Studies show that prospective patients find dentists by searching online and often visit dental practice websites and social media accounts. Here are five of the best tactics of digital marketing for dentists that are easy to pursue by partnering with web marketing specialists.
1. Digital Marketing for Dentists To Increase Local Name Recognition
Some of the more traditional types of online advertisements are those that appear on the websites of local news channels and publications. When properly placed, these ads can raise name recognition among prospective patients in the same area as a practice. It is also a good idea to pursue paid and organic methods of search engine optimization geared toward raising local search result rankings.
Paid SEO involves pay-per-click campaigns based on keyword bids. Digital marketing professionals can help dental practitioners assess the competitiveness of local markets and display PPC ads at the top of search results for queries that combine relevant location keywords with the term “dentist.” Organic SEO is a more comprehensive approach to enhancing the online presence of a practice that takes longer to affect search rankings but can improve the experience of site visitors and increase conversion rates in the form of appointments booked.
While online channels with wider audiences such as social media make it possible for dentists to make content that gets viewed and engaged with by thousands or millions of users around the world, local and regional leads are more likely to become patients. For this reason, it is important to emphasize the location of a practice in digital marketing for dentists.
2. Growing Social Media Follower Counts by Posting Content
Many dentists who take public-facing personas online by making informative or entertaining videos posted on YouTube or social media achieve high follower counts. Dental care practitioners can decide whether to pursue this or other digital marketing methods to introduce themselves to the public and prospective patients.
The content posted by dental practices does not always showcase individual dentists, though dental care professionals who are featured in content can increase levels of familiarity and trust. Informative content such as articles or posts with care reminders or answers to frequently asked dental questions can draw clicks on social media, a practice website or the internet at large when paired with organic or paid SEO strategies.
Dental care professionals who partner with MatchPoint Studio have more success in getting patients through digital marketing for dentists. A lot of factors go into the successful use of search engine and social media marketing for location-based professionals. Researching the social channels most used by the target audience of a practice can be helpful for creating more effective content.
3. Targeting Your Base and Segmenting Patient Lists
When it comes to digital marketing for dentists, it is more important to identify a target patient than when using offline promotional methods. Having an age range and geographical area in mind goes a long way toward better returns.
One of the main benefits of digital marketing is that it is possible to customize messaging for prospective, current or lapsed patients. Once a practice has a contact method on file, it can be worthwhile to send targeted communications to contacts who are not patients yet, to regular patients and to former patients who have not visited for a while.
With the permission of contacts, the information in this system can also be used to send other content. Regularly sending relevant content can keep a dental practice on recipients’ minds in positive contexts that make word-of-mouth recommendations more likely.
4. Digital Methods To Stay in Touch With Patients
Using digital marketing for dentists is one of the best ways to digitize workflows at a dental practice. For example, scheduling and sending digital appointment reminders through preferred contact methods can be an effective way to obtain contact information for patients. Patients may also grant a practice permission to send notifications or updates via email, text messaging or other digital modes of contact.
Digital marketing can also streamline dental office workflows. For example, it is possible to automate a system to send reminders to current patients every six months or at any other interval and notifications for scheduled procedures. Patients who regularly receive messages or see quality content in their social media feeds may be more likely to recommend a dental practice.
Generating content for dental feeds does not have to be one-sided. Some practices experience success by getting the consent of patients to be featured in posts. Followers can also post questions or refer to a dentist in other posts. Any time the name or social media handle of a practice appears online in a positive light can be a valuable opportunity for publicity and increased name recognition.
5. Getting More New Patients With Digital Marketing for Dentists
One of the primary goals of digital marketing for dental professionals is new impressions made possible by a robust online presence. This applies to professionals and practices that use paid or organic methods to rise in search engine results or maintain social media feeds on services used by target, location-based demographics.
Any approaches a practice takes to digital marketing for dentists should emphasize conversion. Booking appointments is the only way to get a return on investment from promotional measures that are taken online. For this reason, dentists should make it as easy as possible for prospective patients to make appointments. Online scheduling services on practice websites and buttons or other easy-to-access methods on online directories or social media pages can ensure that an investment in digital marketing pays off.
These tips cover the bases of digital marketing for dentists. Every dental practice should maintain a well-designed website, pursue SEO for higher rankings in search results and maintain active social media accounts. MatchPoint Studio can recommend online marketing methods that will bring in more new patients and make it easier to maintain care relationships. Digital marketing is one of the most effective ways to increase the online and local visibility of dental practices.
Sources:
https://moz.com/learn/seo/local
https://ads.google.com/home/campaigns/search-ads/
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/5184/organic-search-engine-optimization-organic-seo
https://support.google.com/google-ads/answer/1722043?hl=en
