Share this
Why You Can’t Ignore Your Dental Practice’s Local Presence
by Scott Yoder on Nov 5, 2024 2:11:48 PM
It’s not uncommon at Great Dental Websites for us to get a new dental marketing client that looks upon Google search visibility - and the tactic of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - as the holy grail of marketing. Master SEO, and your new patient flow will be unstoppable. In practice this is rarely true. Visibility on Google is important, but it won’t carry a practice that is otherwise largely invisible.
Also of vital importance is local, offline visibility. These are the ways people find out about your practice when they’re not looking at their phone or laptop. For example, one of the most important marketing decisions a practice makes is one they often don’t even recognize as marketing: the practice location. A dental practice located in a busy area of their community may need little additional advertising to make people aware of them. On the other hand, a practice located in the back of an office park that nobody ever passes may need a great deal of advertising just to gain local brand recognition.
Local presence is also impacted by the Doctor’s personality and presence in the community. Outgoing people who are involved in social, business, and community events have an advantage. If you’re a more reserved personality, you may need to make up for that by doing more local promotions. If you are in a competitive market, your practice location isn’t highly visible, and you are not very engaged in the community on a personal level, it's particularly important that you consider some of the steps below in addition to your online marketing efforts.
Here are some strategies for offline success that will help you establish a strong presence in your community.
Engage with Community Events
Sponsor Local Activities
Consider sponsoring local events such as school sports teams, charity runs, or community festivals. This not only increases your visibility but also demonstrates your commitment to the community. Display your practice's name on banners or uniforms, and set up a booth at events to interact with attendees and distribute promotional materials.
Host Health Fairs
Organize or participate in health fairs where you can provide free dental screenings, oral health education, and demonstrations. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase your expertise while engaging directly with potential patients. Offer free samples of dental products or educational brochures to encourage attendees to remember your practice.
Build Relationships with Local Businesses
Collaborate with Nearby Establishments
Partnering with local businesses can create mutually beneficial relationships. For example, you could collaborate with gyms, health food stores, or childcare centers to offer joint promotions or educational workshops. This not only expands your reach but also builds goodwill within the community.As you create these relationships, look for opportunities to exchange backlinks (a backlink is a text link from one website to another). Backlinks are an important element in SEO rankings, so a few valuable links could elevate your organic search rankings.
School Presentations
Reach out to local schools to offer presentations on oral health for students and parents. Engaging children early about the importance of dental hygiene can create a lasting impression and encourage families to choose your practice for their dental needs.
Open Houses
New practices can host an open house offering refreshments, office tours, giveaways, and maybe even some fun events at a dental office! If you're just opening, schedule this and promote it as an event on social media (particularly Facebook), and with flyers or print ads.
Some practices are successful enough with open houses that they host them annually for new patient outreach and appreciation for existing patients.
Traditional Advertising Methods
Local Print Media
Invest in advertising through local newspapers, magazines, and community newsletters. Highlight any special promotions or unique services that set your practice apart from others in the area.
Direct Mail Campaigns
Create informative postcards or brochures that introduce your practice to local residents. Include special offers for new patients and emphasize any community involvement or unique services you provide. With both mailers and print, shop around to get good pricing on services. Print advertising can be so expensive that it’s hard to get ROI from it.
Build a Strong Network
Join Local Organizations
Become an active member of local business organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce or other networking groups. This will help you connect with other business owners and professionals in the area while increasing your visibility within the community.
Volunteer Your Services
Consider offering free dental services at community events or clinics for underserved populations. Volunteering not only helps those in need but also enhances your reputation as a caring and committed member of the community.
A Healthy Marketing Ecosystem
Google is essential, but waiting around for it to do all the work isn’t in your best interest.
Build a healthy ecosystem where your marketing channels support each other. It isn’t always possible to directly measure how tactics like local brand advertising, social media and SEO/Google Ads support each other, but as you cast a wider net, you’ll see your new patient lead numbers increase.
Imagine you’re a new patient looking for a dental home in your area. Would you become aware of your practice as you went about everyday life in your community? If not, you’re missing a tactic that supports the highest levels of dental marketing success.
Share this
- November 2024 (1)
- October 2024 (4)
- February 2024 (1)
- January 2024 (2)
- December 2023 (1)
- November 2023 (1)
- October 2023 (1)
- September 2023 (2)
- August 2023 (4)
- July 2023 (3)
- June 2023 (2)
- May 2023 (1)
- April 2023 (3)
- March 2023 (2)
- February 2023 (2)
- January 2023 (3)
- December 2022 (2)
- October 2022 (3)
- September 2022 (2)
- August 2022 (2)
- July 2022 (1)
- June 2022 (1)
- May 2022 (1)
- April 2022 (5)
- March 2022 (4)
- February 2022 (20)
- January 2022 (14)
- December 2021 (1)
- November 2021 (4)
- October 2021 (1)
- September 2021 (2)
- August 2021 (12)
- July 2021 (40)
- June 2021 (2)
- May 2021 (5)
- April 2021 (7)
- March 2021 (4)
- February 2021 (13)
- January 2021 (5)
- December 2020 (3)
- November 2020 (24)
- October 2020 (37)