It is fair to say that the knowledge and skills that dentists have may allow them to work wonders with patients’ teeth and oral health. However, when it comes to marketing their dental practice, their know-how and experience might not be so stellar.
We say that as a compliment to their dental credentials and to make the point that the marketing experts are those who make their living from it, such as those who run and work for digital marketing agencies.
However, that does not mean that dentists should not at least have some background knowledge about how to market their dental practice and, specifically, what digital marketing strategies they should be focusing on.
With that in mind, we thought it would be useful to highlight five of the most effective online marketing strategies for local businesses to follow, especially for dentists.
They all require varying degrees of time, patience, and, to be totally transparent, money. However, all of these can provide substantial returns on investment, so let us get started.
#1 – PPC Advertising
For dentists keen to see increased traffic to their website immediately and who are willing to pay for it, the most proven method of doing so is pay-per-click advertising or PPC. PPC advertising allows you to select the relevant keywords you wish your ad to appear for and then bid on them.
If your bid is high enough, your ad will appear frequently, influenced by the number of competing bids. Be assured that you are in total control of what you spend each day.
#2 – SEO
You have search engine optimisation, or SEO, at the other end of the timescale to PPC. This is how website owners, including dentists, attempt to have their website reach the highest possible position on Google when specific search terms are entered.
These search terms need careful researching before the website is fully optimised, and backlinks to the website are acquired so that Google knows which keywords the website is trying to rank for.
#3 – Email Marketing
This is a marketing strategy that has proven over the years to be one of the most effective, and it remains so to this day. Collecting email addresses from prospects and patients allows you to communicate with them regularly, but be assured this is not an exercise in spamming or bombarding them with sales messages.
For optimal results, emails should instead contain lots of useful information and advice relating to oral health, with the occasional marketing message included.
#4 – Online Videos
If the internet has done one thing more than any other, it has provided the means for anyone to create and post videos online, and that includes dentists.
YouTube is the second biggest search engine online, so people go there for information and advice, which they receive from the videos posted there.
By making short videos in which you provide expert advice on keeping teeth and gums healthy, you can build a loyal audience and increase traffic to your website.
#5 – Podcasting
The popularity of podcasts is huge, but podcasting remains an online marketing strategy that is extremely under-used by businesses.
Online visitors love listening to audio, and a podcast with lots of helpful advice, the latest developments, and even some humorous dentist stories can attract lots of listeners.
In addition, it can help build your reputation and your dental practice’s brand, which can only be positive when trying to boost new patient numbers.
