Dentist Marketing Tips to Maximize Your Growth
February 28, 2023
The dental industry is highly competitive and having an effective marketing strategy is essential for dental practices to attract new patients and retain existing ones. A good marketing plan can help a dental practice stand out in a crowded market and build brand awareness. It can also help to increase revenue, build patient loyalty and boost referrals.
But, dentist marketing isn’t what it used to be. You can’t expect a listing in the Yellow Pages or a few referrals to keep you ahead of your competition. You need a modern approach to marketing that can help you connect with potential patients where they’re already spending their time online.
Effectively growing a dental practice comes down to four main things — visibility, clickability, convertibility and profitability. If you can maximize your performance in each of those four buckets, you’re going to find success. Here’s how.
Visibility
What does visibility mean for a dentist? Well, it comes down to being visible when somebody in your community needs dental care. The most valuable place to be visible is when people are actively searching, meaning at the very second that they need your services.
That means that you need to dominate the first page of Google. And, there are many ways to do that.
LSA
The Google LSA (Local Services Ads) program is a great way for dentists to get visibility in their local communities. LSA ads are prominently displayed at the top of the search results when someone searches for a dentist in your area. The ads also display customer ratings and reviews, which can give potential patients confidence.
One of the best aspects of LSA is that it’s a pay-per-lead program, so you only pay for qualified leads. If you get a spam call or a call from a bot, you’re not charged.
To make the most of Google LSA, you need to be Google Guaranteed, which requires you to meet certain criteria. It’s also important to have lots of five-star reviews, as these make your ads more clickable and help to build trust with potential dentist leads.
Search ads
Right below the LSA section are the search ads. These are pay-per-click ads that appear when someone searches for a dentist in your area. You can use search ads to direct people to your website, where they can learn more about your services and book an appointment.
Search ads have a lot of targeting options, so you can make sure that your ads are only displayed to people who are in your target area. You can also target by device (mobile or desktop), time of day and day of the week, so you can be sure that your ads will be seen by potential patients at the right time.
With search ads, you can also bid on certain keywords and phrases, so you can make sure that your ads are displayed to people who are looking for a dentist. And, you can also use negative keywords to make sure that your ads aren’t displayed to people who are looking for something else.
Google Maps
Below the search ads are the Google Maps listings. These are the local businesses that are displayed on Google Maps when someone does a near-me search for a dentist. To get your business listed on Google Maps, you need to set up a Google Business Profile account and verify your business.
Having an up-to-date and accurate Google Business Profile listing is important if you want to be found on Google Maps. It’s also important to have lots of positive reviews, as this can help you stand out from your competitors and make your business more clickable.
Last but not least, optimize your Google Business Profile listing by adding as much information as possible. This can include photos, descriptions, contact details and even opening hours.
SEO
Another way to get visibility on Google is through SEO (search engine optimization). This involves optimizing your website for relevant keywords so that it appears higher in the organic search results, which are right below the Maps listings.
In addition to optimizing your dentist website for search, you should also invest in content marketing. By creating professional blog articles, social media posts, videos and beyond, you can drive more traffic to your website and help to build your brand.
Social media
Your presence on social media is also important. Platforms, like Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, can be great for connecting with potential patients and engaging with your existing patients. You can post about your services, share fun facts about dentistry and even promote special offers for your patients.
Another great way to use social media is to create targeted ads. With platforms, like Facebook, you can create ads that are only displayed to people who live in your area and are looking for a dentist.
Outbound advertising
Finally, you should consider outbound advertising. This involves advertising your services on other websites, such as digital billboards, It can also include advertising on radio and television.
Outbound advertising can be a great way to reach people who aren’t actively searching for a dentist but may need dental care down the road. It’s a wonderful way to build brand awareness and reach potential patients who may not be aware of your services.
Clickability
Having a visible presence is just part of the equation. You also need to make sure that your ads and listings are clickable. To do this, you need to make sure that your ads and listings stand out from the competition. Here are a few tips to help you get started:
- Get five-star reviews – Reviews are incredibly important for making your business clickable. Make sure that you’re actively asking your patients for reviews and responding to both negative and positive reviews.
- Use high-quality photos – Photos are also important when it comes to making your listings clickable. Make sure that you use professional photos that showcase your office and staff.
- Craft compelling ad copy – Your ad copy should be clear, concise and compelling. Make sure that you use keywords and phrases that potential patients are searching for and that you explain why someone should choose your practice over the competition.
- Create professional title tags and meta descriptions – Title tags are the words that appear in the search results and meta descriptions are the short descriptions that appear below the title. Make sure that you craft them carefully, as this can help to increase organic click-through rates.
- Invest in video ads – Video ads are becoming increasingly popular and can be a great way to make your ads stand out from the competition.
Convertibility
Once you make sure that your ads and listings are clickable, you need to make sure that they are convertible. That means making sure that your ads and listings drive potential patients to take action.
It does you no good to have a visible presence online — or even to get clicks — if visitors don’t convert into patients once they visit your website. Here are a few ways to improve your convertibility online:
- Have a mobile-friendly website – Make sure that your dentist website is optimized for mobile, as this can help to increase conversions. You should also make sure that your website is fast and easy to use.
- Create dedicated landing pages for your ads – You should create dedicated landing pages for each of your campaigns, as this can help to increase conversions. You should also make sure that the page is relevant to the ad and that it clearly explains what the next step is for the visitor.
- Invest in retargeting campaigns – Not everyone converts the first time. Retargeting campaigns are a great way to remind potential patients about your services and to encourage them to convert. You can target ads to people who have already visited your website or interacted with your social media accounts.
- Develop a strong reputation – A strong reputation can go a long way when it comes to converting patients. Make sure that you have lots of five-star reviews and that you respond to both negative and positive reviews. You should also make sure that your website is up-to-date and accurate.
- Build an active social media presence – An active social media presence can help to build trust and credibility with potential patients. Make sure that you post regularly, respond to comments and messages, and share content about your services.
Profitability
Last but not least, modern dental practices need to look for opportunities to increase profitability. That means finding ways to increase efficiency, drive repeat business and nurture dental leads.
One of the best dentist marketing tools available in terms of profitability is CRM (customer relationship management) software. With dentist CRM software, you can track patient activity, store patient data, automate workflow and manage appointments.
You can also use CRM software to send automated emails and text messages to remind patients of their appointments, and to offer special promotions. You can also use it to send personalized birthday messages to your patients and to encourage reviews.
There are also many other ways to increase profitability, such as offering loyalty programs, discounts and special offers.
Having an effective marketing plan can help a dental practice stand out in a crowded market and build brand awareness. It can also help to increase revenue, build patient loyalty and boost referrals.
To maximize your performance, you need to invest in visibility, clickability, convertibility and profitability. The Marketing 360® all-in-one dentist marketing platform has everything you need to get it right.
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