If many of us are being honest, we’re not always the most responsible for our dental health. Many Americans don’t go to the dentist as much as they’d like to, or as much as they’re supposed to. A 2018 study by the Delta Dental Plans Association found that 42% of Americans reported that they could not see their dentist as often as they would like, and 58% said that they only visit their dentist at least once per year.
And since the end of the year often compels people to create New Year’s resolutions, it’s a great time to promote healthy practices like visiting the dentist more regularly so that it becomes a part of their list. Here are some pointers for marketing and promoting your dental practice this holiday season.
Have you ever heard of Instagram-famous doctors like Dr. Pimple Popper or even Dr. Mike on YouTube? While growing a platform should never be your ultimate goal, it’s a tool that you can use to find new patients in your area. Some ideas include:
- Create content centered around the holiday season—tips on protecting their teeth from too much sugar this holiday season or what kind of foods to avoid to keep their teeth healthy.
- If you specialize in orthodontics, you can post engaging content like a before-and-after photo of a patient who has had braces or even a before-and-after video process of teeth whitening.
- You can also provide some thoughtful dental trivia, information that your audience may not know about.
- You can also open your Instagram stories for some Q&A with your followers. It will make your potential patients feel like they know you, but with proper boundaries.
Zocdoc
Zocdoc is a mobile app that helps potential patients find medical practitioners based on location, insurance, specialty, and availability. It’s a convenient way to reach patients, especially those who hate calling on the phone to set an appointment. It can be comparable to booking an appointment through Open Table, and the best part is that it’s now available not just in major cities but in smaller cities.
It’s the perfect platform to reach patients who prefer to set schedules without having to talk to another person on the other line. Just make sure that your profile is updated with your credentials, specialty, and clinic’s exact address, and make sure to do a good job every time because patients can leave a review.
Yelp
Multiple studies have found that a large majority of consumers trust online reviews. So your Yelp page is incredibly key to promoting your dental practice not just during the holidays but all-year-round. If you’re planning on keeping your clinic open even during the holiday break (which is smart since more patients will have the time to visit their dentist during the holidays), make sure your Yelp page is updated with your schedule and opening and closing hours. Yelp is still the first place that many consumers and potential patients visit when they’re looking for an establishment, so don’t neglect your Yelp listing.
Email marketing
There has been an ongoing debate about whether email marketing still works, but the numbers speak for themselves: This strategy has an ROI that can go as high as 4400%. So come up with an end-of-the-year newsletter that exhibits sympathy for what has surely been a hard year for your patients, and invite them to do some end-of-the-year self-care by visiting your practice.
The Bottom Line
These holidays, it’s important to make compassion a key element of your marketing strategy. So make use of these tools and platforms and give your patients an avenue to care for their dental health this season.