5 Dental Marketing Tips to Grow Your Practice

Dental offices are a hub of activity. Each patient brings unique needs, questions and challenges. From routine cleanings to complex procedures, there's never a dull moment.

But somehow, all practices need to find time for dental marketing. Great marketing can drive growth by bringing new patients in the door. Effective marketing can nurture your relationships with current patients, too.

Read on to learn five ways you can take your dental marketing to the next level.

Dental Marketing Tip #1: Get Involved in Your Community

Many dental offices are also community spaces. Neighbors bump into each other in the waiting room. And dentists, hygienists and administrators get to know their patients' lives. 

That's why your dental marketing strategy should include community engagement. Being present in your community spreads the word about your practice. And because 92% of people trust family and friends' recommendations over advertising, this can help your practice grow.

There are plenty of ways to get involved, even if your practice is brand new or your budget is limited. Common examples include:

• Sponsoring a community sports team
• Supporting a local event or festival
• Participating in local schools' career days
• Joining charity events, such as annual 5K races
• Partnering with other local businesses

If your budget doesn't have much wiggle room, consider volunteering instead. This can help your community get to know you, outside the bounds of your practice or an advertisement.

With time, getting involved in your community can boost local marketing. When local websites begin linking back to yours, Google will begin to pick up on your shared location. 

Dental Marketing Tip #2: Update Your Blog

Your practice's blog serves an important role in your content marketing strategy. According to HubSpot, websites with blogs are 434% more likely to achieve a high search ranking.

If you're looking for blog inspiration, try posts on topics such as:

• New dental services you're offering
• Spotlights introducing your staff members
• Advice for good dental health
• Recaps of recent community events you've joined or supported

Blog posts can provide a mix of helpful and brand-building information. Potential patients will get a feel for your practice's values, style and qualifications.

But even if you're aiming for an organic style, don't leave keywords to chance. You can use tools like Google's Keyword Planner to identify valuable keywords people use when searching for a dentist. Then, you can reap the SEO benefits by weaving these keywords into your content.

When done well, your blog will boost your local search ranking while helping patients get to know your practice. 

Dental Marketing Tip #3: Create an FAQ Page

Some people love going to the dentist for regular cleanings. But plenty of others have fear and anxiety about dental visits. That's why your dental marketing should include an FAQ page to reassure potential patients.

FAQ pages address doubts by providing answers to common questions. Best of all, this can reduce the burden on your administrative staff.

If you're creating an FAQ page from scratch, start by gathering questions you're asked most often. Common topics might include insurance, anesthesia, types of procedures and dental hygiene questions. 

Once you've identified the FAQ content you want to target, think about SEO. Experts recommend using keywords and an organized, user-friendly design to maximize SEO benefits.

After it's complete, your FAQ page can serve as both a customer service tool and a dental marketing asset. That's a win, for both you and your patients.

Dental Marketing Tip #4: Request Online Reviews

When potential patients are searching for a new dentist, many turn to online reviews. In fact, 86% of people read reviews when searching for a local business. That number is even higher (95%) for people who are 18-34 years old.

If online reviews aren't part of your current dental marketing strategy, it's easy to get started. The first step is to simply ask your patients to write reviews. Your patients may need a few reminders, but many will be happy to share their experience. Try using email marketing to request reviews after appointments. 

Once you've earned reviews, don't forget to manage and maintain your online review profiles. This includes responding to reviews and offering solutions if negative situations arise. 

Finally, don't forget to maintain a presence on a variety of local directories. In particular, Yelp and Zocdoc are among the most popular platforms for finding a new dentist. Digital marketing tools, such as our Placement tool, can streamline this process.

Dental Marketing Tip #5: Add Online Booking

Once your SEO and content marketing have drawn in new patients, make it easy for them to take the next step. Your dental marketing plan should make your patients' experience as frictionless as possible. 

To achieve this, consider adding an online booking tool to your website makes scheduling simple and seamless. Many online booking tools offer built-in appointment reminders, too.

Not only will patients be impressed by your website, they'll also appreciate the extra convenience. 

Want to learn how simple upgrading your website and local search can be? Download our free eGuide to get started!