Opening and starting a private dental practice has its challenges, yet can be incredibly rewarding. However, starting the dental practice is only the first leg of the journey. Now that your practice is open for business, it’s important to get business through the door or you won’t be able to keep that same door open for long. Try these five options for attracting new patients.
1. Start a YouTube channel.
The Internet is a very large playground. Knowing this, it’s amazing to know that Google is the most visited website in the entire world. Google owns YouTube and allows YouTube to be the second most visited site. Because so much traffic goes to YouTube on a consistent basis, you’ll want to take advantage of this website for your business. Do some research and search engine optimization efforts to figure out great titles for your videos and create great content. Offer standard answers to typical questions people have when they visit the dentist. You can also answer questions regarding dental health. For example, many people are becoming health-conscious and are using apple cider vinegar as a weight loss drink. Is this safe for the enamel? Address this question in a quick video and share it across all your social media platforms.
2. Offer discounts and specials in the weekly paper.
Whether it’s a big city or a small town, each area has their own weekly newspaper. There are many people who prefer the nostalgic experience of holding a book or a good newspaper in their hands. While they’re reading, you don’t want them to miss out on what you have to offer. Place ads in the weekly paper. Offer specials such as 10% off a routine cleaning for first-time patients. Make sure the ad is in an ideal spot where readers can see it.
3. Share content on Instagram or Facebook.
Many health professionals are creating social media pages to highlight the work they do and how it can impact you. Invest in a high-quality camera and record the dental work you do. Share videos where you replace crowns and install veneers. Make sure you have the permission of the patient. In most cases, viewers will only be able to see the patient’s mouth, but the patient still needs to sign a consent form. Consistently share interesting procedures and promote your work in a way that’s free and can easily go viral. Just like YouTube, many other social media platforms understand the value of video content. If you’d like to really grow your platform, take advantage of the video function on the various social media platforms. Instagram Live and Facebook Live are great ways to directly get in touch with those who are following you. Try to go live on these platforms once a week. Answer questions in real-time and engage your audience. As you do this consistently, you’ll see more engagement. This engagement ends up turning into followers for the long haul.
4. Buy air time on a local radio station.
This may seem like a difficult thing to do, but that’s why research and patience are key to any goal. Go online and check out the requirements for getting on the air. Even if it’s just for a small five-minute segment every day, it’s still air-time and you’ll be able to advertise your dental practice to a lot more people. Do a dental tip of the day or a dental tip of the week. If you don’t have the voice for radio, hire a vocal talent and a writer to write the script making it into a great radio experience. The more people hear something, the more it becomes ingrained in their minds. Hire a musician to create a fun jingle to go along with the short segment. This is especially effective because when people need dental services, your practice will be the first one that comes to their mind.
5. Commit to consistent engagements.
Regularly schedule speaking engagements every month. Visit a school to talk to children about why they should brush their teeth. Do a free clinic at a local church and encourage the parishioners to bring family members and attend. Once your dental practice is a visible force within the community, the more people will know about your services and support what you’re doing.
Attracting new patients might seem like a difficult feat, but it’s best to remember to cast your net wide. Try multiple avenues for marketing. Before long, you’ll be able to see which ones get the most traction and fine tune those. In the beginning, you’ll want to try a wide range and see which ones work the best. Start with these options.