There are more than 200,000 actively practicing dentists in the US. That’s a whole lot of pearly whites being polished and flossed daily! So, how can you stand out in this industry and reach the right crowd? There’s one crucial method – investing in digital marketing for a dental clinic. Here’s how it can help your business reach new heights, all while securing patients who are here to stay loyal to your dental chair.
Struggling to Stand Out From the Pearly White Crowd? Digital Marketing for Dental Practices Is Key
Screen time is the new prime time. At the time of writing, there are 5.44 billion online users worldwide, accounting for 67.1% of the global population. Among this crowd, the average daily scroller spends more than 6 hours online. You should be required to clock in for that amount of time – it’s almost a whole work shift spent getting lost in the never-ending scroll!
But it’s much more than just mindless scrolling. From reading news to finding educational resources, the internet can be a never-ending source of information. At least 70% of people say they’d rather learn about a product or service through digital content than traditional advertising methods. So, when a person is trying to find a dentist they can trust, where do you think they’ll be looking? Hint – it probably won’t be the newspapers.
The Dental Sector Can Especially Benefit From This Type of Marketing
Reaching potential clients online and building trusted relationships with them is the main goal of digital marketing. This method has proven itself to be beneficial for several industries, including healthcare. It’s simple – if your potential clients are online, you should be right there beside them. Hiring a digital marketing agency can be just the push your dental practice needs to reach new heights as a business.
But even more important than the business stuff, you’ll be able to create meaningful connections with your patients across various platforms, including social media. As a dentist, you know more than enough about just how much building trust is important in this industry – with these strategies, you’ll be able to do just that.
High-Quality Educational Content Is the Pillar of Digital Marketing for a Dental Clinic
In a world of TikTok algorithms and tiny attention spans, you might think that blog posts are yesterday’s news. However, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Around 77% of internet users read blogs, but why? Three words – value of information.
Just think about it – if a person is thinking about getting dental implants, what will be their first course of action? Probably plenty of googling. If you’ve got quality long-form content on your website, they will see it as a valuable source of information. Over time, your dental practice might just be what comes to mind when searching for other oral health inquiries. That way, you won’t just get people to your website – you’ll get them to keep coming back for more, and they might just turn into loyal patients along the way.
It’s All About Creating Meaningful Connections and Fostering Trust and Loyalty
While blog posts are the most popular method, a good strategy always employs various types of written content. All of them should be packed with oral health tips, discussions of different conditions, and information about services that can help. Written like that, your content will empower readers to make informed decisions about their oral health. In turn, you’ll be:
- Building trusting relationships with patients,
- Establishing a loyal community around your brand,
- Informing patients about the services you’re offering,
- Narrowing down on why your dental services are needed,
- Increasing conversions (turning visitors into clients).
Working with a professional content writing agency can do wonders here. You’ve got the knowledge and experience in your field, but the right team will know just what works best online. With a well-defined target audience, they’ll be able to identify what your potential patients will be searching for and create high-quality content to clear up their doubts.
After all, if you’re a cosmetic dentist, do you really want to bring in people researching wisdom teeth removal? You can provide them with the necessary information, but they won’t be calling you for an appointment anytime soon. To truly create meaningful connections and grow your business, knowing how to reach the right crowd is essential. Here’s everything a professional agency can help you with to truly make it count:
Social Media Is Another Avenue Full of Potential for Bringing in New Patients
In pursuit of valuable connections with both your potential and existing patients, social media is a powerful weapon. The average person spends about 143 minutes each day scrolling through their favorite platforms, and when it’s time to choose a dentist, more than 40% use social media to do so. Because of that, it can provide supple growing grounds when it comes to digital marketing for dental clinics.
The Possibilities Are Endless So You’ve Got to Have a Good Plan in the Works
The average user switches between eight different social media accounts each day. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and more – the possibilities are endless, and we’re not even talking about using pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
To provide crucial information such as office hours and address, an official Facebook page can be as valuable as a Google Business Profile. Moreover, a good Instagram story can further engage your audience to learn more about what your dental practice offers.
You can reply to patients directly, or ask for feedback that will get the conversation going. How you approach this can significantly influence how potential clients see your dental practice. From creating a consistent content calendar to switching things up when needed, an experienced social media management agency can help you present your clinic in the best possible light.
Search Engine Optimization Can Boost Your Online Presence Further
While Google Ads can be a great way to get your dental services out there, nothing beats search engine optimization (SEO) and the organic growth it can provide. The numbers paint a clear picture – the first shown ad gets only 2.1% of clicks, while the first organic result gets a far better chunk – 39.8%, to be exact.
People scroll through ads to find what they’re searching for, and the benefits of SEO boil down to increasing your chances of being right where they’re looking at – the top of organic search results. There are numerous strategies, from optimizing written content to link-building. And with 53% of website traffic coming from these types of searches, it’s becoming increasingly hard to overlook the importance of SEO.
Local SEO Is Crucial for Bringing in Some Actual Appointments
Bragging about your clinic reaching the first page of Google is nice and all, but what’s it to you if it doesn’t start to bring in real flesh-and-blood clients? After all, 46% of all searches are looking for businesses in a particular area, including the city, neighborhood, or a simple “near me” added at the end.
Moreover, even when you just search for “dentist,” the search engine results page (SERP) will be full of clinics in your area. This is because it’s implied that you’re looking for local dental offices to solve a problem. This is where local SEO starts to truly shine. It increases your chances to rank higher with nearby users, thus increasing the probability of those clicks turning into real-life patients sitting on top of your dental chair.
It’s Not Just About Getting People to Your Website – It’s Also About Getting Them to Stay
According to Adobe, 38% of people will stop engaging with a website if its content and layout don’t look appealing. The truth is, even small businesses need to put a lot of effort into their official website. After all, it’s the meeting point of all other avenues of effective digital marketing for a dental practice we’ve talked about.
First and foremost, your website needs to attract visitors and make them feel welcome. It should also be easy to navigate and reach the needed information. All of this should be wrapped up in visually appealing web design that will help you stand out from the competition.
And let’s not forget about website speed. In a world where 40% of scrollers will dip out if the page takes more than 3 seconds to load, making sure you’ve got lighting-fast desktop and mobile speed can make or break your marketing efforts. If no one is patient enough to see what you’re all about, you won’t be getting patients either (get it?). A good website development agency can make sure this never happens.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring a Digital Advertising Agency?
Digital marketing is a complex field. On top of that, it’s constantly evolving, which means staying up-to-date on the latest marketing trends, techniques, and technologies, is almost impossible for a small dental practice just trying to grow its business.
Why would you go through all the trouble of educating and training an in-house team when you can pick and choose the SEO marketing services you need from a professional agency? You’ll be saving both time and money. Here’s why you should hire a digital marketing agency:
An SEO Marketing Agency Is Your One-Stop Shop for All
Probably the biggest benefit of agencies such as Made Online is the fact that their teams are experts in numerous fields. There’s SEO, content marketing, social media management, and so much more. You’ll be able to consult these experts about what’s best for your dental practice, and based on that, pick and choose the services you want.
These Experts Know What Works and What Doesn’t
Due to the ever-changing trends in this field, a professional SEO agency thrives in this dynamic environment by constantly learning and adapting. This makes them full of valuable industry insights, which will provide you with a comprehensive strategy. After all, scattered marketing efforts are a waste of time – making the whole ordeal cohesive is where it’s at.
You’ll Get Customized Solutions and In-Depth Analysis of Your Target Audience
You know well enough that even though they do the same job, dental clinics are not all the same. Your practice is unique, with its own goals, services, and target audience. Because of that, your content strategy agency should be able to create a customized plan, one that will provide great results for your clinic while staying true to the identity of your brand.
Contact Made Online to Discuss What You Need to Get Your Clinic Made in the Digital
Are you ready to start building your dental practice where it truly matters? It can be difficult to do it alone, especially when you’re busy treating oral health conditions all day long. That’s where Made Online comes in, your trusty partner in this digital journey.
Our team of experts has all it takes to get your clinic to shine brightly online – almost as bright as those smiles you’re putting on people. Contact Made Online and let us help you build a strong online presence that keeps your appointment book full and your patients coming back for more!