The discerning consumer in today’s world devotes a large chunk of time online towards multiple tasks. Digital marketing plays a role in tapping such a consumer by utilizing multiple platforms and promotional tactics to engage with such consumers. Here are some ways to grow an online dental practice.
1. Leverage the power of digital marketing
Dental practice branding through online promotion can help to grow the client base. Creating a strong and differentiable value proposition can help to make the practice stand out.
Local SEO is a powerful tool to target patients in the neighbourhood. The website content must be optimized to target customers who are searching online. It also boosts page rankings in search results and increases the probability of people reaching out to the practice.
Creating a FAQ page attracts customers to the site by offering tips for generic questions. Answering such questions can nurture relationships and trust can help to build loyal patients.
Pay-per-click (PPC) ads with specific keywords when optimized generally appear at the top of online search results when users search for dental services. Location-specific keywords can make the campaign attract the right audience.
2. Using a website more effectively
A website is a must in a competitive business environment and can be effectively used to build a practice. A patient can judge a practice on many parameters and a website is one of them.
Developing a new website or refreshing an existing website must take into consideration the imagery that one needs to create as well as the kind of client profile that needs to get attracted to the practice.
The website can highlight dental technologies used by the practice or the family-friendly environment that it offers among others. One needs to decide how detailed the website needs to be while also incorporating vital data like professional background, qualifications, and experience. Other elements that must be included are the timings, directions, services, links to social media channels, etc.
An online appointment functionality on the website can empower patients to make bookings at their convenience.
As searches for dental professionals are increasing on the mobile phone, the site must be optimized for mobile searches.
3. Build Online Reviews
Familiarity and affinity for the gadget have triggered its usage for looking for reviews. Patients often look for feedback about how a practice treats and interacts with patients. Generating positive reviews can aid in growing the practice. Positive reviews can effectively expand the practice, augment patient acquisition or retention, and impact SEO.
4. Leverage social media to attract potential clients
Many millennials are active on social media like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to connect with patients online. Social media handles help to drive awareness and attraction when used well.
The key role of social media is to get patients to share favourable experiences at the dental office. Running an advertising campaign on social media can help to attract potential patients to the website or a visit.
5. Make content marketing an ally
A practice can rely on content marketing to attract new dental patients. Content marketing formats can include forms, videos, infographics, blogs, etc. Videos and infographics can cover interesting facts and highlights of the practice. SEO-friendly blog posts can be used to highlight various aspects of dental health.
6. Test, Learn and Optimise
Campaigns cannot be set and made to run without monitoring. A watchful eye on paid marketing campaigns can help to optimize key metrics like click-through rates, conversion rates, and cost per lead. For big-budget campaigns, A/B testing can be used to verify which campaigns appeal the best across the target audience.
7. Revamp the referral system
Peer recommendations offer a great way to entice new patients to the dental practice. Collate positive reviews by requesting loyal patients write about their experience on review sites as well as for references within their family and friends. The practice can offer a discount voucher or a gift card to patients who make a patient referral.
