Dental Marketing Direct

Digital Marketing for Dental Offices

IDEAS

How to Create a Killer Discount Offer for Your Dental Office

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Discount offers are a great way to attract new patients to your dental practice but most dentists do not give enough thought when creating a discount offer. The aim for any discount coupon is to get a higher volume of patients visiting your office. This means your special offer must be attractive enough to compel prospective patients to make an appointment. In this post we discuss some ways to make your special offers more effective.

effective dental coupon

Limited Time

An easy way to get people to take action is to limit your discount for a specific time like a certain date or number of days. This means that prospective patients who do not take immediate action risk losing the discount forever and which is exactly why this technique is so effective in getting more people to book an appointment. By not binding the offer to a specific date or time you are saying that the discount is will be available for the foreseeable future leaving no incentive for a potential patient to take immediate action.

Limited Number

Similar to limited time offers, you can limit your discount offer to the first 10/20/30 patients. This again creates a sense of urgency among prospective patients because if they hesitate somebody else could claim the offer in their place. The great thing about this offer is that you do not have to specify any time frame and so the coupon/offer can be reused over and over again.

Packages/Bundles

Packaging or bundling related treatment procedures together with a discount can be very effective in getting patients to make an appointment. The most common of these offers is “$X for Dental Exam, X-ray and Cleaning” which every other dentist is offering nowadays. Similarly, you can combine other procedures together to create more offers e.g. crown + implant or Invisalign + teeth whitening.

Minimum Spend

A percentage discount on minimum spend works on group discount situations like families and group of friends/colleagues. This offer encourages people to spend a minimum amount at your dental office and get a fixed percentage off. This would be a very attractive offer for a family with 3 kids all of whom need some work done before the school reopens or holidays begin etc.

The next time you are creating a discount coupon for your dental office, consider using one of the above techniques to make your special offer more effective.

 

3 Online Marketing Ideas to Get New Dental Patients Fast!

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Are you in a hurry to increase your patient base? Are you fed up of being lied to about dental marketing? If the answer is yes, then this post is jut for you. Online advertising is one of the fastest ways to get more dental patients. Unlike offline advertising like radio, TV or direct mail, online advertising offers a better ROI in a shorter period of time. Another great thing about advertising on the we is that most ad networks will charge per click and therefore it is often called pay per click or ppc advertising. In this post we describe how you can utilize 3 of the biggest online PPC advertising networks to get new dental patients fast.

get new patients fast

Google Adwords

Google Adword logo

Google is by far the most popular search engine and also has the biggest online advertising platform called Google Adwords. It offers both search and display advertising options. If you want new dental patients quickly, you must try search advertising and ignore display advertising – at least in the beginning. Search advertising is one of the most effective ways of generating dental appointments by showing your ad to local residents searching for dentists on Google.

Using the free Google keyword tool you can quickly check how many people searched for dentists and dental procedures during the past 12 months which will give you an idea if there is enough demand for your dental service in your local area. Try searching for a ‘dentist [insert your city/town name]’ and look at the search results. If you see ads from other dentists then it is a clear indication they are getting dental patients from Google Adwords. Therefore you should also start advertising to get your ad up there to start attracting new dental patients.

Bing Ads

bing ads logo

Similar to Google, Bing has its own advertising platform called Bing Ads. It serves ads on both Bing and Yahoo search results helping Bing Ads reach approximately 1/3 rd of all searchers in USA. While this may not sound like a lot, you can still get enough search volume for your dental services specially if your office is located in a densely populated area. You can easily check the estimated monthly search volume (number of searches made in a give period) for the dental procedures and treatments you offer using the bing ads keyword research tool. If you find there is enough search volume then go ahead and launch a search advertising campaign in Bing Ads to show your ad to prospective dental patients.

Facebook Ads

facebook ads logo

Facebook is one of the most popular websites in the world and over 70% of online adults use facebook. This offers a huge opportunity to get your message across to users who might be interested in dental work. In Facebook ads you do not have keywords to tell you who is looking for dentist but instead you have to use likes, interests and demographic data to target audiences that may be most interested in getting a dental procedure done. In addition you have to create an offer to grab attention of the users and compel them to take action since most users on Facebook are there to have fun and don’t want ads distracting them. For e.g. you could target single moms who have liked the facebook page for Dental Dental (or another insurance your dental office accepts) with an offer of discounted teeth whitening. By testing different offers with different audiences you can quickly find a few winning combinations before scaling them up to generate new patient appointments consistently.

If you are interested online PPC advertising with any or all of the above platforms and need expert advice and assistance, don’t forget to request a free consultation!

103 Post & Status Ideas for Your Dental Facebook Page

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Facebook is a great marketing tool for dentists. However, having a facebook page and loading it with generic content and status updates won’t get you anywhere. You need to invest in high quality engaging content to attract likes and new patients. If you have run out of content to post on your dental facebook page, fasten your seat belts because we are giving away 100+ unique ideas to engage facebook users.

Facebook Post Ideas for Dentists

Promotional

  1. New Treatment Procedure
  2. Discounts
  3. Payment Plans
  4. Price List
  5. Before & After Images
  6. Equipment Showcase
  7. Testimonial Videos
  8. Success Story from Customers

PR

  1. Educational Qualification
  2. Industry Event Participation
  3. Training Workshop Attendance
  4. Press & Media Coverage
  5. Charitable Contributions
  6. Community Involvement
  7. Local Sponsorships
  8. Staff Member Profiles
  9. Awards
  10. Achievements
  11. Certifications
  12. Behind-the-scenes photos
  13. Take a trip down memory lane

Announcements

  1. Job Openings
  2. Office Announcements
  3. New Hires
  4. Equipment Upgrades
  5. Office Policy Updates

Funny

  1. Dental Memies
  2. Dental Jokes
  3. Dental Comics

Informational

  1. Articles
  2. Activities
  3. Dentist Quotes
  4. Dental Tips
  5. Treatment Video
  6. Compare and contrast two procedures
  7. Info-graphics
  8. Research Statistics
  9. Share a Helpful Resource
  10. Offer a free e-book

Interactive

  1. Quizzes
  2. Riddles
  3. Polls
  4. Surveys
  5. Games (e.g. here)
  6. Give-away Competitions
  7. Fill in the Blanks (e.g. here)
  8. Photo Caption Contest (e.g. here and here)
  9. Hold a Smile Photo contest
  10. Hold a Q&A session
  11. Post a ‘truth or fiction’ Question (e.g. here)
  12. Patient of the Year/Month/Day/Week
  13. Introduce High Profile Patient
  14. Celebrate a Dental Specific Day (e.g. National Toothache Day, National Tooth Fairy Day)

Important Days

  1. Anniversaries
  2. Staff Birthdays
  3. Christmas Eve
  4. Christmas Day
  5. Boxing Day
  6. New Years Eve
  7. New Year’s Day
  8. Memorial Day
  9. Luther King Day
  10. Independence Day
  11. Labor Day
  12. Thanksgiving Day
  13. Columbus Day
  14. Veterans Day
  15. St. Patrick’s Day
  16. Super Bowl Sunday
  17. Halloween
  18. Valentine’s Day
  19. Good Friday
  20. Palm Sunday
  21. Easter
  22. International Women’s Day
  23. April Fools’ Day
  24. Earth Day
  25. Children’s Day
  26. May Day
  27. Mother’s Day
  28. Father’s Day
  29. Black Friday
  30. Parent’s Day

Seasons

  1. Summer
  2. Autumn
  3. Winter
  4. Spring

Day of the Week

  1. Weekend
  2. Saturday
  3. Sunday
  4. Monday

Months

  1. January
  2. February
  3. March
  4. April
  5. May
  6. June
  7. July
  8. August
  9. September
  10. October
  11. November
  12. December

101 Awesome Dental Promotional Giveaway Items Under $1.00

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Every dental office needs promotional gifts to distribute to patients and dentists spend thousands to purchase branded giveaway items to promote their dentistry. If you are looking for promotuonal products for your dental office, you have arrived at the right place. While we don’t sell promotional gifts, we have prepared a list of 100+ dental promotional products that cost less than $1.00.

dental promotional items

Starlight Peppermints – $0.05

Personalized Mints – $0.07

Colored Napkin – $0.09

Ball Marker – $0.11

Wooden Golf Tees – $0.12

Wooden Nickel – $0.13

Fruit Flavored Lollipop – $0.14

Apple Photo Frame – $0.17

Bic Magnet Business Cards – $0.21

Cubano Pen – $0.25

Personalized Latex Balloon – $0.25

Apple Hand Fan – $0.27

Create-A-Pencil – $0.27

Natural Finish Ruler – $0.31

Clear Plastic Cup – $0.32

Poker Chips – $0.34

Divot Repair Tools – $0.38

Cord Wrap/Earphone Organizer – $0.38

Economy Pocket Coolie – $0.39

Round Paper Plate – $0.41

Oven Stick – $0.42

Awareness Bracelet – $0.43

3-Step Lid – $0.44

Doctor’s Headband – $0.46

Nail File in Sleeve – $0.46

Color Book – $0.46

Smiles Supply Bag – $0.47

Sport Bottle with Push Pull Lid – $0.47

Ping Pong Balls – $0.48

Oval Shape Pill Holder – $0.49

Sport Flyer – $0.49

Round Stress Reliever – $0.51

Round Tape Measure – $0.52

Whistle Light/Key Chain – $0.55

Classic Monthly Pocket Planner – $0.57

Coffe Scoope – $0.57

Auto License Plate Frames – $0.57

Computer Value Calendar – $0.59

Tissue Packet – Pack of 10 Tissues – $0.59

Healthy Gums Pocket Slider – $0.59

Lock Soft Key Tag – Opaque – $0.59

Promotional Jumbo Magnetic Clip – $0.60

Giant 16″ Fly Swatter – $0.60

Carabiner with Ring – $0.62

Magnet – Tooth Shape – $0.63

Little Pocket Size Pad – $0.63

Box Opener Keychain – $0.63

Aluminum Bottle / Can Opener Key Ring – $0.63

Hand Bag – $0.64

Anodized Carabiner – $0.64

Square Clip Memo Holder – $0.64

Rubberized Sunglasses – $0.64

Hi Flyer Luggage Tag – $0.65

Sunblock Packet – $0.68

Circular Jar Opener – $0.69

Pocket Protector – $0.71

Heavy Duty Polar Ice Scraper – $0.71

Personalized Hand Clapper – $0.73

Plastic Yo Yo Toy – $0.73

Mini Velour Pouch – $0.74

Mini Flashlight Tool Keychain – $0.74

Business Card Pocket Magnifier – $0.74

Jumbo Cubicle Clip – $0.75

Oral Syringe – $0.76

Skittles Treat Packet – $0.77

Personalized Compact Mirror – $0.78

Denture Box – $0.79

Heart Shaped Letter Opener – $0.79

Belgian Chocolate – $0.79

Beer Stein – $0.80

Soap Sheet Dispenser – $0.80

Antibacterial Toothbrush Holder – $0.83

hand sanitizer pocket sprays – $0.85

14 Month Press-N-Stick™ – Standard Calendar – $0.85

Mini Beach Ball – $0.85

Brushing Timer – $0.85

Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer – $0.87

Classic Seven Day Pillcase – $0.87

Atlas Nonwoven Grocery Tote – $0.87

Sugar Free Mints – $0.88

USA Made Lip Balm – $0.88

3M Silicon Smart Wallet Cell Phone Card Holder – $0.89

Eco-Friendly Non Woven Tote Bag – $0.89

Comfort Visor – $0.90

Luggage Grabber – $0.91

Flower Highlighters – $0.92

Medium Rubber Duck – $0.92

Keep Smiling Dental Floss – $0.93

Bristle Buddy Computer Duster – $0.93

Dog Tags with Beaded Necklace – $0.93

Megaphone – $0.93

Reflective Slap Wristband – $0.93

Collapsible Cup Pill Holder Combo – $0.94

Instant Care Kit – $0.94

IStand Phone Holder – $0.95

Tube Winder – $0.96

Travel Toothbrush – $0.96

King Size Tooth Flat Tire™ Coaster – $0.96

Cinch Up Backpack – $0.97

Swerve Pillbox – $0.98

Fruit 3Drasers – $0.99

13 Discount Offer Ideas to Promote Your Dental Office

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Special offers are a great way of attracting new dental patients. However, in order to stand out from the crowd you must come up with something different from the other dentist specials in your area. In this post we discuss 15 special offers you can use to acquire more dental patients and increase production.

Dental Offer Ideas

Free Consultation

A free case evaluation or consultation is a simple but very effective offer. If you are a start-up dental practice and have more time than money, then start offering free consultations to get more new patients. You can also combine this offer with high value procedures like Invisalign braces.

Free Teeth Whiting

This is the most popular discount offer and virtually every other dentist offers some kind of heavily discounted teeth whitening. Some dentists even offer free whitening for life with high value procedures like dental implants. In fact, this offer is best used as a free add-on.

Discount Dental Exam, Cleaning and X-Ray

This is another overused discount offer that has lost it’s effectiveness simply because every other dentists is offering it. If you are just starting your dental office, you may want to join the crowd but do not expect to get much traction.

Promotional Discount on Specific Procedures

If you want to grow your patient base for a certain type of treatment procedures eg. emergencies, implants, braces, dentures etc. then you can try offering a discount on specific procedure. This will attract patients who have already been diagnosed and recommended a specific procedure and are now comparison shopping for the best price.

Patient Referral Discount

Every dental office should have a patient referral program. In order to get more referrals from your existing patients, you can reward them a nice discount on their next dental appointment.

Group/Family Discount

Similar to patient referrals, you can give discounts to patients that visit your office in a group. That could be a group of college friends or work colleagues. You can also extend this discount offer to attract families with children.

Back To School Discounts

If you run a kids dentistry or accept pediatric cases then January and August present a great opportunity to attract more families kids to your dental practice by offering a back to school offer like free exam and discounted cleaning. This offer will give your office production a nice boost at least twice a year.

Student Discount

Is your dental office located near a school, college or university? If the answer is yes then you must test some student discount offers. These offers can be done in collaboration with the school/college or you could create a group discount for students.

Senior Discount

If your office is located in a retirement destination or a neighborhood dominated by seniors, you can introduce a senior discount aimed at attracting older patients.

Veterans Discount

Is your dental office located near a military base or a neighborhood dominated by retired veterans? You can take advantage of this situation by offering discounts to military vets.

Advance Payment Discount

Cash flow can be difficult to manage sometimes so what better then encouraging your patients to pay upfront. You can do exactly that by offering a discount on upfront payments. While this may not bring many new patients, it will help improve your cash-flow.

Loyalty Discount offers

Good dental practice management demands that you reward existing patients regularly to improve patient retention. A loyalty discount offer or card is a great way to improve patient retention and encourage repeat visits from long time patients.

Dental Plan Discounts

Another way to improve cash-flow of your dental practice is to introduce an in-house dental plan. In order to encourage more patients to buy your annual dental plan, you can offer large discounts on expensive dental treatments to make them more affordable for your dental plan members.

As you can see from the list above, creating special offers is not rocket science. Just a little bit of creativity goes a long way in making your discount offer stand out from the crowd and grab the attention of prospective dental patients. I hope this list will help your imagination going and so you can come up with a great offer to attract more patients to your dental practice.

How to Make Patients Fall in Love with Your Dental Office

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In order to create a thriving dental practice, getting new patients is not enough. You have to give each patient due attention and provide them with high quality dental care and excellent service.  This will help you retain more of your patients for a longer duration. And let’s be honest, most people do not enjoy visiting a dentist – they only do so out of necessity. Therefore, you and your staff must do everything possible to satisfy every patient’s needs. In this post we discuss how you can get patients to enjoy their visits to your office by making a few small but important changes.

i love my dentist

Engage with Your Patients

A patient is more than dental case – they are living, breathing human being. Many dentists are so focused on their dental work that they forget to interact with their patients on a personal level. Do you make an effort to remember patient names? Do you know where they work or what school they attend? Have you discussed football/basketball results with them?

If you don’t have a good memory, try keeping notes about each patient, shared interests and hobbies, family news, achievements and career news. This information will help you connect with your patients on a personal level beyond a professional dentist-patient relationship. This personal friendship will ensure high patient retention and your patients would look forward to meeting you on their next dentist appointment.

Invest in Patient Relationship Management

Make your patients feel special – as if they are the only patient your dental office has. Send them a greeting card for Christmas. How about giving a free teeth whitening for their up coming birthday. Ask them for feedback on their last visit. Offer loyalty discounts and accommodate emergency and family block appointments to facilitate long time patients. A patient relationship management software would help you keep a record of all your interactions with each patient so your office can provide them with the best dental care.

Improve Patient Satisfaction

Every patient deserves to get the best dental treatment and support and your dental office has a duty to provide that. Patient satisfaction goes beyond just the dental treatment. Your staff should also hold themselves accountable for providing the highest level of patient satisfaction. Your front desk and receptions must answer patient queries and satisfy their concerns, schedule/cancel appointments and send reminders as appropriate and facilitate new patients. Your hygienists should be thorough in their work and go above and beyond to satisfy patients. And off course you must give due attention to each patient whether it is a 2 minute exam or a $20k dental implant case.

Improve Office Facilities Environment

Would you like to visit an unkempt office? Neither would I. When was the last time you renovated the waiting area or replaced the TV? Does your office still rely on outdated dental equipment? Does the air conditioner need servicing? Is your office refrigerator full? All these things impact your staff morale as well as the patients that visit your office. By keeping your office in tip-top condition your improve staff performance and patient satisfaction. Also consider adding some more office amenities.

A successful dental office needs lots of happy patients that keep returning for more dental work and also refer their acquaintances to your dental office. The next time you find yourself or your staff cutting corners in terms of patient satisfaction just stop and answer this question. Will you accept the same if you were the patient?