The dental industry has long been flourishing. Why? It fosters public oral health, which is equally vital as overall health. Not only does it enhance dental aesthetics, but it also boosts the patients’ oral functions. Aside from general dentistry, the industry also offers restorative dentistry, oral surgery, and cosmetic dentistry.
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the dental sector is among those significantly impacted. At the onset of the pandemic, many dental businesses had a temporary closure. It’s good that some dental clinics have already reopened at this juncture.
There’s a need to promote your dental practice to win back your old clients and welcome new ones. Doing so can boost your business profits and make your dental practice grow in the new normal. As such, digital marketing is the key.
That said, here are online marketing strategies for your dental practice during this pandemic:
1. Update your website for dental service promotion
When it comes to marketing your dental practice, your website is the first place to start. In fact, your dental office should transition to a click-and-mortar business. Why? Having a website in this digital era is imperative. A site serves as the online representation of your dental practice. It bespeaks your business image and identity, along with its core values, ideals, and philosophies. It is also where you’ll showcase your dental services and products. Plus, it’s where you’ll engage with your clients of patients. Hence, update your website with the user experience (UX) in mind.
2. Employ an SEO campaign for your web presence
Having a business website isn’t enough; you must ensure its web presence and site traffic. Why? Having a visually appealing and highly functional website doesn’t make sense if your target clients won’t find it online. The web has become saturated, and the digital competition has never been stiffer. For this reason, you must implement a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy to boost your online visibility. The process involves optimizing your website, building links, and producing relevant content. However, don’t forget to focus on your local SEO so that local patients can easily and quickly find your dental office.
3. Implement PPC advertising for your website traffic
If SEO doesn’t do enough for your online visibility and website traffic, there’s an alternative: pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. While SEO is for organic search, PPC is a form of paid search. The process involves creating ads and bidding their placements on the search engine results pages (SERP). However, you must pay for every successful click. But one click can lead a potential client to your website who might schedule a dental appointment with your dental practice.
4. Resort to email marketing for patient or client outreach
Another straightforward digital marketing approach is email marketing. This online strategy entails sending promotional emails directly to regular clients and potential patients. As a highly reliable dentist, you must have catered to individuals and families before the pandemic. As your dental clinic has reopened, send them emails and inform them that you’re ready to serve them. On the other hand, be sure to perform research to generate qualified leads for your dental practice. These leads are prospects who might have visited your website or shown interest in your dental services.
5. Use digital content marketing for client engagement
No one can ignore the power of content, as they resonate well with people. They have the means to influence the individuals’ decision-making. If you’re looking to take your digital marketing up a notch, be sure to harness the power of content. Start by creating a blog and posting relevant articles regularly. Also, share them on your social media pages and other digital platforms. Plus, don’t forget to include calls-to-actions (CTAs) to prompt your readers to visit your website or the dental clinic itself.
6. Leverage social media marketing for lead generation and client acquisition
The use of social media is inevitable for digital marketing. Gone are the days when people utilize this for personal interaction and entertainment. Today, business owners and digital marketers leverage social media for customer outreach, lead generation, and client acquisition. For instance, you can create Facebook ads promoting your dental practice and target these ads to your prospects. Also, you can publish dental product photos on Instagram and promotional video clips on YouTube. Lastly, you can connect with patients, suppliers, health professionals, medical facilities, and relevant organizations. From there, you can build your network.
At this point, you now know what it takes to market your dental practice online during this pandemic. Be sure to consider the digital marketing strategies recommended above, from updating your website to resorting to email promotion to leveraging social media. All these will help your dental practice win more and more clients, thus increasing your business profits. Ultimately, you’ll be able to boost and grow your dental practice in the new normal.