In the world of social media, online advertising and endless news notifications, it’s difficult to keep someone’s attention. There’s a lot of noise to fight through in order to break through the clutter.
Audiences are constantly changing, distractions are almost always present, and a new tool to enhance internet experience seems to come out every day.
Staying ahead of the competition online can simply feel overwhelming. Fortunately, there are several ways to stand out from the crowd when marketing your dental practice online.
There are tools and tactics that can grab the attention of your audience and push the other distractions away. Through a few simple strategies, you can build rapport and leave a good impression with your online audience, while also making sure they remember your message.
Here’s are six ways you can boost your dental practice’s marketing online.
1. Leave a good impression with users through your website.
In the online world, your website is the equivalent to a first handshake. Just like when you first meet a stranger in the real world, you want to look your best.
By creating a well-organized and visually appealing website, you already impress your visitors.
Remember, people are visiting your site to learn more about you. By making sure that the various tabs and information on your website are well organized and easy to follow, you are increasing the likelihood that your visitors will successfully do so.
An underrated way of improving your website is by adding a blog.
Lots of potential patients are just looking for information on your services, dental knowledge, or oral hygiene guidance. You’re more likely to hold their attention by offering a blog that shares articles with the answers to their questions.
It’s also important to make sure that your website is loading quickly.
We’ve all been frustrated with the infamous spinning wheel, waiting and hoping that a website will load. And if you’ve ever waited for too long, you’ve probably bailed on the page.
Make sure your website is running smoothly so that same wheel doesn’t drive your audience away.
(Click image to learn more)
2. Build a connection and sense of community through social media accounts.
If a website is the online shake of a hand, then your social media account is the conversation that follows.
Social media acts as a great way to tell your story, and helps build relationships with your patients. Patients are far more likely to visit a friend than someone who feels like a stranger.
One way to get your audience engaged is to encourage action in your posts.
A good tactic to try is including open-ended questions in your posts. This encourages those who see the post to leave a comment or some sort of reaction. For example, asking, “What is your favorite toothpaste?” would likely provoke discussion in the comments section of your post.
This increases engagement and sparks a conversation between you and your viewers.
Another way to do this is by taking advantage of the “polls” feature offered on several platforms. The benefit with polls is that it doesn’t take much time to respond, which increasing the likelihood of engagement before moving on to something else.
A quick click on a poll answer is much faster than typing a comment.
Another social media tool that should not be taken for granted is the “story” feature. Stories can be easily accessed on most social media platforms, and are known for being short and attention grabbing.
This is another way to share your information quickly, before any other distractions takes your viewer’s attention away.
3. Know your online advertising tools.
Just like you, other dentists are trying to utilize the internet. So, how can you make sure that online traffic ends up at your website and not your competitors?
One useful method is search engine optimization (SEO). SEO uses a series of keywords, and matches them to what people are searching online. The closer the match, the higher up your site appears in the search results.
An important thing to remember when coming up with the keywords is to make sure that you aren’t “stuffing” them into your website. When marketing your dental practice online, keywords work best naturally, appropriately placed, and in context.
A similar but faster tool is paid search marketing, also known as search engine marketing (SEM).
SEM is usually operated on a pay-per-click (PPC) format. The difference between SEM and SEO justifying the cost, is that results are produced faster. SEO can take several weeks or months before its impact can be seen. Despite this, it’s recommended to still use SEO to build steady growth.
One way to access PPC is through Google AdWords, which takes your product to the top of Google’s search results page instantly.
While this may seem like the perfect solution, it is important to remember that keyword selection is still important when using PPC. If you find the right keywords through research though, Google AdWords can be a great solution for your business.
4. To boost your dental practice’s marketing online, tell your stories through video.
While video content is certainly not the only content you can use to market your dental practice, it’s certainly one of the most effective.
People are more likely to visit your dental practice when they can see the results you offer, and what better way than by showing off the satisfied smile of a patient leaving your office?
Videos are perfect for stirring up emotions in viewers and leaving a lasting memory. It’s not uncommon for audience members to form a connection with others in a video. If your video shows someone satisfied with your work, your audience can easily picture themselves feeling the same way.
Videos are also useful for keeping your audience engaged. People on the internet are more likely to watch a video than they are to read an article. When marketing your dental practice online, using video is a great way to grab attention and paint the perfect image.
5. Listen to and monitor online reviews.
No one likes reading a bad review, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important. Your patients are talking about their experiences, and it’s crucial to hear what they’re saying.
By monitoring the online reviews of your business, you can learn what patients are enjoying and continue those practices. You also learn what’s going wrong, and make necessary adjustments.
Similar to your social media presence, listening to reviews also shows that you care about your patients and helps build a sense of community.
Patients feel more comfortable and important when they see that what they say matters to you. A customer that feels heard is likely to have a positive mindset about your business.
6. Combine what you learn and practice what suits you best.
While all of these tactics are useful on their own, they also work as ingredients to be combined to create a very successful online campaign.
As you go forward with your campaign, it is important to note what works best for you. Monitoring the effectiveness of each aspect of your campaign helps you modify your tactics in a way that resonates best with your audience and results in a sense of community, and a bright future for your digital dentistry presence.
The Takeaways
Boosting your dental practice’s marketing isn’t necessarily a quick fix, but the results are worth it.
By paying attention to how your website is designed and delivering content for patients, you offer a better user experience. Videos or blogs are a great way to get your message out.
Do your best to optimize for keywords, and you’ll give yourself a chance to be seen. Use social media to engage with your patients, and pay attention to what they have to say.
With these strategies, you’ll set your practice up for steady, continued growth.
About First Choice Dental Lab
First Choice Dental Lab is a full-service dental lab with locations in Downers Grove, Il. & Wauwatosa, Wi.
We manufacture & customize quality dental restorations for general dentists. We create smiles based on your needs and budget.
We’re here to help you give your patients a reason to smile!
