Feel like you’ve exhausted all possible marketing strategies for your dental practice? The fact of the matter is you probably haven’t. Effective marketing ideas go far beyond online strategy and office protocol (for more information, visit “How SEO Company Works” and “How to Attract New Patients”). While these are both vital tactics to include in the day-to-day operations of your practice, there are additional marketing ideas that can really skyrocket your popularity in ways you never thought possible. Some of these additional ideas are patient referral bonus systems, getting out into the community, hosting events, greeting cards, blogs and e-newsletters, cross-referral systems, and promoting results vs. services.
Let’s begin by discussing patient referral bonus systems. As mentioned in the previous blog post, a vast majority of new patient influx should be coming from internal patient referrals. So, it is important to make it clear to your existing patients that you are looking to grow and to acquire more business. A good way to do this is by implementing a patient referral bonus system. This essentially provides your existing patients with an incentive to refer their friends and family to your practice. If the referrer successfully sends a new patient to the practice, he or she will receive either a discount or a free dental product. There are many benefits to this system for both the patients and the practitioner. You get to engage with the patients and give them more of a personal experience, all while recruiting new clientele by distributing a simple referral card for them to take home. For even further expansion of this idea, you could even encourage your employees to refer their friends and family.
The next out-of-the-box idea is to get out into the community. Particularly, make your presence known to the consumers in the neighborhoods closest to your practice. You can do this by sending out a monthly neighborhood dental newsletter. This could help to advance your credibility and keep you in the forefront of the minds of everyone in the community. As a business, it is also a good idea to participate in any events that the community may be holding, or maybe even to sponsor any of the local recreational sports teams. This is an excellent networking tactic that will be sure to get your name out into the community.
In addition to participating in local events, it may also be a good idea to host fun events of your own. The events can be held right in your office. The event should make the community aware that your practice is capable of providing a pleasurable experience in addition to being professional. This will show the residents of the community that you value them as patients, and any positive experience a patient has with you will only make a referral more likely.
Another positive community-related gesture is to send a “welcome to the neighborhood” greeting card to any new residents. Lists of new homeowners in the area can be found through many sources. It is potentially a good idea to take full advantage of this information and acquire these new residents before another practice does.
While the community dental newsletter is a fantastic idea in and of itself, it is also beneficial to have a blog and an e-newsletter to send out to your patients. Being that not everyone will go through the mail and read a hard-copy newsletter, you can be sure that they will check their email. This tactic also caters to the more digitally-driven ways of today’s society. This will help you stay relevant amongst all age groups and generations.
It is also never a bad idea to cross-promote your business or to have a cross-referral system. This is often the case with dentists and oral surgeons, but it doesn’t have to be. Cross-promoting can help to enlarge your client base and recruit new patients. However, it is important to pick another doctor/business that you genuinely trust. Otherwise, the system could end up having the opposite effect.
The last of the additional marketing tactics is to make sure you are promoting results, not services. Patients are not going to be turned on by the thought of filling a cavity or getting a root canal, but they will be turned on by the thought of a pearly, white, attractive smile. So, they will be reminded to give your practice a call when they think about wanting to have that beautiful smile of their dreams.
It is clear to see that the world of marketing goes far beyond managing your online presence and creating a positive environment for your patients. There are many promotional and event-related tactics that must be taken into consideration, as well, to help your business grow as powerful as it can. Providing patients with an incentive to refer their friends and family can be a great and effective way to acquire new clientele and keep the old ones sticking around for a long time. Additionally, getting out into the community will show your patients, and potential new patients, that you care about your clientele beyond the chair and are able to identify with them as human beings. Hosting events at your practice for your community will also give off this same message of community support and appreciation. Find the best resource possible for reaching out to new residents of your community and send them a “welcome” greeting card introducing them to your practice. Remember to include e-newsletters and blog posts into your written promotional circulation. Cross-promotion and the result-based promotion will also aid in expanding your patient outreach.
If you are unsure how to go about executing these ideas, contact us at SEO Company OC to get quality marketing services and consulting. We will help you carry out all of these marketing tactics in addition to all of the effective online marketing and business consulting tactics we already use. With SEO Company OC, you can expect amazing growth, new leads, and more visibility for your practice.
