Your orthodontic practice can keep you busy with everything that goes into patient care, leaving you with little to no time for marketing. It may be the last thing on your mind, but the truth is, you can’t overlook it. Leverage your marketing with the genius ideas shared in this blog that can help you to identify and focus on your core demographics and book new patients.
Ten genius marketing ideas for orthodontists to get new patients.
1. Learn more about your audience and the problems they face.
The first and most important step in a strong orthodontic marketing strategy is to learn about your target audience and how to solve their problems. It is important to get this right since it lays the foundation of your marketing message.
You should outline your expertise and services in a simple way for your patients to understand, value, and respond to. Simplified brand messaging can easily connect you with your audience and convert them into your patients.
2. Consider redesigning your website.
If you have not redesigned your website recently, now is a good time to get started. You must redesign and update your website every five years to keep up with technological advancements. Your website is the last thing you want to look outdated, especially to new-age patients.
Ask yourself the following questions when you look at your website.
- Can patients access and navigate your website easily on their mobile devices?
- Does your website feature high-quality images and videos of your state-of-the-art facility, staff, treatments, and procedures?
- Does your website look up-to-date?
- Is it easy to find your contact information and book an appointment?
- Is your website bringing in new patients for your dental practice?
If your answer is ‘no’ to any of these questions, you need to consider redesigning your website right away.
3. Add an online booking option for patients.
Marketing for dental clinics should focus on making it convenient for patients to book an appointment online. The easier and quicker it is, the more patients you are likely to encounter.
Statistics show that 43% of patients book appointments after hours. You can roughly lose $1000 a month if you don’t provide an after-hours online appointment option to patients. 31% would seriously consider switching to a new provider if their current provider did not offer online appointment booking.
Benefits of offering online booking:
- You get more new patients, and your front desk staff can manage inquiries better.
- You get more referrals from your current patients.
4. Outline COVID-19 safety measures.
People have been increasingly cautious since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Make sure to outline the safety measures your practice takes during this pandemic time when patients walk in. Outline this clearly on your website since it can help you to build trust with your patients. You’ll be able to stand out from your competitors and attract more new patients.
5. Offer virtual consultations.
Since the pandemic of 2020, more patients have been opting to get at-home or virtual consultations. There’s a surge in more dental practitioners offering telehealth services to their patients now. Are you one of those dental practices offering these virtual consultations to your patients? If not, you must start now.
When done well, virtual consults can be more successful and economical than in-patient consults. Imagine how many new patients you can attract compared to those dental practices that don’t offer virtual consultations.
6. Collect more patient reviews (specifically video testimonials).
Genuine and positive patient reviews (and lots of them) can give your dental practice a competitive advantage over others.
According to a study, 90% of patients check online reviews before booking an appointment, 42% of people won’t visit an orthodontist with a three-star rating or below, and 22% of people won’t choose a dental practice seeing a single negative review.
A satisfied patient won’t necessarily leave a review for your dental practice. You need to actively solicit reviews for a steady flow of feedback.
One way of capitalizing on your reviews is by sharing them on your social media. Some social media marketing tools can automatically pick your best patient reviews and turn them into engaging social media posts, helping you to attract more new patients.
7. Invest in paid targeted advertising.
Your marketing plan must include paid targeted advertising since it can instantly connect you with the right audience. Paid advertising can improve your brand awareness by making it visible to the right set of people actively looking for services like yours.
Using a social media automation tool like Practina can help you to launch your Google, Facebook, and Instagram ads in seconds. Target your ideal patients using key demographics and get valuable information about them to connect right away.
With paid advertising, you can achieve three things: awareness, engagement, and conversions for your dental brand.
Gain inspiration from competitors in your area to run similar ads for your practice using Facebook Smart Ads!
8. List your practice on Google Maps.
If you want patients to quickly find your dental practice when they need it, you should list yourself on Google Maps. When you Google search with the keywords ‘orthodontist in Los Angeles’, this is what the result page shows.
If your business is not listed on Google Maps, your dental practice won’t show up, but your competitors will.
9. Consider including pricing on your website.
Some orthodontists may debate you on this, but including your pricing on your website is a masterstroke in terms of marketing. Recent research of thousands of dental websites and Google Ads reveals that almost 25% of practitioners are now showing pricing for services like clear aligners.
Including pricing on orthodontic websites is expected to become a more common practice over time. When you show pricing (even if it’s a “*Starting at” price), it increases your chances of attracting more patients who will have a better idea of what to expect for services price-wise.
10. Offer free consultations.
When planning to get braces or clear aligners, some patients may have questions or doubts, such as:
Whether they are a good candidate to undergo orthodontic treatment.
Should they go for clear aligners or braces?
How long will the treatment take?
How much will the procedure cost them?
How will it affect their day-to-day life?
Your website may not be able to clear the confusions that patients have right away, which is why many orthodontists are now offering free consultations as a compelling call-to-action (CTA). This marketing strategy works very well in getting patients to walk in the door.
Moving forward.
It’s all about taking a few small steps to create a big success. Also, consistency is key for successful marketing and for setting your dental practice apart from the rest.
The results of social media marketing for orthodontists may vary, but Practina can help you to succeed each time.
Sign up with Practina today to experience the powerful features of this popular marketing platform.
