The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted almost all industries, one way or another, and dentistry is no exception.
For the dental industry, this, unfortunately, means that many of your patients are choosing to delay coming back to your dental office for their regular hygiene and check-up appointments.
Here are some things you need to be telling your patients to help ease their concerns:
- Dentistry is an essential service
- Dental offices are a safe place to be, and patient safety is your top priority
- Dental practices have made significant investments in technology, equipment and new protocols to increase the level of safety further
- Dental office teams are confident and ready to see both current and new patients
- A person’s oral health is directly related to their overall health
- A person’s hygiene appointments and check-ups are essential. Not taking care of their smile today could mean much bigger problems in the future
In addition to the significant changes to patient needs and expectations during the pandemic, adjustments to dental marketing priorities are also required.
Your marketing efforts should never stop but be adjustable and relatable to your dental office’s specific goals and the situation at hand.
This blog will discuss three recommendations to consider to help you make the most out of your marketing efforts this year.
Take a Purposed Approach with Your Marketing Plan & Strategies
This starts with first confirming your critical goals for the next twelve months, which is usually an exercise in prioritizing these three business growth drivers:
- Increasing production
- Maximizing existing patient retention
- Attracting more new patients every month
After confirming your goals for the year, it’s time to take a look at which digital marketing strategies are suited to your practice’s needs and help you achieve your goals.
The same goes for the messaging that is associated with these strategies. Whether you are implementing in-practice marketing or deploying external marketing efforts, ensure that your message confidently speaks to the strength of your practice. If you are promoting the importance of regular checkups or introducing elective treatment or services, always think from the patient’s perspective and how they will benefit. Ensure all of your team members are on the same page and understand your marketing strategy. If you’re not sure which strategies would be best for your practice goals, we can help you with your annual marketing plan.
Once your marketing strategies and message are in place, keep an eye on your digital marketing results and monthly analytics. Reinvest in the methods that are working well and adjust or cut the ones that are not.
This is about dialing in your best marketing strategy to deliver your best return on investment.
Marketing is a Team Sport. Get Everyone Involved, so You Have their Buy-In
Assign your office manager or one of your team members the responsibility of leading the marketing charge. This person is the key contact when working with professional partners to ensure that specific strategies and messaging are handled well. They will also ensure your marketing is aligned with the dental office brand identity and mandated advertising guidelines.
Effective communication between everyone, including all dental associates, is vital to start and keep the marketing momentum going. Marketing plans should also be shared with the entire dental office team during regular monthly meetings.
Are You Investing Enough in Your Marketing to Achieve Your Desired Results?
There is a direct relationship between your marketing budget and the return on investment (ROI) you will see in successful marketing for real practice growth.
A dental office’s marketing budget should be a percentage of the top-line revenue every year. This is usually between five and seven percent. It is essential to work with your accountant to assign your ideal percentage of topline revenue towards marketing to see the most significant ROI possible.
Once your marketing budget is set and you have a better understanding of your available funds, learning how to allocate them is the next step.
For example, for a dental practice grossing $1 million yearly and applying a marketing budget of 5%, your marketing budget is $50,000. If your marketing works well, and the top-line revenue over that year increases by 20% to $1.2 million the following year. This means that you would be allocating an increased marketing budget of $60,000 towards your marketing.
Last Words
Now more than ever, marketing is a tool and an investment in the success and perhaps even survival of your business. As we continue down this road with challenges still ahead, have an open mindset to adjust your marketing strategy and message. With this open mindset, you can change these challenges into opportunities to strengthen your dental practice business.
If you want to create a comprehensive marketing strategy, book a demo with us to learn how we can help your dental practice through this current pandemic and beyond.
