8 Proven Dental Practice Marketing Ideas to attract Patients
In today’s cutting edge age, online media and marketing have turned into a fundamental part of any business – even for Dental Practices. The reality is that more individuals have transitioned to looking for data on the web, including health information. So as a Doctor it does not matter nowadays how renowned you are if you are not visible enough online. And we believe every Doctor will agree to this.
In fact, PWC facts and Statistics can tell you a better story of the impact of social media on the healthcare industry:
Percentage of consumers viewing health information through social media
Realizing how critical it has become for every Doctor to make their online presence vibrant enough through social media and overall digital channels we have come up with 8 Proven Medical Practice Marketing Ideas to attract Patients in 2017
1. Make your Local SEO or Local Listing right:
When a patient is looking for doctors in a particular locality for a particular specialization these days it always starts with searching in Google, Yahoo, or Bing with keywords like “General Physician near M.G Road Pune” or “Orthopedics in Andheri West, Mumbai”. So it is very critical for every Doctor to claim local listing in search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. These search Engines will display the information that you shared when patients in your area search.
But beware of the Discovery or Listing Platforms which may promise new patients but may compromise your existing patient’s data. So it is very important and critical from conflict of interest perspective that you do NOT share your existing patient’s data with the Listing Platform. So, use practice management software that does NOT have a listing platform and use listing platforms just to get new patients, not to manage the practice.
2. Optimize your local listings.
Now once you have claimed your listing you need to verify.
Fill out as much information as possible to make your listing stand out.
- Add good quality photos of your practice
- Fill out hours and specialities
- Add a short description about your practice covering all keywords like locality, specialization etc
- Also share your website or appointment booking link so that everything becomes handy.
3. Market your Practice in Facebook for free
Facebook is one of the most effective tools for connecting with your existing patients and spreading awareness of your practice in order to gain new patients. However, many healthcare providers are using Facebook too infrequently, or using it in the wrong way. In facebook, as a Doctor, it is not enough just to have a facebook page of your clinic or just joining Doctors groups. You need to think at every step how you can increase engagement of patients to grow your Clinics presence organically. Here are few ways on, how to connect and get new patients from Facebook.
- a. Grow your network with your existing patients in a way that they become your brand ambassadors and spread your name through Facebook.
Bestosys has a feature which helps you to get your patients to ‘Like’ and ‘Share’ your page easily.Like makes the patient a follower of your page and Share will make the page visible to patient’s friends on facebook. This is one unique way you can reach out to a wider audience without spending any money on Facebook Ads. Most importantly, you are reaching out to people through their friend; it’s lot more powerful than they finding you as ‘an unknown doctor’ on online search!
- b. Facilitate Appointment booking via Facebook
You can take appointments directly from Facebook if you don’t want to manage the website of your own. Your appointment booking software should have integration features with your Facebook Page directly.With Bestosys, Appointment Booking can be easily integrated with Facebook Page.
- c. Get testimonials from your happy patients and publish them on Facebook
When a patient is happy, get their testimonial and publish it on facebook. Bestosys lets you get the testimonial easily on your own mobile or on the patient’s mobile. Then you can review it within Bestosys. If you choose to publish it, you can mark it for publishing. Instantly, it becomes visible on your facebook page and/or your website. You can unpublish any testimonial anytime.
- d. Engage more in Facebook Community giving answers to various problems
4. Create Mobile-Friendly Website and Integrate with Appointment Booking Software directly
Create Mobile friendly website showing all degrees and specialization. Website should be with clear messaging and mobile friendly so that patients can read and find out information easily. It should have integrated appointment booking options so that you can take appointment directly. You should avoid platforms which offer appointment booking along with discovery and listing services. As you may compromise your patient’s data with such Listing providers.
Bestosys, Appointment Booking can be easily integrated with your website. It takes care of all headache of Appointment Booking including Reminders, alerts, notifications etc.
5. Share your knowledge as health tips and advice through Blogging
Blogging increases visibility in terms of Search Engine.After creating your website, integrate that with Blogging. Make blogging as a habit. Share health tips, knowledge, recommendations, diets, exercise etc through blogs with patients through SMS, Whatsapp, Facebook Page.
Bestosys can easily share blogs with Patients through SMS or Facebook Page across your network.
6. Send out appointment reminders.
Patients appreciate extra attention like appointment reminders. If your practice uses appointment booking software you can easily automate appointment reminders and such reminders can be sent from your own SMS sender ID.“DM-DrAjay”. When you use your own sender id, it differentiates you from the crowd. It reinforces your personal branding in patient’s mind. You can Sign Up free & use Bestosys.
7. Engage with your Patient and make them feel you care for them.
Engage with your Patient frequently so that they feel you as their caring doctor. This will increase your visibility in your patients and their relatives mind.
Send personalized birthday wishes and festival greetings to your patients. Each message should begin with patient name and end with yours. This kind of personalization differentiates your messages from those sent by others. Bestosys lets you do this automatically and effortlessly.
This kind of personalization and visibility is also possible with Bestosys. You can automate the whole process without taking the headache of remembering anything.
8. Use Youtube as a powerful channel to market your health tips.
You can create youtube videos and record them via google hangout and upload it on youtube. Here is a quick video guide by Sarah Kostusiak how you can create videos with Youtube and Google Hangout.
Again, you can share your youtube videos with your patients on facebook page and also share with your patients through Bestosys