The Dental Marketing Base – Trifecta
Let’s be clear, marketing is SO much more than what is listed below. Here are some guidelines on what to master before you realize you’ve dumped an astronomical amount of cash flow into a 3rd party marketing/advertising plan just to drive patients to an outdated brand.
The base marketing plan for Dentists
1. Website and brand recognition.
What do you think about when you see the golden arches (McDonalds), half eaten apple (Apple), bullseye (Target)? Ask yourself, would you still consume their products if they haven’t updated their logo in 10+ years? Furthermore, your debating whether to purchase a Mac or HP computer; Apple’s website was outdated, HP’s was top notch would that sway your opinion? Lastly, if you visited Target’s website and they had a short, yet effective video demonstrating how to back to school shop instead of 2D pictures, where would your car take you that morning for supplies?
Regardless of how you feel about these companies and their products, you get it. Here are some general guidelines for updating these wonderful avenues to promote your product = excellent dental care:
Website
Re-fresh every 6 months (assuming you are starting with an updated, meaningful website)
Headshots/interior/exterior/op photos
Headshots every 1-2 years
Interior/exterior/op photos every 3-5 years depending on the initial quality
Video
Every 3-5 years depending on the quality and editing advancements
Logo
Re-fresh every 5 years (not re-design)
2. Social media.
After you have mastered #1, review your patient demographic and set up social media accounts to promote your practice. Plan to post content 1x/week and create a strategy to increase from there.
Recommended social media accounts:
LinkedIn – yes, at least all doctors should have a LinkedIn account and be active with making connections. Patients will soon connect, look at how “well-known” they actually are, and take a deep dive into their educational and professional background.
Facebook – practice page. Take some time to review the marketing and publishing tools to optimize your practice’s online presence. Don’t have a Facebook account and think it’s “useless” because you ‘Insta’ & ‘Snap’ and/or use Tik Toc & WhatsApp? Think again, the majority of your patients are VERY active on this platform, especially the boomers.
Instagram – practice handle. The most highly utilized platform among ages 18-40. Develop your own hashtags and start streaming content into your feed and stories. Ask patients to tag that beautiful cosmetic case, the start of Invisalign and even that proud moment when they survived RCT….they are more than willing! #startnow
3. Reviews.
Among competitor comparison, the average patient is taking your organic reviews seriously. Sure, microsite reviews add value to your webpage, but what is going to drive patients there initially? Hello Google! Create a Google listing and implement a campaign to gather “feedback” rather than “reviews” from your patients. A sweet spot for your reviews are between 4.7-4.9. No, not a full 5…can you guess why?
If you haven’t mastered the top 3 and are allocating advertising funds elsewhere, you are ‘most likely’ donating your hard earned profits to a black hole instead of your money market, 401K or index fund.
If you have mastered the top 3, go ahead and take 2-3% of your collections, create a budget and develop marketing growth strategies based on your practice needs.
For more information on how you can master your marketing base “Trifecta” contact DCC – hello@dentalconsultingco.com.
We are obsessed with creating Dentist’s success stories.
About the Author // Shannon Snell
As a Dental Hygienist practicing in over 40 offices early in my career I identified a need for smooth practice operations that stemmed from employee engagement, patient care and effective leadership. After 10 years in the industry practicing as Dental Hygienist, managing a highly productive private practice, consulting with various local firms, and running one of the most successful professional staffing and recruiting companies in Minnesota I identified the dire need of a local resource to help Dentists own their practice, time and future.