With your goals, resources, and current assessment outlined, you have information to choose the marketing tactics you’ll execute to achieve your goals.
Marketing tactics include the following activities:
- Advertising. If your current activities include print, radio, television or billboards and you have seen good results from these efforts, then be sure to allocate resources for traditional advertising.
- Search engine optimization (SEO). More than 70% of Americans use search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing to look for information about dental services. Making sure your website is near or at the top of the search results requires SEO, a process that incorporates keywords, phrases, into your site and content.
- Website
design. Your
website should provide potential patients with up-to-date information
about your services and give them a view of the experience they’ll have as
your patient.
- A useful website is easy to navigate with logical links and specific pages that contain information of interest to patients.
- Optimized pages include the SEO keywords and phrases patients use when searching for dental services.
- High-quality photography, videos, and graphics create a positive first impression.
- Since potential patients may be searching for dental services on a laptop, tablet, or mobile phone, your site will need to look great across all devices.
- Social media marketing. Having a presence on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram helps you build relationships with patients. Your posts are an extension of your website, with images and messages designed to inform patients and show you’re the dentist for them.
- Online review marketing. Asking patients to share reviews on Google and Yelp provides another touch point for connecting and showing you value your patients.
- Digital
marketing. Your
online marketing activities could include the following:
- Search engine marketing is a process that allows you to ‘bid’ on search phrases such as “pediatric dentist in Pittsburgh.” A search for that phrase brings up your sponsored link to your website. You pay a fee if potential patients click on the link.
- Display advertising includes banner ads on local news sites or industry pages. You’ll pay a fee to display your message that will click to an informative landing page or your website.
- Email marketing can be used in a variety of ways including outreach reminders about appointments, information about new services, or promotions to encourage check-ups.