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You’re a dentist with his or her eyes set on doing bigger and better business through targeted marketing.

It’s not always as easy as it sounds.

What you need is a role model to show you how to become a dentist who markets like a winner.

So, why not take a few hints from a world leader in business marketing?

Today, we’ll be looking at how you can run your marketing plan like an industry titan, namely Apple.

Take a seat, and allow us to school you on how to become a dentist the way Apple computers became the Apple products of today.

Ready? Let’s go!

Stand Out From the Crowd

Let’s get this out of the way: the best way to market like one of the biggest brands in the world is to make your own brand exceptional.

You need a product that sets you apart.

As a dentist, you can’t expect to be the first company in your city to be taking care of people’s teeth. You need to take steps within your industry to seem different from the pack.

Obviously, you’ll want to do this in a positive way. Anything from cutting-edge dental procedures to out-of-the-ordinary decor can help differentiate you.

Consider providing low sugar snacks and a small screen for patients to watch movies on during their operation. Even a massage chair can breathe new life into your waiting room.

Remember: whatever the cost, this is an investment toward making your dental office remarkable.

Market Research

Steve Jobs once said, “It’s hard for consumers to tell you what they want when they’ve never seen anything remotely like it.”

The Apple founder famously insisted his company did not use marketing research to develop its products. Whether this is true has been disputed in recent years, but the sentiment is handy.

If you’re trying to find out how to become a dentist who knows the market, your first step is to take a look at your own products.

Much the same as Apple’s product-facing focus groups, find out which of your services clients get the most value from.

Keep your research focused on making yourself better. You’ll be giving your clients the one thing they really want: a great product that knows what it’s worth.

Stay Simple

One of the hallmarks of Apple’s marketing, since day one, has always been its simplicity.

And it works.

It works really well.

So, if you’re trying to find out how to become a dentist with marketing that works for you, the answer is simple:

Keep it simple.

Avoid jargon in your advertising material.

Seriously. Don’t bombard your clients with technical wording, no matter how important it seems to you. It might feel like you’re being an authority figure, but to someone without a degree in orthodontics, this isn’t necessary.

If anything, you run the risk of making your marketing read like a textbook. Stick to words the man on the street can use.

Cut the clutter from your marketing.

Apple products’ design is clean.

Everything from packages to their advertising is designed with clear fonts and simple pictures of their devices. A well-shot picture of a device, or even just an office space can carry a lot more weight than a dozen impressive graphics.

Use the same design style in your marketing to create something classic and authoritative.

Use iconography to show off your service.

Of course, logos exist for a reason. As a final note, don’t neglect the impact you can create with the effective use of your company logo.

Like with your pictures, use your logo in a way that makes sense to your marketing. Create something classy. Don’t be afraid to use your logo, but also try not to overdo it.

Keep in mind: Don’t flood your clients with marketing imagery as an attempt to convert them.

The simpler, the better.

Create a Buzz

Apple is no stranger to offering services for reviews.

You shouldn’t shy away from it either.

After all, a simple review form on your website or social media profile is often enough to encourage most customers to leave their comments.

And if that doesn’t work, distribute coupons, promote specials, and look out for opportunities to spoil your customers. Every bit of positivity helps.

Understand Why You’re In Business

Apple’s top-down approach to marketing is central to what’s made them famous in the years since they were founded.

Other companies have different departments, all trying to achieve different things. Apple’s mission is consistent.

They know why they exist.

Regardless of your reasons for wanting to know how to become a dental office that markets like Apple, you need to know what your goal is and what your values are.

Apple makes sleek, beautiful products that work simply. That’s their core ideology.

What is your dental office really trying to do for your clients?

Stay Ahead of the Curve

Let’s face it, a positive attitude and some fun design tricks can’t fix everything.

Part of your marketing plan has to involve innovation and development.

Apple products have made use of some of the most interesting technological advancements in their fields.

They did this by staying up to date with what was happening in their industry.

Any guide on how to become a dentist by following in Apple’s footsteps would be incomplete without telling you to bring new toys to the party.

Do your research. Investigate new machinery to make operations more efficient. Ask about advanced techniques for whitening or capping.

Whatever the change, be sure to tell everyone.

One important thing to keep in mind is not to get in your own way. Just because you’ve made one change in your operation doesn’t mean you can’t make more.

Don’t resist change.

Focus On the Experience

Create an experience. Anything from your waiting room layout to calling your customers ahead of their appointment can help you accomplish this.

As a dentist, many other businesses may offer the same services as yours. It happens. What you need is to harness specials and unique offers to make yourself stand out from the crowd.

Once you create an experience, you start telling a story about your business. And once you create a story, other people tend to tell it for you.

Apple has its story.

In the quest for how to become a dentist who uses marketing techniques like Apple, storytelling is key.

Tell the world a good one about yourself.

Charge What You’re Worth

If Apple wrote a “How to Become a Dentist” marketing handbook, one of the most important chapters would be on cost.

And with good reason: Apple products can be a little pricey.

What’s surprising about their prices, though, is that they’ve always embraced them.

No price wars.

No excuses.

Instead, they focus on proving that their products are worth the cost to customers.

Everyone knows an iPhone is more expensive than products from Apple’s competitors.

What they also know, though, is that the iPhone is trendy, and the applications are fun and easy to use.

So the customers rush to pay for it.

The same could be said for your dental office. When the price of a quality experience is built into the cost of a visit, people are happy to pay more.

Never sell yourself short.

Design Is Worth Your Time

It feels obvious to point out that Apple’s design philosophy is central to its success.

But it is important.

Apple produces their entire line using trendy, recognizable designs. These not only make them look good, but make them instantly recognizable.

Keep this design philosophy in mind when deciding how to become a dentist who uses their marketing properly.

Choose waiting room chairs that are comfortable but elegant and stylish. Also, make sure they match.

Use neutral colors and decor to give the space a fashionable look. Everything from a new TV, to an office layout that isn’t too cramped, can make a huge difference for the design of your office.

As the last word on design, if you’re wondering how to become a dentist people come back to, consider the design of your location. Choose an office space that’s visible with clear signage that leads people to you. When Apple advertises, you can see their design from a mile away.

And, when it comes to any business, the last thing you want is to be invisible.

How to Become a Dentist the Apple Way

All you need for your dental office to operate like Apple is to systematically make every single part of it better.

Simple, no?

From cutting-edge techniques and tools to comfortable design and friendly service, there’s no limit to the things you can make better with a little marketing insight.

So, what’s standing between you and the kind of dentistry an Apple exec would be proud of?

Chances are, not much.

Visit us today for all the latest news and developments in the dental industry.

Are you struggling to find new ways to market your dental practice?

If so, you’re not alone. There are over 46,000 dental practitioners in the UK, so there’s a lot of competition for new patients.

How can you make your practice stand out from the crowd? Free marketing resources are a great place to start.

With so much information online, though, sifting through all the advice can be overwhelming.

Don’t worry. We’ve done the legwork for you.

In this post, we’ll reveal the ten best dental marketing ideas to attract new patients and grow your practice. Read on to learn more.

(RELATED: How to Become a Dentist That Markets Like Apple)

Identify Where to Begin

Before we discuss dental marketing ideas, you first need to identify where your practice stands.

Schedule a brainstorming session with your staff for a SWOT analysis of your company. What does SWOT stand for?

Strengths

• What is your practice best known for?
• What sets you apart from your competitors?
• What positive feedback do you consistently hear from patients?

Weaknesses

• What are the most common patient complaints?
• What does your staff seem to struggle with?
• What are some things you honestly feel you can improve?

Opportunities

• Where will your practice growth come from?
• How can you better market to your target audience?
• What’s currently happening in your community or region?

Threats

• Who is your local competition?
• What do they do better than you?
• Are there any issues you need to prepare for or defend against?

Once you’ve answered these questions, you’re ready to choose the best dental marketing ideas for your practice.

10 Dental Marketing Ideas to Grow Your Practice

1. Update Your Website

Patient referrals and word-of-mouth advertising are still wonderful ways to grow your practice.

To compete in today’s marketplace, though, you’ve got to have a professional website. This needs to be the centre of all your marketing efforts.

How long ago did you create your website? Does it look dated, or is it modern and trendy? If your site looks outdated, visitors may conclude you have an outdated practice as well.

Your website should also be responsive and mobile-friendly. Fifty-two percent of patients access the internet from a smartphone or tablet, so your website should look great on any device.

SEO is crucial to your website, as this ensures it ranks high in search results. You’ll also want to add high-quality content such as photos, videos, and blog posts.

2. Beat Your Competition

Strategic dental marketing means knowing your competition.

Study your competitors to identify their marketing strategies. Then think of ways your practice can outshine them.

How can you do this? Let’s say three local offices offer a new patient special for ?89. You won’t win any new patients by offering the same service for ?99.

Instead, nudge out your competition by setting your new patient special at ?79.

Another thing to keep in mind is that patients love convenience. Expand your hours of operation to accommodate after-school or weekend appointments.

You might also consider adding an online appointment booking feature to your website.

3. Know Your Target Audience

Who are you mainly marketing your practice to — seniors, children, or families?

The thought of dental work makes many people anxious, so strive to make your image as friendly and welcoming as possible.

Whoever your target audience is, remember that women make 90% of all family health care decisions.

Today’s woman is a tech-savvy powerhouse consumer. She wants to make an informed decision for her family. She doesn’t just want a product, she wants a service.

Therefore, you should tweak your marketing strategies with today’s female head-of-household in mind.

Women generally shop around and do a lot of research before making decisions. Give them what they’re looking for by loading your website with informative, relevant content.

Then explain why your practice is the best choice for her and her family.

4. Encourage and Track Reviews

The next of our best dental marketing ideas involves reviews.

Eighty-eight percent of people trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, so reviews can make or break your business.

Perform Google searches for your name and your dental practice. What comes up? Hopefully, you have at least a few five-star reviews.

If not, it’s time to get listed on the major review sites.

Claim your free Google My Business listing, if you haven’t already. You should also set up profiles on sites like Yelp, Tipped, and TrustPilot.

Once you have your profiles set up, offer incentives to your patients for leaving a review. It could be something as simple as discounting a few pounds off their next office visit.

5. Harness the Power of Social Media

If you’re not active on social media channels, you’re missing valuable marketing opportunities.

With over 2 billion users, Facebook dominates the world of social media. Set up a Facebook business page and add relevant information about your practice.

This is also a great place to set up advertising campaigns and reach out to prospective patients.

Facebook is a powerful social media tool, but it’s not the only one. Twitter, Instagram, and Google+ are also valuable marketing platforms.

Once you’re set up on these social media channels, it’s time to share content. Post updates, advertise specials, and link to blogs or other pages on your website. Encourage followers to like and share your posts.

You should also engage with your followers by replying to their comments and answering questions. This helps to build trust with your brand and also boosts the credibility of your website.

6. Post Patient Testimonials

Other powerful dental marketing ideas involve patient testimonials.

Recall that consumers trust reviews as much as personal recommendations. Patient testimonials are powerful “social proof” that your practice is as great as you claim it is.

Excerpts from written testimonials are a great place to start. For maximum impact, though, you should consider recording a few video testimonials.

This may sound daunting or expensive, but it’s neither. Set up a room in your office with good lighting and no background noise. You might also invest in a simple clip-on microphone to ensure good sound quality.

When you find a willing patient, set your smartphone on a tripod or other secure surface and press Record. Edit the video and upload it to your website.

One more thing: Don’t forget to have the patient sign a consent form before you post the video online.

7. Offer a Patient Referral Bonus

Ideally, most of your new patients should come from existing patient referrals. Sometimes, though, patients aren’t aware of your efforts to grow your practice.

How can you tactfully encourage them to refer friends and family your way? One way is to offer a patient referral bonus program.

If someone they speak to visits your office, the referrer gets some type of reward. This could be a free product, a discount on their next visit, or some sort of prize.

Referrals are a win-win situation because it engages you with patients old and new. It also promotes a positive image of your entire practice.

How can you start up a referral program? Mention it in your next newsletter or on your social media accounts. You could also print up some referral cards to hand out at the office.

8. Utilize Email Marketing

The best dental marketing ideas include both old and new patients. In your efforts to gain new patients, don’t forget about the ones you already have.

Your existing patients are the ones who will refer their friends and family; so, nurture those relationships. A terrific way to do this is through email marketing.

Endeavour to get each patient’s email address on their first visit. You should also offer a sign-up option on your website. This will help you build an email database for your newsletter.

What might you include in your dental marketing emails?

• Oral Health Tips
• Special Offers
• Monthly Promotions
• Office News
• Birthday Greetings
• Check-up Reminders

These emails keep your practice fresh in your patients’ minds. This leads to increased retention and more new patient referrals.

9. Use PPC Advertising

Looking for a way to get a lot of new patients quickly? Try PPC (pay per click) advertising.

Through platforms like Google AdWords, you can target potential patients searching for a local dentist. You choose relevant keywords, create an ad, and link it to your website.

The best part is that you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad. You can also turn your campaigns on and off to suit your budget or business flow.

PPC advertising is a terrific way to maximize exposure for your practice.

10. Get Your Staff Onboard

The last of our dental marketing ideas is also one of the most important.

No matter how impressive your digital marketing efforts, you need the cooperation of your staff to reel in new patients.

How do your staff members speak to potential clients who call the office? Are they warm, knowledgeable, and friendly? Are they eager to answer questions, or are they quick to place callers on hold?

You can market your practice until you’re blue in the face, but none of it matters if patients don’t make it past the first phone call.

There should also be a staff member dedicated to answering email enquiries in 24 hours or less.

Final Thoughts on Dental Marketing

Successfully marketing your practice requires dedication and ingenuity. These dental marketing ideas are sure to help you attract new patients and grow your business.

Are you overwhelmed by the thought of implementing these dental marketing ideas on your own?

Don’t worry. You don’t have to do it alone.

Click here to learn more about our professional dental marketing services.

There are nearly 43,000 dental practices in the United Kingdom alone.

With numbers like that, it can be hard to find ways to set your practice apart from the competition.

Have you noticed recently that you’re not getting as many new patients as you need, or even as you’d like?

Are you concerned that you’re not booking appointments like you used to? Are you having trouble finding the right employees?

Do you feel like, even though currently have a marketing plan, no one really seems to know about your practice?

If any of these things sound similar to your current situation, including Dental SEO in your digital marketing strategy is likely the solution.

Let’s take a look at a quick statistic:

Incorporating content marketing (in your case, Dental SEO) into a digital marketing strategy has lead to a 2,000% increase in traffic – and a 40% increase in profits.

We know those are the kinds of numbers you want to see.

To get increases like that, and to get more patients in your doors, start by reading this article on the power of Dental SEO.

1. Make Sure You’re Using The Right Keywords

SEO lives and dies by keywords. They’re the things that get people on your site in the first place.

When you need to find a product, service, or pretty much anything else, what’s one of the first things you do? Enter in a search on a site like Google. You might type in something like “movie times” or “best brand of tea.”

Hopefully, your customers will search for things like “top dental practice” or “dentist near me.” The things you type into search engines are known as keywords, and they are the link between you and your customers.

However, just as you’ve probably noticed in your own life, keywords change all the time. This means that you’ll have to research, update, and include keywords in your content pretty often.

How do you find these keywords? You can start by using a free keyword generator tool. These tools will tell you what people are usually searching for when they type in something related to dentists.

As you grow, and as you post more content, it’s highly likely that you’ll need to hire a professional SEO service to help you to get more targeted keywords.

Aim to include at least three keywords in any blog post you make. However, you want to be sure to avoid keyword stuffing. Not only is it incredibly painful to read, but it also just makes you look desperate and unprofessional.

2. Get Active On Social Media

Of course, establishing profiles on social media is a huge part of Dental SEO – and customer service.

Before we even get into the SEO side of things, you need to realize that in today’s world, people see social media as an extension of customer service.

If a client called into your office and left a message asking about insurance, you wouldn’t lose that lead by not returning the call, right? So why would you leave a comment asking the same thing on social media unanswered? What about a tweet, or a message in your Facebook inbox?

Always remember to be active and responsive on social media – it’s just good for customer relations.

Of course, that’s not the only thing it’s good for. First of all, it’s true that Google is now able to take social media and the keywords you use in crafting your posts into account when ranking.

It’s also true that social media provides you with an awesome opportunity to share content from your website with your followers – meaning that your web traffic will increase.

To get the most out of your social media experience, establish accounts across multiple platforms.

3. Don’t Forget About Local Dental SEO

Local SEO is especially crucial for dental practices. Let’s be honest: no one is going to drive from 5 States away to get their teeth checked out.

Instead, you need to tap into the awesome power – and leads – of your local market!

First, always be sure you’ve claimed your Google My Business listing. This will help you to show up in more local results. It will also ensure that those who are searching locally have all the information they need: your contact info, hours, location, etc.

Additionally, be sure to include some location-based keywords in your content. This can include things like, let’s say “best dental practices near me” or “dentists Omaha Nebraska.”

4. Page Loading Time Matters

Another crucial, yet overlooked, thing that can have a huge impact on your overall Dental SEO?

How fast it takes your website to load. This impacts what’s called your “dwell time” – AKA, the average amount of time people spend on your website.

The higher your “dwell time,” the higher you’ll rank in search engines. Obviously, if your website takes forever to load, people are going to click away from it. This also means that all the awesome content you worked so hard on creating will go to waste.

To find out your current loading speeds, check out free testing sites like this one.

5. Make Sure Your Site Is Optimised For Mobile

Reality check: these days, just as many people are accessing your dental website from their mobile devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) as they are from their desktop computers.

If your website isn’t optimised for mobile users, you won’t get as many clicks. Additionally, people on phones may just navigate away from your site. All of this will cause your site to fall in the search engine rankings.

Also, be sure that your mobile content is free from pop-up ads that cover the majority of your content. This is because Google now takes note of this, meaning that excessive or large mobile pop-ups will lower your search engine rankings.

To be on the safe side, eliminate them altogether. Instead, rely on your awesome content to get the job done!

6. Start A Blog

Did you know that companies that have a blog increase their website visitors by over 50%? You’ve probably heard that blogging is important, but we want to tell you why it’s one of the most important parts of a good Dental SEO strategy.

First of all, blogging is a great word to incorporate those keywords we talked about earlier. The more keywords you have, the more hits you’ll get. The more hits your website gets, the higher you’ll rise in search engine rankings!

All that means more patients.

Additionally, blogging is a great way for people to really get to know your practice, and learn what sets you apart. It will help to establish you as an authority both in your local community and in the dental world at large.

Finally, blog content is highly shareable and a great place to link back to your site and relevant web pages that can bring others to your website.

With the many advantages it offers, there’s no reason not to blog. If you have trouble coming up with posts, don’t worry. You can always hire a professional content writing service or blogger to help you.

7. Avoid These Mistakes

Of course, for every right way to do Dental SEO, there are countless more ways to do it wrong.

The last thing on our list? Knowing what to avoid!

First off, you’re not going to win any friends, followers, or customers by constantly spamming them with content. Aim to blog once a day (or even just a few times a week if you’re busy.)

When it comes to social media content, three posts a day is perfectly fine: a morning, noon, and night post.

Additionally, be sure to vary the content you post. Trust us, it’s not going to make you look very good if you’ve posted the same article three times in a week. Doing this will get you fewer clicks, and your SEO score will be lowered.

Finally, don’t just “rewrite” the content you see on another dental practice’s website. Not only is this just lazy, it’s also not ethical. Plus, it doesn’t tell your clients what sets you apart from the competition – only that you think your competitor’s ideas are valuable.

Dental SEO Can Help You To Grow Your Practice

After reading this article, we hope you’re as excited about the positive impact Dental SEO can have on your business as we are.

However, there’s a good chance that you’re also feeling a little overwhelmed. We get it: this article also proved that a good SEO strategy is a comprehensive one.

With everything else you have to do in a day, you just might not always have the time to get everything done when it comes to your digital marketing strategy.

But you don’t have to compromise your standards or let your SEO strategy fall by the wayside.

Instead, let us help.

Get in touch with us to learn how we can help you to create and implement a unique, effective, and complete Dental SEO and digital marketing strategy that will grow your practice, make your life easier and give everyone who walks through your doors an even brighter smile.

Why You Need A Smart Dental Website Design

Creating a website for your dental practice is a great way to communicate and engage with patients. It allows them to find information about your company and answer their questions they may have.

However, the mere act of creating a website isn’t enough. You need to have some sort of strategy – a good strategy, at that.

The layout and your dental website design have to be at their best. How your website looks online is how viewers will perceive your dental practice.

A great dental website design can attract and even retain new customers. It can also satisfy existing customers by providing features and functions that they already need.

Below I will discuss several very important tips for how to maintain a well-rounded dental practice website.

Dental Website Design Tips

Less is More

Consider some of the most popular websites that you frequent the most. Think Google, Amazon, Yahoo and even Facebook.

These websites are great examples of pages that are informative and fully operational. However, they do not bombard their web page with flashy graphics and gaudy text.

It’s important to not overkill your dental website design with flashy, unuseful elements. This can come in the form of background design, text, images and other forms of media, so reviewing best dental website design in london can help you strike the right balance.

The goal of your website is to inform and persuade potential and existing customers. Having a tacky website will drive customers away from your practice, and eliminate the purpose for having a page.

Create a Modern Look

As I will mention later, having an outdated dental website design will cause visitors to leave. You should avoid being too complex but also find a way to engage and excite your audience by following best dental website design in uk.

Text-heavy pages may seem great as they are informative to your customers. However, it generally is a lot of information they don’t need. It also causes your website to look cluttered and unattractive.

Also, using images and background themes that are wide can be more visually appealing to visitors.

Consistency is Key

Your dental website design should feature the same text font, color, and layout throughout the page. A unison look will make your website appear professional and modern.

Throughout the different pages, you should avoid using dark backgrounds. This is especially true when your text is light. This is straining on the eyes and can be unappealing to your website visitors.

Limited Graphics

Having a dental practice means prospective clients will want to see past work. You should definitely include some past work onto your site.

However, it’s important to not bombard your page with videos and picture clips. This will cause slower loading times and can be too flashy.

Having informative, quality content is more valued by customers than slideshows of past clients.

Navigation Tips

Link Back to Homepage on Each Webpage

Your website can be much easier to navigate through by providing a link back to the homepage.

This should be somewhere noticeable such as the top of the page or the top left-hand side. It also wouldn’t hurt to include a link to your ‘Contact’ tab on each page as well.

Check Hyperlinks Frequently

There’s nothing more frustrating than getting that dreaded 404 message from the site you’re trying to visit. That’s why you should ensure that all tabs and links are fully functioning.

When you update information on your site, sometimes there can be errors with saving. Sometimes the website software you are using does not register the changes made. This can cause the page to deactivate.

We have all left a website after running into an ‘error’ page. This is why it’s imperative to test out all links and tabs even after launching your site.

User-friendly Navigation

Having a website that is difficult to navigate through will drive customers away. Tabs should be labeled out and have a clear, easy to understand description of its function.

Also, it would be helpful to include ‘quick links’ or shortcuts to popular tabs on your page. This will allow your patients to find the most important information more efficiently.

Include Drop Down Menu

A drop down menu is a great way to easily group your tabs together in a concise fashion.

Also, this should be easily visible on your site. Usually, the top is the most preferred by customers.

However, given your dental website design, it may look better to have on the side. or bottom. If that is the case, make sure it’s easily accessible and recognizable by viewers.

Check Load Times

Having a website that loads too slowly is the number one reason customers leave a page. You should be frequently testing your page’s links to make sure they are loading the most efficiently.

According to Google, customers have reported that 400 milliseconds was too long of a wait. Your dental website design should not interfere with the overall speed of your page.

Content Tips

The content of your website is the ultimate reason people are coming to your page. You should ensure that all content is informative and compelling to viewers.

Include an Attention-Grabbing Headline

Your headline says it all. It tells your viewers what they need to know about your website. It also says where they will find answers to their questions.

Typically, we view websites in an ‘F’ formation. This means that your headlines should fall along those parameters on your site.

Create Own Content

Often times, dental offices will imitate similar practices web pages and follow assemble a comparable look.

The content published on your website should be specifically tailored to your patients. What you post should directly reflect what your typical viewer would visit your page for.

It is okay to use similar topics that other dentists talk about. However, make sure you put your own spin and style into the written and design work.

Keep it Current

One of the most noticeable mistakes business owners can make on their site is having outdated information. This could actually be hurting you for a number of reasons.

For one, it makes the page look tacky and unappealing. Outdated information can drive customers away because it compromises the legitimacy of content.

New content helps with SEO rankings. If you aren’t posting regularly, your page is less likely to be retrieved through search.

Making regular posts can also drive more customers to your page. Shareable content is great for generating leads and driving more patients to your door.

Remind Customers Why They Love You

When able, you should show and explain why your practice stands out from its competitors.

It’s likely people coming to your site have never been one of your patients before. Your website needs to be impressionable and show new viewers why your practice is so great.

Include a tab that lays out your mission statement and other relevant information. Don’t be shy when talking up the greatness of your practice!

Link to Online Reviews

Over 88% of people have found a practice from recommendations through online sources. If your practice is getting a lot of good attention, you should show off!

Find ways to incorporate your online reviews into your dental website design. Pull from sites like Google My Business, Yelp, and Angie’s List.

You should include photo and video elements to these reviews. Text-only reviews aren’t as engaging or appealing.

Also, if your business is active on social media, it wouldn’t hurt to link those pages as well. You could find innovative ways to display your accounts review section.

Features to Avoid

Auto-play audio and video

Auto-play is very, very rarely ever needed for a page to be functional. It is perceived as annoying, too forward and untasteful.

It’s totally fine and even encouraged to include forms of multimedia on your page. Yet, you will want to avoid being intrusive and allow viewers to play this content when ready.

An Extra Mobile Site

Commonly, outdated websites have mobile-friendly counterparts that are different from the desktop version.

Your website should absolutely be mobile-friendly. This means you need to tailor and modify your current site to fit new standards.

Do not create multiple pages for your business as it will be confusing to patients. Also, this is very harmful to SEO rankings as it can divide searches between the sites.

One Service Page

If you are a fully operational practice, you likely offer many services. You should create subtabs underneath the main ‘Service’ heading with each listed.

This allows you to describe each service in full detail and give your viewer more information. Your website visitors will be able to connect your business with certain services then. They are also more likely to remember your practice because of association from a service.

If you are looking to boost your digital marketing strategy even further, then you’re at the right place! At Dominate Dental, we offer full marketing services to drive the success of your dental practice.

From dental website design to search engine optimization and everything in between, we’ve got you covered. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help put your best smile forward!

Building a dental practice and keeping your patients happy can be a huge job. We all know that digital marketing tools can make life easier.

By using digital content like blog posts, or focusing on customer reviews, you can build your brand. Local patients will boost your word-of-mouth business and you can focus on practising dentistry.

Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. The blessing and the curse of digital marketing is that it happens so fast.

Yesterday’s tools are today’s junk.

You need to be focusing on dental Social Media Marketing ideas for your digital campaigns to remain effective.

If not, you may fail to reach the patients you want. We can help.

Here’s why you need Social Media as part of your strategy:

Dental Social Media Marketing Ideas Work

Many dentists know that the way to boost business and establish the foundation for a successful practice is by increasing your word of mouth referrals.

Social Media takes that same concept and allows you to accelerate the process with digital content and targeted advertising.

Since more than 90 percent of all people say referrals (or earned media) are their preferred form of advertising, you can cater to their needs.

Social Media is where you enable endorsements, community presence, and add a boost to your digital content strategies. You’ll increase revenue and have a marketing strategy that is measurable every step of the way.

We know the trends aren’t always easy to follow. After all, you have a dental practice to run.

And when you and your staff finally pin down a digital marketing technique, something new comes along and changes the rules.

But if you master this list you’ll be on top of the trends this year. Here’s how to make the most of dental Social Media marketing ideas:

1. Make It Mobile

Too many dental practices still have it backwards when it comes to mobile. They plan their marketing strategy for desktop users and then reverse engineer the content for mobile platforms.

This is true for every aspect of digital marketing. But especially when it comes to Social Media marketing ideas, it’s time to shift the paradigm.

It’s simple: Your current and potential patients depend on mobile for all of their content.

If you start on the desktop you are working against yourself. Mobile is your patient’s first priority.

Mobile needs to be your first priority too.

Facebook reports that 80 percent of their new ad revenue is from mobile campaigns. This is true because business owners understand that the majority of users get their information from mobile platforms now.

Whether they are using smartphones or iPads, your current and potential patients want access on mobile platforms. You won’t just be designing your dental Social Media marketing ideas around their preferences, though.

What better place to leverage Social Media than on mobile devices? The connection between communication and the personal touch is strongest when it’s made on Social Media.

Mobile technology is hardly a trend. But designing for mobile first and desktop second is.

2. Focus On Social Messaging

It’s not enough to limit your practice to the Social Media side of digital content. Investing in social messaging is one of the most effective trends to follow this year.

Many dental practices aren’t aware of the incredible reach of social messaging. Did you know that WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Viber and WeChat together have more users than the big networks?

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram are second place to the Social Messaging apps.

Social Messaging can be a great component of your digital marketing strategy. Don’t be a latecomer to the party with this mode of connection.

Dental Social Media marketing ideas work hand in hand with social messaging. You can connect users, leverage reviews, and deploy targeted ads as well.

3. Be Social With Video

Mobile video traffic is projected to grow by 50 percent annually between now and 2022. If your digital marketing content creation strategy doesn’t include video yet it’s time to start.

Your patients don’t just want mobile content. They want video, too.

Plus, video is a great way to connect socially. You can post reviews, procedures, case studies, community events, and more.

There is no limit to the ways video content can help you build your brand and connect with new patients. In terms of dental Social Media marketing ideas, video content works because it also encourages engagement with your content.

Engaged patients are likely to be moved to action. Plus, if they like your Social Media content they are more apt to share it.

You can watch your referrals soar. But the content isn’t the only reason to get moving with video.

You’ll have access to other networks.

YouTube is a Social Media community.

Many dentists don’t think of YouTube as a Social Media community. But it’s designed is for users to share personal content, respond, and connect.  It’s actually the original platform for video users in a Social Media setting. Plus, YouTube is the second most visited site in the world.

We see too many dental practices fall short with their dental Social Media marketing ideas. They use one or two but fail to see the impact.

For instance, they focus on SEO away from a Social Media strategy. But YouTube isn’t just a popular site.

It’s also the second largest search engine in the world. YouTube processes over 3 million searches a month.

By using video content as a key dental Social Media marketing idea you will have the benefit of boosting SEO and engagement while reaching more web users with popular content.

4. Get Live

Don’t just focus on video content this year. Focus on Live Video content if you want the best in dental Social Media marketing ideas.

Live content is taking off in popularity. Facebook has made huge investments in the technology which can help you reach new and existing patients.

Their approach allows for targeted ads inside Live Video content.

But Facebook is not alone. Snap, Twitter, and Instagram have all expanded their offerings and are investing in Live Video technology. Much like video content and mobile access, Live Video is what users want. With increasing distrust of mass media, Live Video allows users to connect in real time.

You can use this video in the same way. Promote a new special or connect with your followers in social and friendly ways.

Just like your other content strategies, Live Video stands ready to build your brand.

5. Be Professional

When it comes to dental Social Media marketing ideas, you’ll need to consider your platform as well as your brand. You will find you use Facebook very differently than you use Instagram.

But LinkedIn is a Social Media platform many practices ignore. They don’t remember that the branding of LinkedIn makes it a unique forum to promote expertise and professionalism.

Your dental Social Media marketing ideas can benefit from LinkedIn because you can integrate this platform with your overall strategy.

How is a platform we’ve all heard of a trend for 2017? Simply put, Microsoft’s purchase of the Social Media platform has changed things for the better.

Make sure you are being professional in a way that relates to your patients by using LinkedIn this year.

6. Invest In Targeted Ads

Targeted ads are nothing new for Social Media. But the ability to link to return on investment is becoming more and more effective.

If you think of advertising on Social Media something like placing an ad in a local magazine, it’s time to reassess your strategy.

Targeted ads need to be utilized alongside the dental Social Media marketing ideas you deploy across different platforms.

As mentioned above, this can include Live Video and Social Messaging. But you should also pay attention to return on investment (ROI) and SEO.

If you are investing the right way for your practice you should tie each campaign back to results. New dental Social Media marketing ideas include getting incredibly precise in both your targeting as well as your returns.

Social Media marketing allows for this investment to be measurable and direct.

7. Boost Reviews

Reviews are just becoming a larger trend because of their ability to boost other aspects of your dental Social Media marketing ideas. Reviews aren’t new. But using them as an SEO strategy and a way to promote content and sharing on Social Media is.

Done correctly, you can increase reviews and referrals by leveraging your Social Media strategy.

All of this should be done in an integrated approach.

8. An Integrated Approach

Each of these trends is useful when taken separately. But when combined, the effects are exponential.

Integrating your Social Media strategy with Live Video, reviews, video content, and reviews will propel your website upwards in the search results. Unfortunately, when it comes to Social Media trends, it’s hard to stay on top of things. Plus, unless you combine these ideas you are missing out on the results.

You may even watch your competitors do less work for more returns.

Don’t lose your competitive edge when it comes to the latest dental Social Media marketing ideas.

We can help. Dominate Dental creates and deploys successful digital marketing campaigns that include an integrated Social Media strategy.

Don’t wait. Keep focused on your core business.

We can do the rest. Contact Dominate Dental now to start your integrated Social Media marketing campaign.

With nearly 24,000 dental professionals in the United Kingdom alone, you need to do whatever you can to make sure yours stays at least two steps ahead of the competition.

One of the most effective ways to do that?

Developing a strategic and comprehensive digital marketing plan. Where’s a good place to start? By creating a dental blog for your practice.

Looking for ideas on what to write about? Need advice on creating blog content that’s geared toward Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)? Want to know the best steps you can take to promote your dental blog? 

If so, this guide is for you. In it, we’re telling you everything you need to know about how to create the kind of blog that gets you more hits, more customers, and bigger and brighter smiles for both you and your patients.

What Should You Write About On Your Dental Blog?

Any way you slice it, blogging has an enormous impact on your practice – both in terms of your online/local reputation and in earning potential.

In fact, businesses that blog get close to 70% more leads than those that do not.

We know those are the kinds of numbers you want to have.

But especially if you’re not much of a creative thinker, it can be daunting to have to come up with topics for your dental blog.

Promote Your Team

If you’re stuck on what to write about on your dental blog, one of the best places to start is on your employees themselves! The relationships between dentists, assistants, and everyone else who works in your office and the patients you see is incredibly important.

You probably have a few clients that you’ve seen for almost all of their lives!

Start by posting about the people that work at your practice. What drew them to dentistry? Where did they train? What’s the funniest thing that happened to them during a root canal?

People want to work with dentists they feel really care for their patients. Putting yourself and your team out there is a great place to start.

Review Popular Products

That new toothbrush everyone is talking about? The latest whitening kit to hit the market?

As a dental professional, your opinion is valuable – and people want to hear it!

Leave product reviews online for people to read, and you’ll see a serious increase in the number of visitors flocking to your blog.

Hints About Blogging

Remember that this is a blog, not a college entrance essay. The information you put on your blog needs to be short, to the point, and accessible to everyone.

Also, avoid longs blocks of text that will likely cause readers to click away from your blog without reading any of it. This gives you a great opportunity to include lots of pictures in your text to break it up!

We also suggest including short videos, which are fun to watch and great to share on social media to promote your blog.

How To Make SEO A Part Of Your Dental Blog Content

Of course, writing engaging and unique content isn’t all that you have to do to promote your blog and increase your patient list.

You also need to take into consideration your overall SEO strategy.

In other words, what are you doing to make your blog more attractive to search engines?

You can start by peppering your content with appropriate keywords. Keywords are the words and phrases that potential patients type into search engines when they’re looking for the services you offer.

For a dental practice, that might be something like, “best dentist near me” or “dentist London.” More often than not, these keywords will include some kind of a location word.

This is why it’s so important to include keywords that mention the cities that your practice serves. It’s not going to help you or the people searching if all of your hits are coming from people that are five cities away.

Also, be sure to list your website on Google My Business. Not only will this help local searchers find, learn more about, and read reviews of your practice, but it will also help local searchers find your blog.

Finally, make sure that you avoid keyword stuffing – essentially, cramming your blog content full of keywords in an attempt to “hack” your way into a higher search engine ranking.

Not only is it incredibly painful to read, it also makes you look completely unprofessional. Trust us when we tell you – everyone is going to know what you’re trying to do.

And, that includes search engines like Google.

They can sniff out practices that are engaging in keyword stuffing, and it’s likely that your blog will fall in the search engine rankings as a result.

Instead, focus on creating original content that includes a reasonable, sane number of keywords.

How To Promote Your Dental Blog Content

There are lots of different methods and tactics you can use to promote your content. While writing creative content and using SEO in that content is crucial, there are additional methods you can use to promote it!

Social Media

This is probably the most important way to promote your blog – and your practice in general!

First of all, social media allows you to promote your blog posts on countless different platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn…the list goes on.

Each platform has a slightly different user base – which means that you’ll be able to broaden your target market and reach more people. This is why it’s so crucial that you remember to share your posts across all the social media platforms you use.

Social media allows you to interact with potential patients directly! If they leave a comment on your page or reply to a tweet, always take the time to respond. Even thank those that share your posts – since they just gave you the chance to reach whole new sets of eyes!

Keep in mind that around 80% of the time people spend on social media happens on a mobile device. As a result, always check and make sure that your blog and social media content displays quickly and clearly on smartphones and tablets.

Always share your blog posts on social media!

Link building

We’ve found that a lot of people think link building is way more complicated than it actually is. All you need to do is include both internal and external (your site, and then someone else’s) link in the blog content you write.

First of all, doing this will help you to rise in the search engine rankings. But also, it will generate more hits to your site and help you to find more potential patients.

Don’t be afraid to ask a popular industry blog or website to put a link to your site in their content! Also, whenever you leave a comment on another website or blog, be sure to include a link to your site in the comment itself.

People that read dental blogs will likely be interested in your site, too!

Posting Frequently

Our final suggestion on how to promote your dental blog?

Make sure you’re posting throughout the day! You don’t need to spam your followers, but you do need to tell search engines (and future patients!) that you frequently update your blog and social media platforms.

We suggest aiming for three social media posts a day. You can, of course, vary the platform you use, and even just share “fast facts” from past blog posts.

Try to update your blog at least once every couple of days. If you need help, there are plenty of incredible dental blogging services that can help you get there!

Need More Help Creating A Dental Blog?

We get it: just because you’ve finished reading this guide, doesn’t mean you understand everything about blogging, SEO, link building, and social media marketing.

It also doesn’t mean you automatically have the time to do it.

The good news?

We understand how to implement everything, and we also have the time to do it.

Have you noticed a plateau in the number of new patients at your practice? Are you feeling a bit threatened by a newer dentist’s office that’s opened in the area of your business? Do you just feel like your current website and blog are failing to promote your business best?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then its’ time to get a professional to update, refine, and implement your digital marketing strategy.

We want to be the professional digital marketing agency you trust.

We believe in our services because we have years of experience writing for dental practices. So, even if we’re not dentists ourselves, we know the terminology, popular questions, and things you need to include on your site.

We run a seamless and integrated SEO and digital marketing strategy that’s effective across multiple platforms.

Get in touch with us today, and let’s grow your patient list together.

Reviews are important. Really important.

As George Washington once said: “With public opinion on our side, we can do anything. Without it, nothing.”

Think about it – before you buy something from Amazon, what’s the first thing you check? ….Reviews!

Whilst you’re running your dental practice, your focus is constantly on caring for patients, learning new procedures, and managing the day-to-day operations of your business. Quite rightly.

The last thing you should have to worry about is online dental practice reviews.

Yet unfortunately – you need to start.

Online reviews of your practice are a cornerstone in building your reputation.

Put simply, online review dental tell the world what your current patients think of you.

If your online reviews are positive and people are saying kind things about your practice, that’s great news! Your patients are helping to establish a positive online reputation for your practice.

According to a Zendesk survey, 90% of participants claimed that positive online reviews influenced their buying decision, and 86% said their decision was influenced by negative reviews.

If your online reviews are negative, quite frankly they can destroy your reputation – and fast. Think about it, you’ve spent all that time and effort getting a prospective patient to discover your practice, to know who you are and trust you, then you lose them at the last hurdle because you don’t have a decent online reputation, or you have a bad one that is not being managed correctly!

This is why it’s so important to not only monitor and manage your online reviews, but collect and showcase the reviews from happy patients, and address negative reviews from unhappy patients (keep reading – we’ll get to this).

By doing this, it builds trust with prospective patients and promotes your practice online.

However, the importance of reviews does not just stop there.

Online reviews are an essential part of increasing your overall dental website ranking on search engines. This is important because the higher your website ranks, the more visitors, i.e. traffic, your website receives.

Now for the best bit – the more traffic your website gets the more people are likely to convert into your patients. More patients = more revenue for your practice! Get it?

Here’s how it works:

Search engines like Google understand the importance of providing its users (your prospective patients) with quality websites, especially when it comes to dental google reviews.

So, if your website has one hundred 4 and 5 star reviews, search engines take note of your positive online reputation, meaning your website will rank higher on its search pages. You can also use tools like free online reviews reputation report to understand and strengthen your brand’s credibility.

91% of Google’s users don’t go further than the first page of Google, so you need to make sure you’re on it.
(Source: Quora)

So, clearly reviews are important. The big question now is how do you get them?

Keep reading to discover 5 ways to obtain dental practice reviews from your patients.

#1 Just Ask Your Patients to Leave a Dental Practice Review

Believe it or not, many patients will leave you a review if… you just ask for one.

So do it.

Every time you finish an appointment with another happy patient, ask them to go online and leave you a review!

It’s really that easy…

If you’re not asking in person, then design a system that sends your patients a follow up email straight after they’ve left your practice, whilst their experience is still fresh in their minds.

Ask them how their experience was today, and direct them to your review links. Once they click on the links they will be taken to review sites to review your practice.

Here’s an example:

TIP: Have someone from your practice regularly check your review links to ensure they are not broken.

Sounds quite straightforward doesn’t it? It is, so long as you do it at the right time.

There’s nothing worse than checking your inbox to see a review request email from a service you received 3 weeks ago. No, I can’t remember the name of the guy who changed my tyre.

#2 Provide Exceptional Care to Your Patients

First and foremost, if you expect to get positive dental practice reviews, you have to give your patients the best service possible.

This might sound obvious, but it is what motivates patients to actually take the time to write a review for you.

Until you’ve mastered going above and beyond for your patients, getting quality reviews probably isn’t going to happen.

Sure, you may have everything set up to collect dental practice reviews (we’ll get to that in a minute!) but if your services are just average, your reviews will also probably be average. That’s not enough to make your dental website stand out against your competitors.

Think about the following questions that will help you provide the best experience for your patients…

• Is my practice comfortable, clean, warm, and friendly?
• Do I educate my patients about their teeth so they can make the best decisions when it comes to their dental care?
• Do I give my patients the time to ask questions and share their concerns?
• Are my procedure processes up to date to provide maximum comfort for my patients?
• Are my front desk team equipped with the skills necessary to help patients with scheduling and billing?
• (And maybe most importantly…)
  What can I do to go above and beyond for my patients. Could I potentially offer child care while parents are getting their teeth cleaned? Payment plans for patients that have lower incomes?

…you get the gist?

#3 Make Patient Reviews Easy to Submit with Online Review Websites

Many patients don’t have the time to stick around after their appointment to leave you a handwritten review – and even if they did, although it looks lovely in your waiting room, a handwritten review guest book does nothing to help your dental website rank online.

That’s why it’s so important for you to take action and sign up your practice to multiple online review sites.

Doing this makes it easy for your patients to go home and review your practice when it’s convenient for them. You also benefit from the online review. It’s a win-win situation.

There’s loads of review sites out there that you can use. Spend 5 minutes researching which ones you think are most relevant to you and your customers.

Here are a few examples of what review pages will look like…

Google Reviews:

Facebook reviews:

We recommend sending your patients a follow up email asking them to leave you an online review. Make sure the This email contains links to the review sites so they can easily leave a review!.

Want more tips on how to increase your dental site rankings? Download our 21-Point Dental Website Checklist to Increase Website Conversions and Generate More Patients for Your Practice.

#4 Offer a “Review Incentive”

It’s very common to have patients that love your practice, but lack the motivation to leave you a review.

I suppose you can’t blame them. Who wants to sit down and write a review after having a root canal procedure?

That’s why it’s important to find ways to motivate your patients to leave you reviews post procedure.

One of the best ways to motivate your patients is to offer them an incentive… Who doesn’t love a freebie?

How generous you want to be here is really up to you (from a free dental check or discount voucher, to a travel sized tooth brushing kit) but, knowing your patients, think of things that are really going to inspire them to leave that all important review.

#5 Make Leaving Reviews Accessible in Your Practice

You may be missing out on receiving reviews simply because your patients don’t have working Internet at home. Or perhaps, they don’t have a computer or tablet?

The easiest way to combat this problem is to offer the technology and assistance necessary to leave reviews to your patients whilst they are still in your practice.

How about setting up a tablet in the waiting room that patients can use in between treatments, or whilst they wait for their appointment?

Even better still, if your time and resources allow, it’s also a good idea to have a staff member available to assist patients that need help navigating the process of leaving a review.

Again, why not offer them an ‘in practice review incentive’? If they leave a review whilst they wait, they receive:

• Free products, like toothpaste, mouthwash, or a tooth brush
• Discount coupon for a teeth whitening service
• A free teeth cleaning the next time they visit your office

What To Do Once You Have Collected Your Dental Practice Reviews

Well, it’s time to put them to work.

Reviews collected on review sites are already hard at work helping your website pop up in search rankings. The more positive reviews you have, the better your website looks online.

Of course, when you have positive reviews, you want to make sure you add them to your website. New patients who visit your site are going to want to know what other patients think of your practice.

We recommend placing them in your header, footer, or in side bars.

Here’s an example of someone who integrated their reviews and star rating into the footer of their website.

Depending on what website platform you use, there are widgets that can help you share your online reviews on your website.

You can also use your reviews as testimonials. To do that, just copy/paste the review with your patient’s name and add it into your dental website.

Check it out…

Collecting dental practice reviews is very important for the success of your dental digital marketing strategy, so don’t forget to do it!

The only downside of regularly asking your patients for reviews is that it may well generate the occasional negative one.

If this happens, don’t panic!

Firstly, we advise that you reach out to the patient that left the negative review and see what you could have done to make their experience better.

Then, doing the following things might help them to consider actually removing the negative review. …

• Apologise to your unhappy patient and ask for their feedback on what you can do better next time (also helps to imply that you hope they’ll return!).
• Offer your unhappy patient a gift (perhaps a free product) to “make up” for whatever went wrong.
• Send your unhappy patient a voucher for a service, like teeth whitening, or a discount on their next hygienist appointment.

If you can get an unhappy patient to delete their negative review, (despite whether they come back to your practice or not), that’s great. If not, future patients will see your honest and genuine response.

Not sure what else your practice is missing? I encourage you to download our 21-Point Dental Website Checklist to Increase Website Conversions and Generate More Patients for Your Practice.

This checklist will give you a solid overview of what needs to be included in your dental website and digital marketing strategy.