Marketing your dental practice
When starting your dental practice, it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed by all that needs to be done. Your office is going to be unknown to people. One of the most important things to do when starting your practice is to market. Marketing your dental practice is not much different than marketing any other business. The main thing is to get the word out to future patients about your new practice. So what are the best ways to do that? Here are some fairly simple yet effective ways to market your dental practice:
Internet – One of the most important marketing tools for your dental practice is a website. You really need to set up a website for your practice. This gives them a resource to learn more about you, the services and procedures you offer, your staff, and even schedule appointments online. The Internet is also a great way to offer great deals without paying for printing.
Print: Don’t underestimate the importance of classifieds. If it’s within your budget, put out a larger ad. Seeing is believing and many future clients are looking for security. Don’t forget to print coupons because it’s a great way to get new customers. They can extract the information and bring it directly to their office.
Radio: Radio advertising is very successful for a dental practice. When running a radio ad, a big advantage is having a website to refer your listener to. Most radio listeners drive, so they can’t grab a pen and paper to jot down an address or phone number, but a memorable website address will stick with them.
Yellow Pages: You might think that phone books are almost obsolete now that most people have access to the Internet. But there are many older patients who still use the phone book as their primary resource for locating businesses in their area.
Mail: This is a great idea for new dentists. You can recruit a lot of patients by sending some sort of postcard, coupon, or advertising brochure through the mail. People are moving to new places every day and they may be looking for you!
The bottom line is that like any successful business, it’s important that you promote and advertise to keep your dental practice going. Whether you’re a new dentist looking for patients or have been in business for years, marketing is key.