). This is a combination of various strategies that make your online assets, such as your website, more likely to appear in search engine results and, thus, become more visible to your intended audience. SEO costs time and money, but it’s one of the best ways to stand out on the internet.
Advertise online
When prospective patients go online to search for dentists in their area, you’d want them to find your practice. Make sure this happens by advertising on the internet.
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a popular online advertising model that places your ads in internet spaces such as the results pages of search engines. When set up properly, PPC ads ensure that yours is one of the first practices potential patients find during an online query. This lets you tell your prospects about your practice’s services and impress them before your competitors do.
Another advertising model you can use — and which you can leverage along with PPC — is retargeting. In this model, your ads are displayed to prospects who have visited your website in the past, enticing them to return and convert into paying patients.
List your practice in online directories
Online directories allow people to find the companies they want in a straightforward manner. If you want patients to find you when they require dental services, make sure your practice is listed on online directories for dentists. These include the American Dental Association, The Dentist Hub, Every Dentist, Smile Guide, and Super Dentists.
On a related note, your practice should be listed in online maps, such as Google Maps and Apple Maps, as well. Doing so ensures that when nearby potential patients search for services you offer, search engines will show your practice and where it is on the map.
Become a sponsor
Giving back to your community lets you better the lives of people around you. It’s also a great way to introduce your practice to potential patients. Offer funding or services to support charities, concerts, and other local events. Consumers prefer brands that demonstrate social responsibility, so sponsorship can help make your practice more attractive to patients.
Be on social media
A huge percentage of your patients are on social media, so you need to be active there as well. Fortunately, you’ll never run out of ways to reach out and appeal to your patients on social networks. Here are a few ideas:
- Post interesting photos and videos about your practice or staff.
- In your free time, start live Q&As on Facebook or Instagram.
- Organize a teleconsult service at select hours.
- Discuss and debunk common myths about dentistry.
- Share trivia about teeth, dentists, and the field of dentistry.
Create informative content
Dedicate space for a blog on your website, in which you publish articles and infographics that educate your readers on various topics related to dental health. You can also set up a YouTube or TikTok channel for informative videos. The topics you cover can include first aid tips for tooth pain or injuries, diet suggestions for healthy gums, and bad habits that lead to bad breath. You can then share these on your other social media accounts.
Written content, infographics, and videos are very easy for your audience to share, making them handy for spreading word about your practice. These types of content also make you appear more authoritative to prospective patients, so they are more likely to trust you for dental care.
Offer specials
Promos and freebies will always be appealing to patients. Entice new patients by offering them discounts, free services, bundled promotions, and other incentives.
Allow patients to book electronically
Make your practice accessible by allowing potential patients to book an appointment anytime through your website. Online appointments are quick and convenient, and don’t require users to wait on hold for hours, unlike with appointments made over the phone.
To attract new patients, you need good marketing. To keep patients coming back to your practice, you need to provide them with reliable service — and our IT specialists at Healthy IT can help you do just that. As your IT partner, we'll manage your practice’s IT system to mitigate the risk of interruptions and maximize the efficiency of your operations. Schedule a free consultation today.