How Busy is Too Busy? 5 Tips for Ensuring Practice Growth Are you too busy meeting with current patients to worry about attracting new ones? Keeping a full schedule is crucial for your success as a dentist, but can often leave you with little time or energy to consider the big picture moving forward. Here are five easy tips to ensure your practice stays growing when your schedule is packed tight. Delegate. You might be the owner or the lead dentist in your practice, but that doesn’t mean you have to take on the responsibility of business growth alone. Train your team on how to identify every source from which you receive new patients. Track this new patient reporting and review it on a monthly basis so that you can adjust your strategies and budgeting with your ROI in mind. Set a goal and stick to it. Even if you lack the time or the resources to personally manage your business growth, goal-setting is important. Start small! Can you and your team reach one new patient this week? As you build a foundation to work forward from, you can expand your reach over time and build momentum. Soon enough, you may find yourself launching past your goals with a consistent influx of new patients each month. Implement a high-powered marketing campaign. Creating an effective, driven set of marketing strategies for your practice takes both time and expertise. Let us help, so you can get back to doing what you appreciate most as a dentist — delivering high-quality dental care to your community. We will listen to your needs and custom-build a marketing campaign that helps you achieve your unique goals as a dentist. Bring in an expert. Are you curious how you can improve your practice’s systems and train your team, but are unsure where to start? It’s time to call in an expert. We can refer you to one of our trusted colleagues that will help you redefine your practice’s productivity and effectiveness from the inside out. Stay motivated. It sounds simple, but remaining optimistic and forward-thinking is one of the most crucial ways for you to reach success for your practice. This applies to your entire team as well. Is morale slipping, or is everyone excited to grow together with achievable goals and the means to reach them? It’s your responsibility to create the atmosphere necessary for practice growth. Don’t let a busy schedule cause your practice growth to plateau. Get started on a customized marketing campaign that can take your efforts to new heights, while affording you more time and energy to enjoy the success you’ve created. Schedule your complimentary marketing planning session with us today.
Spring Cleaning? 5 Ways To Refresh Your Branding This Year With March already upon us, the time for spring cleaning is quickly approaching. Is your practice’s branding in need of an update, as well? Learn five easy ways you can refresh your brand this year in our latest blog. Try a new color scheme. Not loving your logo or branding as much as you used to? A new color scheme can sometimes be the answer. Many designs benefit from a simple tweak to their color selection. For more advice on how to pick the best colors for your unique practice branding, check out another of our recent blogs. Update your font. Does your font choice date your practice? In the last decade, popular fonts have shifted away from serif fonts (think Times New Roman or Georgia) to sans serif fonts (think Arial, Helvetica, or Futura). The reason for this is that sans serif fonts are considered more modern, friendly, and approachable. While there are still situations in which a serif font (or even a script font) can be the perfect fit, sans serif fonts are generally easier to read and oftentimes more memorable. Modernize your icon. Icon design is constantly evolving. Recently, many brands have begun implementing simplified, brighter, and flatter icons that are easy to recognize across different viewing platforms. Icon design now favors sharper, more defined edges that are visually cleaner. Out with the old, in with the new! If you’ve updated your branding and are still holding onto outdated appointment cards, rack cards, business cards, or letterheads, now is the time for spring cleaning. Ask our team about refreshing your practice’s printed materials so you can share your re-brand in all forms. Hire your favorite marketing company to help. You don’t have to strategize your brand refresh alone. As a full-service marketing agency, we can help you achieve your new goals with ease through our expertise in art and graphic design, as well as print and digital media. Whether you are in need of a quick touch-up for your logo or are seeking an entirely new brand for your practice, we can help. Schedule your complimentary marketing planning session with Identity Dental Marketing today.
14 Frequently Asked Questions about Facebook for Dentists Do Facebook’s evolving tools and strategies leave you with questions about how to market your practice with confidence? Equip yourself with the answers to the most frequently asked questions we’ve heard in dental marketing. 1. How will an active Facebook presence benefit my practice? Building an active Facebook presence through both organic and paid reach can grow your brand awareness, attract new patients, and allow you to build credibility with your community. As a dentist, Facebook offers you a convenient way to connect with your patients beyond the office. 2. What are hashtags? Hashtags are a type of metadata tag that allows search engines and social media platforms to index your post. By using hashtags, you can increase the visibility of your posts when people search for them. They are also a clever way to add personality or flair to your posts. 3. How many hashtags should I use? While there is no single right answer, we recommend using between 2 – 5 hashtags on Facebook. On Instagram, 11-15 hashtags is appropriate. 4. Can I link my practice’s Facebook page with our Instagram profile? This is not only possible, but recommended. Linking your accounts together allows you to share your posts from one platform to the other, and vice versa. 5. What does ‘boosting’ a post mean? Boosting a post allows you to display it to relevant groups that are beyond your normal reach, such as people in your area that aren’t following your page. For most posts, we recommend applying a boost of $20-$40/post. This can increase your post’s reach to the hundreds, or even thousands in your target market. 6. What is the difference between a personal Facebook page and a business page? A personal page is for your own use to connect with friends and family, while a business page is for your brand and your services. You will manage your business page through your personal page. 7. Can I give multiple team members access to our business page? Yes! To do this, visit your business page on desktop and select the Settings on the top right. On the sidebar to the left, select Page Roles. From here, you can assign new page managers. Make sure your team member has liked your page first, or they may not appear when you search for them. 8. Can I invite patients to like my business page? Personal page users can invite others to like a business page, but a business page cannot. This is part of the reason we recommend utilizing the Page Roles feature to allow yourself and your team access to manage your business page via your personal pages. 9. I accidentally made a personal page for my practice, not a business page. How can I fix this? Don’t worry — this happens to many people. Facebook allows you to convert a personal page to a business page. 10. I accidentally created two pages for my practice. Should I delete one? If you’ve created multiple business pages, you have the ability to merge them on Facebook. This will combine them into one page that adds both follower groups together. 11. Are Facebook Ads effective? Facebook Ads can be an incredible investment that attracts your ideal, new patients, while increasing your brand recognition. We invite you to reach out to us to see if Facebook Ads are right for your unique goals. 12. When is the best time to post on Facebook? The rule of thumb for scheduling posts is to aim for midday between noon and 3:00 pm. Wednesday is typically the busiest weekday. 13. Can I create a custom URL (web address) for my Facebook business page? Facebook business pages with 25 or more likes can create a Vanity URL. For example, ours is www.facebook.com/IdentityDentalMarketing. 14. How can I increase the amount of followers my practice has on Facebook? We can help. Ask us about our social media marketing that can help you engage your online following, inform your community, and lead patients to pick up that phone. With custom-branded social media posts that link to your website and feature eye-catching graphics, you can start making an impression as you grow your practice. Schedule your complimentary marketing planning session with Identity Dental Marketing today.
Dental Marketing | The Power of Pinterest Does your practice have a presence on Pinterest? Learn about the power of Pinterest in our latest infographic. Contact our office to learn how to maximize your social media accounts!
5 Ways to Increase Patient Referrals Referrals are one of the most important methods of reaching new patients. How can you get your community buzzing with positivity about your practice? Learn five tips for extending your reach to achieve new referrals in today’s blog. Set a goal. How many patient referrals are you receiving each month? How many would you like to receive? Set a goal and stick to it. This helps you give structure to your growth, and allows you to ensure that the methods you take are working. Did you set out for 10 referrals, but only achieved 8? Aim for 12 the next month. Bring in the team. No matter how much effort and heart you put into your dentistry, your patients’ dental experiences are shaped by your entire team. Now is your chance to get them involved. Ensure your team has trained on new protocols that can boost your referrals. Building strong communication — especially at the end of an appointment — can go a long way with impressing your patients. High-quality care speaks for itself. The best way to develop a 5-star reputation is simple: be a 5-star dental team. Focus on making each step of your patients’ experience comfortable, warm, and uplifting. Are you and your team masters of listening? Give your patients every opportunity to speak their mind on their goals, their needs, and to ask questions about their treatment. Simply ask! Don’t be shy about patient referrals. Many people love to share their stories when they find a new restaurant, a new store, or a new experience they enjoy. The same goes for dentistry. Let your patients know they are more than welcome to invite their family and friends to receive the same great care that they have. Let us help. Whether you are looking to host a fundraiser, contest, in-office event, or you are building a connection to your current patients through social media, email messaging, or more, Identity Dental Marketing can help. Growing your practice through new patient referrals takes a combination of empowered communication, excellent care, and strategy in your marketing. Are you looking for more ways to extend your reach? Schedule your complimentary marketing planning session with us today.
Mythbusting: Dental Marketing Style Do you know the difference between fact or fiction when it comes to marketing your practice? Don’t be misled about the answers you deserve as a business owner. Follow along as we break down common myths and misconceptions about dental marketing in today’s blog. Myth 1: Dental marketing simply means having a great website. While a slick, fully-responsive, and modern website is the foundation of digital marketing for your practice, there is much more at stake. Branding, social media marketing, SEO, advertising, and several other innovative marketing strategies all come together to bring you exposure and connect you with your ideal, new patients. Myth 2: You should only engage in one marketing strategy at a time. This is not only false, but a dangerous assumption to make in regards to your practice’s success. Engaging in a single marketing strategy such as a direct mailer or a single ad will lead you to lose out on a massive portion of your audience. Instead, building a widespread marketing campaign allows you to utilize many methods that can work synergistically to push your practice ahead and set you apart. Myth 3: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) results are immediate. SEO is not an overnight process. Building backlinks, adapting to algorithm changes in search engines, and boosting your rankings requires building momentum over a monthly period, typically up to six months. While implementing SEO is a long-term investment, it’s often your best one to make. Myth 4: Patients think less of dentists who market their practice. False. In fact, ethical marketing strategies allow you to build trust, credibility, and brand awareness with the community you are hoping to serve. Myth 5: My website is future-proof. Unfortunately, no website is truly future-proof. Web design, development, and visual trends are always improving and moving forward every year. We recommend critically evaluating your website every three to five years to update functionality, features, or its core design. Myth 6: All dental marketing agencies are the same. Like with any industry, dental marketing agencies can differ wildly on quality, quantity, and effectiveness. Protect your practice from companies that over-promise or offer their services for next-to-nothing rates. There are no shortcuts to your success. You should aim for a marketing team that has both the expertise and the commitment to truly elevate your practice and help you reach your goals. We hope that you’ve found our guide on dental marketing myths interesting. Do you have any more burning questions that you’d like answered? Schedule your complimentary marketing planning session with Identity Dental Marketing today.
Walking the Tightrope – 6 Factors That Can Help You Win New Patients Are you teetering on the edge between sustained, powerful growth, and another quiet month? Marketing your dental practice successfully requires an introspective look into the strategies and systems you are implementing on a daily basis, whether online, over the phone, or in-office. Learn 6 factors that can help you win new patients in our latest blog. Google Rankings — There is a drastic difference between appearing on page 1 versus page 2 of a Google search. If your practice is ranking in the top local listings for relevant keywords, you can find yourself with a surge of new patients each month. Are you worried that your Google rankings aren’t achieving the results your desire? We can help. Online Reviews — Your reputation is important to uphold as a dental care provider, especially online. Be cognizant of how patients are reviewing your practice, whether on Google, on Facebook, on Yelp, or elsewhere. While online reviews may seem easy to brush off as unimportant, they can be the deciding factor for people searching for a local dentist. Thank patients for sharing their positive experiences. For tips on how to respond to negative reviews, read our guide. Your Call to Action — Attracting patients is one challenge, while having them schedule a new visit is another. Is your call to action strong enough? Whether you are marketing to patients through your website, social media, an ad campaign, or each of these, you should ensure there is a direct path for them to schedule appointments with you. This concept extends to your front office team as well. Give your team members the proper training to turn any new phone call to your practice into a new patient appointment. New Patient Specials — Practices grow or falter based on the benefits, value, and services they can provide their community. Is your practice engaged in a new patient special? By discounting a service such as exams and cleanings, Invisalign® treatment, or providing a free consultation, you can make it easy for your patients to choose you. Team Training & Communication — First impressions are everything. Is your team achieving the level of care and communication that you need to establish an excellent experience for your new patients? Take the time to train and elevate each part of your team to ensure they match the compassionate care you seek to deliver. Availability — Being flexible and available for your new patients is important. Make sure that no call goes unanswered. Have you considered changing your office hours? Offering convenient scheduling can go a long way with attracting new patients. Are your marketing strategies building you a consistent source for attracting your ideal, new patients? Let us help. Schedule your complimentary marketing planning session with our team today.
Educate Your Community. Attract More Patients. Did you know that educating your potential patients can build their trust, giving them reason to travel longer distances and accept the treatment they need? By establishing credibility with your community through education-based marketing, you can ensure that you have their goals, interests, and oral health in mind. Learn how utilize education in your marketing to attract more patients in our quick guide. What is education-based marketing? As a dentist, you’ve gained valuable insight and understanding of the technology, procedures, and techniques you use on a daily basis. However, most people are in the dark on the details of dentistry and oral health. By utilizing educational marketing strategies to teach your patients about your services and the value they provide, you build credibility with them and give them a reason to choose you. This can even lead to a boost in conversions from neighboring towns, as well as your team finding case acceptance much easier moving forward. How can I educate my prospective patients? You don’t need to have a patient in the dental chair to teach them about their oral health and how you can better their lives. Here are a few ideas to start: Try video marketing — An ongoing video series where you answer frequently-asked questions and teach your patients about dentistry can lead to a newfound local interest in your practice. (Learn more about our 52 Week Video Marketing Series!) Utilize a funnel campaign — By implementing a funnel campaign that is focused on a particular service like dental implants or Invisalign®, you can continuously build value for your dentistry through consistent exposure to your educational social media ads, landing pages, and email marketing. Patients will have several chances to learn about your methods, and how you can help them achieve oral health and confidence. Get social! — Over two-and-a-half billion people use social media, making it critical for success in any marketing initiative. As a dentist, social media is an engaging and personal way to help you connect with your community directly. Try offering important advice on their oral health, giving them fun facts, and sharing recent research and developments in dentistry. Truly focus on your patients — You might know that periodontal disease affects almost half of the US, and that it can lead to increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, and many other complications — but does your community? Whether you are are taking to social media, sending an email newsletter, or starting an ad campaign, maintaining your focus on your community’s health, comfort, and education will show your authenticity and help you improve your reach. Teaching your patients is a critical part of the process in growing your practice and improving your patient retention. If you are curious about how you can bring education-based marketing to your practice, Identity Dental Marketing can help. Schedule your complimentary marketing planning session with us today.
Top 4 Marketing Strategies for Dental Startups You’ve just started your own dental practice. Your team is trained, your phones are ready, and you’re ready to start your career off right. One question remains: how do you reach and retain the ideal, new patients you hope to serve? In this article you will learn the top 4 marketing strategies for dental startups. Set yourself apart through branding — Are you sending the right message to your patients? Branding plays a role in every marketing strategy you will utilize, so finding the right themes to move forward with is imperative to your success. A strong brand, name, logo, and design will set you apart and allow patients to identify your practice and your team as being the best choice for their health, comfort, and their results. Take to social media — Use the weeks in advance of your practice’s opening to build interest and exposure. Facebook has a variety of ways you can connect and communicate with your community, including live video to introduce yourself, creating an event to showcase your grand opening event, or much more. If you aren’t sure where to start, we can help. Build a beautiful website — You need a centralized place for your patients to find you, read about your strengths, your commitment, and the services you offer — but most importantly, to schedule an appointment. As a new practice owner, you should aim for a fully-responsive website that is both visually impressive and easy to navigate across mobile, tablet, and desktop. Send an introduction letter — Have you considered a more direct way of reaching your patients? Engaging your community members through an introduction letter can be a personable and impactful way of building their trust. In addition, if you are taking over a practice and re-branding, writing to your patients can help establish their expectations, allowing them to understand what makes you the best choice as their dental partner. This allows you to set the story straight on how your new practice will operate moving forward. Whether you are purchasing a dental practice and re-branding, or building an entirely new practice from scratch, you have a unique chance to define your future success through strength in marketing. At Identity Dental Marketing, we will listen to your practice goals and help you achieve them with a marketing plan customized for your consistent growth. Schedule a complimentary marketing planning session with us today.
Negative Online Reviews? Here’s How to Respond. Has a negative online review lowered your team’s morale? Don’t give up. For every 99 positive, rewarding experiences you make with others, there is usually one encounter that is unavoidably difficult. Here you will learn how to respond to a negative review with poise while showing you value the opinions of your patients. Read the entire review — twice. Don’t skim. Take note of each pain point. Each of these are a chance for growth, so make sure you follow-up in your practice strategies to ensure these situations can be prevented in the future. Respond early. Make sure you respond to any negative review as soon as possible. These aren’t the kinds of things you want left unanswered on your public review listings, so aim to check through on a weekly basis, or delegate a team member to help with this. As an aside, you should be thanking patients for positive reviews, too! Apologize. Even if you may disagree with things that your patient has said, you should apologize for their negative experience. Ensure you don’t offer the “sorry, not sorry”-type of response that is only nominally apologetic. A true apology is the only thing that can help you rebuild patient relationships that have become strained. Empathize. As a dentist, empathy is likely innate to your entire experience of serving patients, and the same should extend to your response. Understand how, from their perspective, the experience could have been frustrating, confusing, or hurtful. Show you truly care. Make it right. Was the review left because of a payment error, or complications from treatment? Now is your chance to reach out to your patient and fix the problem. If you react quickly, and humbly, you may be able to restore the trust you have with this patient. In some cases, they might even amend or update their online review as well. We hope this advice helps you elevate the level of care and trust you provide your patients, both in the office and online. If you are interested in learning about ethical marketing strategies to boost your positive reviews and increase your online exposure, reach out to us. Schedule your complimentary marketing planning session with our team today.
