Proven strategies for attracting and retaining more patients
Dental marketing has transformed significantly over the past few decades — transitioning from a world where word-of-mouth and high-cost print and broadcast advertising techniques have been largely replaced by the unrivaled value and performance offered by today’s best digital marketing strategies.
Like most consumers, cosmetic dentistry patients are living in a digitally-driven world. From retail to healthcare and everything in between, they’re conducting research and making purchase decisions online. Cosmetic dentists that establish a strong web presence and deploy the top digital marketing and advertising strategies can establish better local awareness for their practice and therefore, attract more new patients. From website design and branding to reputation management and search engine optimization (SEO), those cosmetic dentistry practices that think digital first will win in today’s online search-driven world.
Each Specialty is Unique!
Contact our team today to find the best marketing strategy for your specific business’s needs.
Schedule a free consultation
Why modern marketing is a must for cosmetic dentists
Patients looking for a cosmetic dentist want the very best care and service available — and they’re willing to put in the time to find the right practice for them. In most cases, this research for a cosmetic dentist begins online. Sure, they might ask their regular dentist, friends or neighbors for suggestions, but ultimately, they’ll turn to the nearest search engine to vet these recommendations or find a new cosmetic dentist on their own. Nearly 75 percent of patients look online when searching for a new healthcare provider or dentist.
Cosmetic dentistry practices that connect with prospective patients in a digital world through the development of a captivating and easy-to-navigate website design, a positive online reputation, and engaging content marketing tools will attract and convert more patients than traditional marketing tactics.
But, attracting patients to your website isn’t enough to support long-term practice growth. Cosmetic dentistry practices with an eye for growth also need a practice growth platform that can provide the modern digital tools, tracking and reporting needed to help practices retain patients and grow their practice for years to come.
The many benefits of digital marketing and advertising
Digital marketing strategies not only help cosmetic dentists achieve their new patient growth goals, they also support long-term patient retention and continuous revenue growth. Additionally, modern marketing tactics offer a wide range of benefits you won’t find with traditional channels, including:
Top branding, advertising and marketing strategies for cosmetic dentists
Generating awareness among new patients for your cosmetic dentistry practice requires the right blend of digital branding, marketing and advertising strategies— all of which help you connect with your prospective patients wherever they are. Like most consumers, cosmetic dentistry patients live in a digital world and spend time engaging on social media, checking their email and researching the products and services they need.
The average U.S. consumer spends nearly four hours a day1 on their mobile devices. Thus, cosmetic dentistry practices that engage with prospective patients in a digital landscape will be poised for greater success and long-term revenue growth.
Cosmetic dentistry is a unique, consumer-driven service, and since the procedures can be costly and are often paid for out-of-pocket, savvy consumers are doing their homework to ensure they find the best provider available. In most cases, this process begins with an online search query.
To ensure your cosmetic dentistry practice lands near the top of search results and makes a great first impression, you’ll need a comprehensive digital marketing and search engine optimization (SEO) strategy that will connect prospective patients with your cosmetic dentists. From there, you’ll need to win them over with stellar branding, informative and engaging content, and a top-notch online reputation. All of these tactics, when deployed together, will drive greater practice awareness and more new patients for sustainable growth.
A cosmetic dentist’s checklist: Top marketing tactics to drive practice growth
Getting started with a digital marketing strategy can feel overwhelming for busy cosmetic dentistry practice operators. Fortunately, there’s a set of proven tactics that work in tandem with any traditional marketing efforts you may already have in place. Below is a comprehensive list of the elements that comprise an effective digital marketing and advertising strategy for cosmetic dentists:
A cosmetic dentistry practice’s guide to defining your brand
Developing a strong brand can help your cosmetic dentistry practice differentiate itself from its competitors by establishing a unique style and positioning that stands out in today’s busy digital world.
Before you can develop your cosmetic dentistry brand, you’ll need to do some homework. Who is your target audience, and what is your practice’s geographic reach? Defining these important factors can help you set your strategy.
Next, you’ll need to conduct a competitive analysis of the cosmetic dentistry landscape in your market. Who are your competitors, and what services do they offer? How can you differentiate yourself via the services or patient experience you provide? These thoughtful questions will help you identify your value proposition, a key element of your branding strategy.
Once you’ve determined what will set your cosmetic dentistry practice apart from others in your market, you’re ready to get started developing your brand. If you’re at a loss for where to begin, consider researching cosmetic dentistry practices in other markets to get a sense of what you like and don’t like.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need an expensive marketing agency to get started. All you really need to establish a powerful brand for your cosmetic dentistry practice are these basic elements:
After these brand guidelines have been established, you’ll want to put them to use in your website design, social media channels, and content marketing deliverables, as well as any traditional advertising or marketing strategies you have in place. The use of consistently applied brand standards will make it easier for patients to recognize your brand wherever you may be.
Over time, you’ll want to build upon and strengthen your brand with a powerful website design and web presence that attracts more patients; proven content marketing strategies including blogging, social media, videos, and email campaigns; and a comprehensive reputation management program that features positive testimonials and patient reviews.
Website basics for cosmetic dentistry practices
In most cases, your website is the first place a prospective patient will go when they’re evaluating your cosmetic dentistry practice. Winning them over with memorable web design, exceptional online performance, and engaging and informative content can help you convert visitors into new patients.
To ensure your practice makes a great first impression, your website should include the following elements:
Call to action: Your cosmetic dentistry patients need to know how to schedule an appointment, so make it easy on them. To improve your chances of converting website visitors to new patients, consider offering online scheduling. This will allow patients to schedule at their convenience while freeing up your staff to focus on other tasks. While online scheduling is the gold standard, your practice phone number should also be front and center on each page of the website.
Enhancing your online presence: A guide for cosmetic dentists
Cosmetic dentists have a lot of competition. From traditional dentists who dabble in cosmetic dentistry to the rise in over-the-counter and direct-to-consumer products for teeth straightening and whitening, connecting prospective patients to your unique practice in a digital marketplace is more challenging than ever.
While your website is critical, your web presence should reach far beyond your URL. For those prospective patients looking for a cosmetic dentist in your area who may not yet be aware of your practice, an enhanced online presence will help increase the chances that your practice will show up in their search results. Aside from your website, there are several important ways to increase your web presence:
A cosmetic dentistry practice’s guide to defining your brand
Developing a strong brand can help your cosmetic dentistry practice differentiate itself from its competitors by establishing a unique style and positioning that stands out in today’s busy digital world.
Before you can develop your cosmetic dentistry brand, you’ll need to do some homework. Who is your target audience, and what is your practice’s geographic reach? Defining these important factors can help you set your strategy.
Next, you’ll need to conduct a competitive analysis of the cosmetic dentistry landscape in your market. Who are your competitors, and what services do they offer? How can you differentiate yourself via the services or patient experience you provide? These thoughtful questions will help you identify your value proposition, a key element of your branding strategy.
Once you’ve determined what will set your cosmetic dentistry practice apart from others in your market, you’re ready to get started developing your brand. If you’re at a loss for where to begin, consider researching cosmetic dentistry practices in other markets to get a sense of what you like and don’t like.
Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need an expensive marketing agency to get started. All you really need to establish a powerful brand for your cosmetic dentistry practice are these basic elements:
After these brand guidelines have been established, you’ll want to put them to use in your website design, social media channels, and content marketing deliverables, as well as any traditional advertising or marketing strategies you have in place. The use of consistently applied brand standards will make it easier for patients to recognize your brand wherever you may be.
Over time, you’ll want to build upon and strengthen your brand with a powerful website design and web presence that attracts more patients; proven content marketing strategies including blogging, social media, videos, and email campaigns; and a comprehensive reputation management program that features positive testimonials and patient reviews.
Connecting with prospective cosmetic dentistry patients: Search engine optimization and local search marketing for the win
In today’s digital world, the cosmetic dentistry practices that rise to the top of search engines like Google are most likely to succeed. Whether a prospective patient is simply conducting online research on how to enhance their smile, or is actively seeking a cosmetic dentist, an effective search engine optimization strategy can help your practice gain greater visibility in a digital world.
For cosmetic dentistry practices looking to improve their search engine ranking, you have to put in the work to demonstrate that your practice is relevant, trustworthy and authoritative. Doing so will reinforce your practice’s credibility with Google and will increase your search engine ranking.
While it sounds complicated, many of the proven SEO techniques are founded in common sense and simply require a commitment to basic SEO principles.
Top SEO strategies for cosmetic dentists
Call to action: Your cosmetic dentistry patients need to know how to schedule an appointment, so make it easy on them. To improve your chances of converting website visitors to new patients, consider offering online scheduling. This will allow patients to schedule at their convenience while freeing up your staff to focus on other tasks. While online scheduling is the gold standard, your practice phone number should also be front and center on each page of the website.
Engage new patients with content marketing
Patients who want a better smile have more options today than ever before, and it’s all available with the click of a button. There are over-the-counter solutions for whitening, direct-to-consumer products for straightening, and even natural remedies to consider.
Cosmetic dentists know the products and services they offer frequently outperform these competing services, but nonetheless, they’re all online vying for the same clicks. This is where content marketing can provide a competitive edge.
Cosmetic dentistry practices with an active content marketing strategy can improve their web presence and search engine optimization by providing the valuable information consumers are actively seeking in an online search.
If you’re new to content marketing, here are a few compelling ideas for cosmetic dentists to consider:
Still stumped? Here’s a list of common cosmetic dentistry topics to consider for your next blog post, social media and/or email campaign.
Common Cosmetic Dentistry Symptoms & Conditions
Common Cosmetic Dentistry Procedures & Treatments
Tip: When writing for search engine optimization (SEO), try to think like a patient. Use the questions, keywords and phrases you hear most often from your cosmetic dentistry patients.
Online advertising for cosmetic dentistry
Advertising for cosmetic dentists has shifted from a focus on shiny billboards, magazine and radio ads to effective digital tactics that offer a greater return on investment.
Using advertising can help complement your other marketing strategies by broadening the reach of your efforts — resulting in more patients and stronger practice revenue growth. A few of the most common and effective advertising strategies for cosmetic dentists include:
Growing your cosmetic dentistry practice: Setting the stage for long-term growth
Cosmetic dentistry practices don’t grow without a growth plan. And in order to survive in today’s competitive market, cosmetic dentists should always be looking for new ways to expand their business and improve revenue — doing so is just good business sense. But growth requires a constant focus on acquiring new patients, retaining current patients, and regularly monitoring your practice’s performance.
In addition to marketing and advertising your cosmetic dentistry practice, adopting a practice growth platform can help you keep a pulse on your practice operations at a glance — supporting you in achieving your continuous growth goals. By watching key performance indicators (KPIs) such as the number of new patient leads, new appointments scheduled, the volume of new patient reviews, reputation management insights, website statistics, and search results rankings, practices can determine how effective their patient acquisition and retention efforts are. Having this information at your fingertips can help cosmetic dentists identify trends and make better decisions that support continued growth.
Growing your cosmetic dentistry practice: Setting the stage for long-term growth
Common Cosmetic Dentistry Symptoms & Conditions
Aside from exceptional dental care, today’s savvy cosmetic dentistry patients are looking for convenience and a positive patient experience — that’s what drives loyalty and keeps them coming back. In fact, 70 percent of patients say they’d consider switching their doctor or dentist for convenience and a better patient experience.
That’s why investing in modern digital tools such as online scheduling, telehealth and automated appointment reminders can help support continued practice and revenue growth. Furthermore, practices that focus on nurturing the patient-provider relationship through ongoing communication and education will be positioned for greater long-term success.
