Dentists are a uniquely-positioned professional within the medical industry to leverage online marketing. Unlike other medical professionals, dentists are typically not limited by geographical location, practice setting, or specialty. This provides them with the flexibility to market their practice online and across platforms using multiple tactics.

Why Online Marketing Is a Great Fit For Dentists

Because of their specialized knowledge and various practice settings, dentists have the opportunity to market their practice with a digital footprint that reaches far beyond what is typically available to most other medical specialists. With the help of a few popular apps and blogs, dentists can develop a strong online reputation that will attract future patients.

Here are just a few of the benefits of marketing on the internet for dentists:

1. Broad Reach

Unlike other medical specialists whose patients are geographically-constrained to one area, dentists can reach across the globe due to the web. A relatively simple Google search can uncover hundreds of dental practices in locations as far-flung as Antarctica and the middle of the ocean. When a patient living in one of these far-away places needs dental work, they have the option of traveling to a neighboring country or finding a provider who is willing to come to them.

The ability to market a dental practice worldwide is incredible. Not only does it provide the dentist with the opportunity to earn more money, it also allows them to increase their patient base. If a practice is located in a more affluent area, the travel expense benefits the community as a whole. Furthermore, the ability to sell a world-class service encourages more people to become engaged in the practice, thus increasing income.

2. Flexibility

Due to their adaptable nature and various practice settings, dentists are able to experiment and evolve with the digital world around them. Because of this, they are better positioned to take advantage of the various platforms that exist online today, all of which can be used to promote their practice.

Instead of being limited to one approach, such as email marketing or social media, dentists have the ability to become data-driven and experiment with different tactics to see what works best for them. This allows them to stay flexible and evolve with the times, while continuing to generate leads for their practice.

3. Authentic And Actionable Data

Unlike other forms of marketing, which are generally plagued by poor conversion rates and a lack of patient engagement, online marketing for dentists can be highly effective. This is largely due to the fact that all data is readily-accessible and easily-portable for practitioners to analyze and act upon. As a result, they can always determine the effectiveness of their efforts, making the entire process more “authentic” and providing a greater sense of accountability.

This type of marketing can generate highly-qualified leads that are ready to be converted into paying customers. Furthermore, because all of the data is authentic and easily-accessible, marketing efforts are easily-measurable, resulting in greater insight and a deeper level of engagement from the marketing department.

4. Ability To Engage With The Millennial Generation

Dentists can harness the power of social media to connect with and engage with prospective patients. By regularly posting engaging content that is both educational and entertaining, dentists can attract patients who are accustomed to being digitally-connected.

Millennials are a highly-targeted and sought-after demographic. Many businesses, including dentists, have begun to realize the value that this demographic brings and developed marketing strategies to connect with them online.

Consumers within this group are accustomed to being approached by businesses they have an interest in, which means that they are more likely to be receptive to offers from brands they know and trust. As a result, businesses that are able to connect with millennials through their social media platforms can enjoy significantly higher engagement and followings, which in turn can lead to higher traffic and more conversions.

How To Market Your Practice

Now that you understand the many advantages of marketing your dental practice online, it’s time to develop a clear strategy for implementing this effort. Although there are countless tactics that can be used to market a dental practice, not all of them will be effective in today’s ever-changing digital world.

To that end, it is imperative that you develop a strategy that is tailored to fit your practice and the digital goals you wish to achieve. Below, we will discuss several strategies that can be used to successfully market your practice online.

1. SEO: Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving a website’s organic search ranking. When Google or other search engines display results for a particular search query, the website’s URL as well as the content within it will appear in the results.

SEO is a vital marketing strategy that can be used to both drive organic traffic to a website and communicate the value that the practice offers to potential patients.

As a dental practice owner, you will have to make sure that your site is optimized for the various search engines and that your content is easily discoverable. SEO can be difficult to learn but is an essential part of any dental practitioner’s digital marketing toolkit. Luckily, there are several reputable SEO tools and strategies that can be used to effectively market a dental practice.

2. Email Marketing

Many businesses have turned to emails as a necessary evil in today’s digital world. Although email marketing was once considered a “dirty’ marketing tactic, as a result of the pandemic many businesses have shifted their focus to direct-mail campaigns.

In most cases, the email you send to your prospective patients will contain some combination of the following:

• An offer – such as a free consultation or a discount on services.
• An invitation to a special event or a new product release.
• Some type of educational content
• An offer for a related product or service
• An incentive for clicking a link

The key to an effective email marketing strategy is to make sure that every part of the message is relevant and adds value. When designing an email, be sure to consider the following elements:

• The subject line – this is what the recipient will see at the top of their inbox. As a general rule of thumb, make the subject line short and sweet but also make sure that it is relevant to the content within the email.
• The body of the email – this is where you’ll write the content of the email. Be sure to write for an audience that already knows what you’re talking about. To achieve this, you can either look at your email list or use a tool like Google Analytics to see which articles, blogs, and so on, are most commonly referred to by existing or potential customers. This will help you to write your emails in a way that is both interesting and understandable to your audience.
• The call-to-action – this is the part of the email that will encourage the recipient to take action. Depending on the subject matter of your email, you may want to include a link to a specific product or page, a call to schedule an appointment, or even just an offer to get in touch if they aren’t yet ready to make a purchase. Once the recipient takes action, you can follow-up with them via email or social media to continue the marketing process.
• A look into your digital marketing – it’s important to review and analyze your practice’s performance across all digital platforms and channels to determine the effectiveness of your campaign. Without this step, it would be difficult to determine whether or not your efforts were paying off. You can use the data you collect to find patterns and determine what’s working and what’s not.

3. Content Creation

A well-written article that provides valuable information to an existing or prospective customer is arguably the most effective way of marketing a dental practice. When someone stumbles upon a blog article that is both informative and entertaining, they are more likely to continue reading and potentially become a customer.

To create high-quality content, you will need a consistent and committed approach to research, writing, and editing. Be sure to look into the following areas when choosing content for your blog: