Dental Practice Marketing Strategies with Case Studies

Dental practices need to market their services to current and potential patients. It attracts new patients, and it can even improve ties with current ones. Therefore, if you want your practice to succeed, you need to market it.

Increasing your dental practice’s visibility is a no-brainer. However, knowing exactly how to do it is far more challenging.

You can utilize a variety of approaches to solving this problem, and there’s no one proper answer. However, for most dental practices, a combination of various dental marketing tactics is the most effective.

Having trouble figuring out where to begin? In this section, we’ll examine the most successful dental patient marketing tactics and real-world case studies that you may utilize to promote your dental office.

Why Dental Practice is a Unique Business

It’s natural to ask if owning your practice is better than continuing to work as an associate and the genuine advantages of doing so.

You take control of your practice and schedule.

Whether you’re starting a solo practice, forming a partnership, or purchasing a dental practice, you have the freedom to manage your business in the way that best suits your needs and desires.

You are in charge of your own life. You can choose your schedule, visit the patients you want, utilize the materials and procedures you like, and, ultimately, build a practice that matches your needs and interests.

If you’re an associate, you’re constantly at risk of being fired at any time unless you have a written contract to the contrary. Non-compete clauses may also be a component of your employment agreement.

If you’re laid off, you may not be able to work in a variety of places or a variety of ways.

Limitless earning potential

It’s up to you how hard you work as a business owner. Due to the long hours and intense expectations, many dental assistants have to cope with difficult invoicing and insurance obligations.

Except for an annual increase or modest bonus, there’s little incentive to put in those extra hours when your salary is likely to remain unchanged.

With no obvious path to ownership or partnership, your hard work will appear unappreciated, and you will start seeking alternatives.

When you run a successful business, you’re not only making money directly from your customers, but you’re also generating an asset that can be sold when you’re ready to retire.

It is possible to achieve your professional and personal goals faster and more effectively by adopting a practice that you enjoy.

Most practice owners will earn more money than their associates, but this isn’t a guarantee. For example, dentists who operate their practices typically make more money than those who work for someone else.

Of course, if you want to succeed in business, you have to have the drive and motivation to put in the hours.

Increased job satisfaction

When you own a practice, you have complete control over how it looks and functions.

Over time, even purchased practices can become an extension of you, even if there are some primary constraints to this.

In terms of general job happiness, those in charge of their practice, hours, hiring, and so on are more content than their associate peers. You have the power to design a lifestyle that is right for you.

If you’d like, you could even start a part-time practice. Only specific types of therapies are available to you. You may design your office, hire the individuals you want to recruit, and schedule appointments as you see fit. You have complete control over your business.

Additionally, you can open a business in a location where you and your family would prefer to live. Finally, practice owners are happier than associates since they have so much control over their work environment.

Tax benefits

Your business expenses are tax-deductible, or you can use depreciation of assets to reduce your tax bill. A few of the most typical company costs that are deductible include:

• Pension plans
• Saving plans
• Professional dues
• Insurance
• Continuing education fees
• Car leases
• Travel expenses
• Entertainment and meals
• Supplies and inventory

It is possible to depreciate business assets over several years after they are purchased.

Self-investment

Owners of medical practices know that they’re taking a risk. So self-bets are a big part of their strategy.

With their time, energy, and finances, they put forward a wager to build a profitable dental office and eventually sell the asset.

When you buy or construct your practice, you learn the business acumen, practice management, and financing abilities you will need to run the practice.

If you want your business to succeed, you have to grow as a person and an entrepreneur.

Even though it is a risk, it is one that you can control, as hard work will almost always lead to success in the long run.

That’s both exhilarating and a little nerve-wracking, but you can do it. Assuming you’ve already made up your mind to make the switch, you’re already a safe bet.

Main Dental Practice Business Challenges

The COVID-19 Pandemic

In the past year, going to the dentist has been more difficult than ever. Patients have become the primary source of infection for dentists because of the coronavirus and its transmission strategy.

We’re wearing masks because the mouth and throat are the most likely places for the virus to spread and grow.

Despite this, dentists must have access to a patient’s mouth while working on a tooth repair.

Dentists may be exposed to the virus directly as a result of this. Indeed, the pandemic necessitates new norms and methods for oral care. In addition, dental operations require the use of comprehensive safety gear by dentists.

As a result, dentists nowadays face a significant challenge in receiving patients and risking the spread of disease.

Their practices need to be constantly disinfected, they need to wear extra protective gear, and they need to spread out their appointments. This can lead to a decrease in patients, reducing income, and a rise in costs.

Student loan debt and practice cost

Even if you don’t know it, medical and dentistry students graduate with massive student loan debt. And, for the vast majority of people, debt can lead to a slew of problems, including years of anxiety and financial hardship.

Opening a private dental office is particularly difficult for recent dental school grads saddled with a large amount of student debt.

Launching a private practice for dentists with student loan debt is a difficult decision and a challenging task. After thousands of dollars in school loan debt, dentists still need thousands of dollars for their own business and the instruments, machines, and staff they need to run it.

Dentists who participated in a poll conducted by The Wealthy Dentist to learn about the significant issues they face today ranked student loan debt as their number one concern.

Because of this, many dentists are forced to look for other employment options to pay off their student loans and save money for private practice at the same time.

To put it another way, this challenge is not without its own sets of difficulties, such as financial strain, mental health issues, and general dissatisfaction at work.

Obtaining new customers

A dentist who has overcome all of the financial difficulties and opened their practice still faces a considerable obstacle: acquiring new patients.

The fact that everyone requires a dentist can make it challenging to attract new patients, especially if the practice is young and needs to prove its trustworthiness and work quality.

The success or failure of a dentist’s private practice hinges on their ability to maintain a steady client base and attract new patients regularly.

As such, dentists bear a heavy burden to provide exceptional treatment from the outset, yet this is not often sufficient in and of itself. As a result, some dentists had to enlist the help of marketing agencies to create their brand and spread it to a broader audience.

Additionally, it can add to the stress dentists endure at the beginning of their careers, given the increased costs this would bring about, as well.

Time management and client service

A new dentist has mastered the difficulties of attracting new patients. So what kind of new obstacle would they face this time around? The solution lies in better time management and ensuring that everyone receives the same high level of care.

When a dentist is swamped with new patients, the quality of their work suffers. Therefore, in meeting the demands of all of their clients and ensuring that no one is left out, they cut corners or compromise the quality of their work.

This could need the hiring of additional employees and dental professionals, which would increase the practice’s costs and investment. As a result, fewer patients and a decreased income could result if the service is much inferior.

Keeping ahead of the game

Additionally, dentists must constantly outperform their rivals for their patients and investors to remain loyal.

However, remaining one step ahead of the pack is never cheap. Getting the most up-to-date dental equipment and technology is a standard part of the process for dental care.

For a high-end dental office, this can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars each year.

Patients often want only the highest quality work from their dentists. A lack of specialization, quality, and cutting-edge technology could result in a dentist losing clients, not to mention being unable to compete with their peers.

If the dentist has student loan debt or other financial concerns related to their own business, all of this can be pretty stressful.

Remember that the present pandemic has set the tone for a particular type of dental treatment that necessitates personal protective equipment and the regular updating and replacement of outdated technology.

For example, if the patient does not feel comfortable because of a lack of protective equipment, they are more likely to switch dentists.

Health issues

Dentists see a lot of patients who come in with a variety of health problems, both mental and physical. As a dentist, staying healthy is one of the most challenging problems.

For example, most dentists suffer from chronic back pain, shoulder pain, and knee problems, among other ailments.

Sitting in an unnatural and long-term stable position for long periods is to blame for all of this.

In addition, many dentists deal with patients’ psychological well-being as well. For example, a person’s mental health might be affected by the stress of financial security, time management, and dealing with clients.

There is a lot of stress, worry, sadness, and even suicidal thoughts that dentists face. But, unfortunately, it’s not just dentists that kill themselves.

Dental professionals are also in danger of catching an infectious disease from their patients. These include HIV, Hepatitis B virus, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and others.

Pros and Cons of Running a Dental Practice

Pros

• Dentists have the potential to make a lot of cash.
• You can alleviate suffering in others.
• You can have a positive impact on the lives of a lot of individuals.
• Having a dental license is seen as a sign of social standing.
• In the dating pool, dentists have an easier time than their peers.
• You have the option of doing favors for your family and friends.
• Every patient presents a new set of problems.
• Dentistry is a profession that will always be in demand.
• Owning your dental practice is an option.
• Working hours are relatively light.
• Even some dentists work only part-time.
• Work-life balance is excellent.
• While other doctors are under a lot of pressure, dentists are not.

Cons

• Becoming a dentist is a lengthy and arduous journey.
• Debt from student loans can be a burden.
• It becomes problematic if, after a few years, you change your mind.
• Even on the weekends and holidays, dentists may have to work.
• A call to 911 can be nerve-wracking.
• Dentists’ offices aren’t always profitable.
• The scope of your task will be relatively limited.
• There is a possibility of dentists developing infectious illnesses.
• Dentists must be able to quiet down their patients to treat them successfully.
• Many people avoid the dentist out of fear.
• It’s hard to deal with some patients.
• Customers’ health could be in jeopardy because of your blunders.
• Others could sue you.
• Some dentists have mental health difficulties.
• In addition to being physically demanding, being a dentist is also mentally taxing.
• Once you’re older, it may get more complex.
• A single blunder might ruin your reputation.
• As a dentist, you’re under a lot of pressure, and many people misjudge that.

Dentist Practice Marketing Strategies

Facebook Ads for Local Awareness

When marketing your dental office, it’s crucial to be explicit about who you target. For example, you probably don’t want to advertise your practice beyond a 50-mile radius; if you’re in Pennsylvania and someone in California sees your ad, that’s not helpful to anyone.

Using the new map card, you can now provide information about your dental practice that is important to a local audience, such as the address, the distance to the company, and the hours of operation. Using a simple call button as your CTA is an excellent way to get people to call you.

Call-to-Action Ads

The primary purpose of dentistry marketing or advertising is to get patients and potential patients to call the practice and schedule an appointment.

Facebook and Google Ads (previously known as Google AdWords) offer click-to-call ads on mobile, desktop, and tablet devices. A call-only campaign can be created by adding this extension to an existing ad.

Mobile Call-Only Ads

The majority of healthcare-related Google searches are conducted on a smartphone, according to the search engine giant. Health-related searches make up one in twenty of Google’s search results. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. Google Ads allows you to target mobile users with call-only campaigns.

Google Ads’ Income Targeting

Flossing and going to the dentist regularly are essential. In reality, the majority of people don’t know this. Based on income, Google Ads lets you target specific groups.

Select “Advanced Location” from the options menu. This menu will appear:

Choose “Location groups” from the drop-down menu, and you’ll see a menu with three choices. What you are looking for is referred to as “Demographics.”

Add the revenue levels you’re interested in (or tiers) by clicking the big red “add” button!

Advertisements for teeth whitening or veneers may target people with higher income levels, whereas those with lower incomes may be more concerned with maintaining their essential health.

Emergency Keywords

My search for “emergency wisdom teeth extraction Boston” took place at 2 AM a few months back. To get a “call” CTA, I went with the third and two other results from the Google maps search that had a higher rating. I called all of them, and none of them answered, so I decided to make an appointment with the first one who contacted me back.

To obtain clients with acute demands and strong intent, bidding on keywords like “emergency” or “urgent” is simple. You should, however, make sure that your business can handle emergency cases and has a simple means for patients to get in touch with you.

Get Involved in the Local Community

In other words, if your practice is in Ohio, you may forget about seeing patients in Kentucky. However, by their very nature, Dentists are local businesses, and they rely significantly on the local population for patients.

Participate in local affairs. For example, supporting a minor league team, or visiting a music festival, is an excellent way to meet new people and create relationships in person.

You can even teach a dental hygiene class at a local elementary school or university. Your reputation will be built on this, and you’ll have the opportunity to sell yourself via word-of-mouth and direct mail.

Final Thoughts

Digital marketing is the future for dentists. That is why it’s essential to find new ways to boost your presence on social media.

As seen in our case studies, these dentist practices have turned digital marketing into a profitable tool for popular dentist practices. These strategies focus on creating long-term campaigns centered around building trust and credibility with local consumers.

More often than not, quality over quantity is the key to success regarding new business generation. Now that you can see which strategies work best for small businesses like yourself, you can use the information provided to bolster your marketing campaign.