The Secret of Attracting New Patients

Let’s face it; a lot of people are intimidated by going to the dental office.

Especially now amid COVID-19. Even so, you can attract new patients by merely having an active online presence.

I’m sure you have made modifications to patient workflow and disinfecting while protecting you and your staff.

It’s no different with your marketing. You have to do it; you need to develop a new process.

In today’s market, people are primarily communicating and accessing the internet through mobile devices.

 

They are having conversations out there and are continually commenting and suggesting different services and products. Don’t be overlooked; get in the marketing game.

Social media helps drive your online presence. It’s essential to engage and interact with your patients and potential patients online. If you still have doubts, check your waiting room, parking lot, and the dental chair. What are patients doing in their downtime? Most likely interacting on their social channels.

What if you could get them to talk about you and the great experience at your office? There are various ways that you can do that and stick within HIPAA compliance rules.

Tips to improve your online presence:

Social Media Marketing

1. Post to social media channels consistently
   • Select one or two social channels to get started.
     • I recommend Facebook and Instagram for most businesses.
   • Share fun images and helpful hints and tips.
   • Take patient photos, {have patients/parents, sign a waiver}.
     • Post them to your social channels.
   • Share staff and patient birthdays, anniversaries and etc.
2. Blog
   • Share helpful hints and tips and post to your social channels.
   • Repurpose and publish on LinkedIn Publishing.
   • Write about things you know like the back of your hand.
   • Repurpose content that you’ve already written and shared during a presentation or video.
3. Facebook ads/Boosting

There’s no doubt about it. Things are a little more strict and all over the place with Facebook at the moment. However, you have to remember that there’s always a workaround, and there’s still tremendous opportunity with paid advertising. It’s an excellent opportunity to target your market. For as little as $1 a day, you can advertise effectively and affordably (2).

Marketing and PR

1. Whether it’s outreach, local promotions, or teaming up with referral businesses. Look for opportunities to get your name out there.
   • Think outside the box.
     • Healthy cooking class
     • Yoga class
     • Essential oils
     • Youth Mentoring
     • Healthy lifestyle
2. Link the information to your social channels and website.
3. Create an Event page on Facebook and share.

Be aware of what your competitor is doing

1. Set up Google alerts.
2. You’ll get a notification if they have a news story written up about them as well as any press releases, reviews, or anything specific that could be seen as a new promotion opportunity.

Enlist and Respond to Reviews

1. Ask for a recommendation from each and every patient.
2. Respond to reviews in a timely fashion.

Local SEO

1. Be sure all your citations and directories are accurate and complete (1).
2. Make sure you’re listed in the big directories, are feeding into the data aggregators, and that the listings are 100% filled out and correct.

Each dentist and dental practice is unique in its own way. You need to showcase that uniqueness and brand.

Once you have all these tools in place, be patient. It can take several months to improve your online presence. Stick with it and stay consistent.

Inspire. Engage. Convert.

We can help you get started! Contact us for more information!

Sources:

1. MOZ, The Best Local Citations by Category, MOZ.com, //moz.com/learn/local/citations-by-category#Dentists (accessed September 14, 2020)
2. Colton Bollinger, “Reasons You’re Not Seeing Tangible ROI With Your Social Media Efforts”, Entrepreneur, October 8, 2018, //www.entrepreneur.com/article/321257 (accessed September 14, 2020)