The perfect smile is becoming more and more of a necessity. Influencers everywhere flaunt the gleaming smiles we all dream of having – so how do you capture those seeking the same? How do you make your dental practice stand out from the rest? The answer is effective dental marketing strategies.

Whether for general dental or complete cosmetic makeovers, the right dental marketing strategy can ensure your practice beats out the competition.

What Makes For An Effective Dental Practice Marketing?

The days of a simple sign or add in the yellow pages are well and truly over. If you feel your dental practice could benefit from effective marketing (and let’s face it, every business can) then there are a few key aspects you need to focus on. 

Visibility

This one is pretty straightforward, if you want people to know your business, you need to make yourself visible. For the vast majority of the population, when we need a dentist, we Google. 

Studies have shown us that ‘the first page wins’ – that is to say, that once a Google search is completed, 75% of users never scroll beyond that first page. This means that if you cannot be seen in that first search, you’re losing out on business.  

Credibility 

When marketing a dental practice there are a few elements to overcome that other businesses do not face. One of these is fear  – most of us do not relish the idea of going to see the dentist as often this is associated with discomfort or pain. As a result, we rely on the recommendations of friends or family to help us find a dentist we can trust. 

The right marketing strategy will support this credibility provided by friends and family by demonstrating how your practice puts its patients first. 

Social Proof 

Social proof or social influence is a phenomenon whereby people copy the behavior and actions of others. It is a basic human instinct to follow the behavior of others – this means the more your business is spoken about, the more in demand you’ll be. 

The best way to achieve success in all of these areas? Facebook Marketing. 

What is Facebook Marketing?

Facebook marketing is exactly as it sounds – using Facebook to promote and maintain your presence and garner attention for your business. Facebook marketing can be both organic (unpaid) or boosted (paid).  The marketing is done through a variety of posting methods and is used to encourage reviews, run special offers, educate, increase connection, introduce your staff, advertise jobs, and more.

Posting methods include photo posts, videos, live Q&A sessions, linked content (think blogs, podcasts, etc as mentioned earlier), watch parties and pinned posts that give you creative control.  

Why Is It important? 

Facebook has over 2.8 billion users globally, it is the biggest and most accessible platform via which you can engage with your audience. Through Facebook Marketing, you can strengthen your patient relationships and grow your business. Regardless of whether your business is just starting out or already has a large client base, Facebook Marketing needs to be part of your marketing strategy. 

How Can A Dentist Use Facebook To Their Advantage? 

Facebook provides a link and more personal connection between a dentist, their practice, and the patient’s present and future. It allows an opportunity that other marketing does not, for interaction and targeted marketing. When done well, it can drive more business, boost your practice’s image, and help you stand out from the competition.

Top Tips For A Winning Facebook Dental Marketing Strategy 

  1. Define Your Audience 

Who are you wanting to reach? Facebook allows you to target your preferred audience through customization for maximum impact. You can create your ads to target specific income brackets, family types, age, occupations, level of education, and a whole host of other areas. 

To help you narrow down who your target demographic is, Facebook offers a free Audience Insight tool. Without knowing who your potential customer is, you’re unlikely to ever reach them. 

2. Set Goals

What do you hope to achieve through your marketing? Setting measurable goals such as lead generation, an increase in conversions on your website, improved patient numbers, etc. This will support you to create ads that work to achieve these goals. 

3. Develop A Winning Content Mix

The rule of thumb is to use an 80-20 mix, 80% should be to inform, educate and entertain and the remaining 20% for advertising. Talk too much about your practice and how great you are and you’ll find your audience zones out in a hurry. 

Exchanging a variety of quality content with your audience builds trust and gives your practice a professional and authentic presence. Engaging content that piques audience interest is also more likely to be shared – widening your reach even further.  

4. Test Your Strategy 

Some posts performing better than others or differently than expected? Before changing the entire approach, tweak one aspect first such as the imagery OR text. Avoid changing an entire post in one go or you lose a valuable opportunity to learn what is resonating or underperforming with your audience. This also allows you to optimize your Facebook Marketing budget and ad spend. 

5. Show Your Humanity 

Ultimately we are human beings and we trust human connection. Include videos and images of your staff, this not only creates a connection with patients but makes your practice more relatable. Knowing genuine, friendly people are waiting to help is a winning strategy for bringing in new patients, especially those who feel anxiety around dental work. 

Unsure Where To Begin? We Can Help 

At HIP Creative We help independent dental practices become authorities in their space. Our Patient Acquisition and Retention Framework™ (PARF) places you in control. Giving you the tools to find and keep patients while growing your practice for long-term health. 

Our team of expert consultants, creatives, and marketing professionals take the confusion and overwhelm out of marketing your dental practice. Whether you need support for utilizing Facebook Marketing, SEO optimization of your website, email marketing, video production or even drilling down into defining your brand identity – we can help. 

For winning dental marketing strategies on Facebook and so much more, contact HIP Creative.