Common Myths in Dental Marketing
Author: Izzy Dalrymple
Published: 9/27/2021
“Content builds relationships. Relationships are built on trust. Trust drives revenue.” – Andrew Davis, Bestselling Author and Keynote Speaker
This quote holds true in the digital marketing world as consumers trust practices/brands that have built a relationship with them. Unfortunately, some dentists and dental practices are apprehensive when it comes to establishing a digital marketing strategy. This can be due to multiple reasons, however we found the common denominators to be myths about digital marketing.
Are You Guilty Of Having One Of These Limiting Beliefs?
- “A website is enough for my business”
- “I have a small practice, I don’t need digital marketing”
- “I rely on word of mouth”
- “Only high traffic is successful”
- “Simplicity is key”
With consideration to the world’s population, over 92% of people use Google’s search engine, 4.48 billion people use social media, and over 2 billion people use YouTube; you will want your practice shown on multiple platforms to attract leads and create conversions.
"A Website Is Enough for My Business"
A dental website alone will not give you the results that you would like to receive. Good dental website development is more than just a home/about us/services/contact us button. Developing a great website consists of many factors such as brand strategy, unique content, compelling and custom assets, search engine optimization, and integrating your messaging through social media, media (TV/radio) campaigns, and ad campaigns.
Brand strategy helps establish what you want your practice to look like. It is basically the voice of your company. When curating a website, a brand strategy can include logo design, placement of custom assets, ad copy curation, and appealing custom colors. Adequate research of what will make a person click or call is applied to these attributes that will help generate conversions.
Search engine optimization is a practice used to increase the quantity and quality of traffic to your website. SEO will specifically target unpaid organic traffic rather than paid or direct traffic. The higher your website appears in the SERPs – Search Engine Results Page – the more authority your practice gains.
Because many users have social media, a practice’s social media pages are often linked to their website. This strategy allows the client to get a view of the practice on a personal level. If they happen to find you on social media first, visiting a website with custom assets will help continue the narrative of your practice cohesively, making them feel more comfortable with you and your team the moment they walk through the door.
TV and Radio are utilized for practices who have a big commercial audience. To determine the audience, watch and listen time, market research is done. Market research allows the curation of media campaigns to run smoothly. This will help dictate who and where to target as well as what time. Because viewers aren’t actively searching for your product when a TV or radio ad is placed in front of them, they will frequently refer to your website before making an initial appointment, which makes it that much more important to have a cohesive brand strategy throughout all your ads.
Ad campaigns are a series of advertisements that share a single idea that is intended to achieve a goal as well as create brand awareness. Ad campaigns are created in various social media platforms as well as landing pages. But, the ad can only do so much. The ad can generate clicks, but it is up to the compelling content and the quality before and after images as well as patient testimonials and doctor videos that will motivate them to take action such as coming in for a consultation.
So, having a website consists of many factors that will not only help boost your Google ranking, but can also generate leads into conversions.
"I Have a Small Practice, I Don’t Need Digital Marketing" and "I Rely On Word Of Mouth"
It doesn’t matter how big or small your practice is, digital marketing will benefit your business. Referrals are going to be your easiest patient to close on large cases, however, with technology constantly evolving, you will want to get ahead of the competition. If you prefer word of mouth marketing, this method can be transformed into a digital strategy such as implementing reviews, practice mentions, and competitions. Let’s look back at the statistics of digital marketing and think “looking at these numbers, do I want to miss out on the opportunity of closing cases?”
"Only High Traffic Is Successful"
If a practice is receiving a lot of traffic, but not generating conversions, a possible contribution could be patient relation. Building a connection with your potential patients is the closing of the marketing strategy. How quick are you following up with your leads? Is your method of contact personable - using their first name, checking in on their family, remembering their anniversary or birthday? These techniques help create a lasting impression.
"Simplicity Is Key"
While simplicity is key, in the dental field this is not the case. Prospective patients who are looking for a service want to feel confident in choosing the right dentist. This decision making relies on the quality of your content. Are your videos current? Displaying recent videos allows the client to take a virtual tour of your office while learning that your practice is up to date on technology. Do you have captivating patient testimonials? Content that grabs your attention is imperative. A user's attention span is about 5 seconds. Within those 5 seconds, your content should grab the user’s interest. Quality content ranks higher than quantity. Keep in mind, especially when marketing large dental implant cases, the buying cycle is significantly longer and therefore patients will rely on your custom assets to push them over the edge and motivate them to take action.
A key takeaway from this is to never limit yourself. Keep an open mind when it comes to digital marketing, and watch your practice reach greater heights!
Need A Marketing Company You Can Trust?
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References:
Kerzner, H. (2014). Project management best practices: Achieving global excellence. New York, NY: International Institute for Learning, Inc, https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ss5QDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR13&dq=kerzner+project+management+best+practices+2014+pdf&ots=qxpWlWGYJD&sig=M4CEnSxv5dlkcRW40cugMP_RPcc#v=onepage&q&f=false
Kinicki, A. and Williams, B. (2018). Management: A Practical Introduction. 8th ed. New Jersey: McGraw Hill Higher Education, https://www.google.com/books/edition/Management_Looseleaf/c-xkvgAACAAJ?hl=en
