We discussed the power of paid marketing in our last post in the “Generating Patients for your Practice” blog series. We’ve covered how referrals, insurance, organic SEO, and a custom dental website can grab peoples’ attention.
Are you ready for the final step?
To conclude our series, we will be focusing on one last tool in your arsenal to maximize new patients: community outreach. If used correctly, this can be an effective way to get people in your door, and more importantly, solidify your business’ footprint within your town or city.
A dental practice is a small business in a community, and people naturally gravitate toward those that are focused on “doing good” and helping their community flourish. If you want to separate yourself from corporate dentistry, or any of your competitors for that matter — showing you care and getting involved goes a long way.
Building Your Brand by Getting Involved
Of all the ways to drive people to your website and get them to come to your practice, participating in community outreach efforts is often an afterthought. But think of the good publicity you can bring your practice, all through showing your interest in your local community.
If you’re a new dental practice, this could be a means to introducing yourself to neighborhood friends and families.
Offer a free dental day for basic hygiene or cleaning services, host or participate in a health fair, or co-sponsor a local Little League or soccer team. It’s easy to get involved, and it’s one of the best ways to connect with the people who are potential patients.
A dentist who contributes to his or her neighborhood endears them to people, helping to build a brand and trusting, positive reputation in that community. If you are hosting or participating in an event, advertising your presence helps provide that one-two punch of exposure in the area. The more you can network, the more likely you will be top of mind to the people in your community, when they need dental care.
Think: “What’s My Community?”
When you decide to get involved in your community, you need to think about what actually constitutes your community. You need to start assessing and determining the demographic for your practice. Know their needs, and what they are looking for on a daily basis. Get to know their wants, desires and concerns.
Once you establish your audience, you can begin to target activities to that group. Start looking at community from a different perspective. Don’t forget, community is based on your audience, not your geography.
Community can be comprised of:
If you want to target businesses, partner with the HR department of a nearby company and offer a free dental screening day. Thinking about focusing more on pediatric dentistry? This might be a good time to go to a nearby school, talk to students and provide free cleanings, sending those kids home with branded toothbrushes to take to their parents.
Earning Their Trust with Community Outreach
People want to do business with someone they feel comfortable with, someone they know. For instance, if you know of a dentist or physician from a religious or a civic organization, they’ve automatically bought themselves more credibility than someone you don’t know at all.
People relate to individuals they are familiar with; they are more likely to look to you as the dentist as someone they can have a conversation with rather than be talked down to.
It’s been commonly stated that people will do business with people they like. Look at restaurants, for instance – customer service matters, and if you know you will be treated well and kindly by the staff, you’re a lot more apt to go back, right? Well, it’s the same difference in the medical world. If people trust and like you, they will be happier to come back to you.
We’ve talked about how building a reputable website is the key to attracting new patients, and then delved into how to drive people to your site, which gets them into your practice. From referrals to insurance, to organic searches and paid marketing, to community outreach, you are armed with an arsenal of tools to succeed in generating patients for your practice.
Does your website need its cobwebs knocked off?? At TNT Dental, we are ready to take your site, your dreams, and move them to the next level. Give us a call today!
About The Author
Tim Kelley is one of the founders of TNT Dental, the #1 creator of custom websites and marketing strategies for dentists. Recognized as a leading expert in helping dental practices grow, Tim is passionate about harnessing the power of online marketing to attract and keep new patients. If there is anything Tim can do to help you, please do not hesitate to contact him directly at the office, (877) 868-4932, on his cell, (972) 989-9137, or via email at tim@tntdental.com. Of course, you can always visit www.TNTDental.com to learn more.
