Trendy Marketing Tactics That New Dentists Are Trying to Get More Patients

Emerging onto the scene and hoping to garner widespread recognition from the public, new dentists are experimenting with marketing tactics that would have once been deemed unorthodox. Now, modern-day society views them as trendy and eye-catching, which is why a deluge of dentists are vying to attract additional patients through these methodologies. Dr. Marketing has divulged some of the more popular marketing strategies that new dentists are incorporating in an attempt to help their practice, and name, receive significant traction. 

Can Dentists Use TikTok to Market Their Dental Practice

A video-sharing app that emphasizes brief content ranging from 15 seconds to ten minutes, TikTok has rapidly turned into an exceptional tool for new dentists to gain exposure and promote their practice. In under four years, the app has collected over 3 billion downloads and staked its claim as the quickest-growing social media application ever. 

New dentists are primarily using TikTok to either create and post original content, intended to get the attention of potential patients without paid promotions, or they advertise their dental practice to ensure that it is seen by the target audience. For the advertisements, you will have a clear objective and then choose your target audience, create a headline, video, and motive that will push viewers into some form of action. With a TikTok Pro account, you can access detailed analytics and track your advertisement's overall performance. 

Uploading on TikTok, or any social media platform, the goal for dentists should be engaging content that will earn views and prospective patients. Tutorials and how-to videos are means to achieve this, as plenty of today's consumers prefer short content rather than lengthy lessons. Assuming you can squeeze in a sizeable amount of information into these short videos, it represents a terrific opportunity to be seen and appreciated by consumers. 

Another idea to consider is introducing your dental clinic's team, putting a face to each name, and highlighting how the day-to-day operations are run. Since today's consumers are drawn to visuals more than descriptions, swiftly introducing the dentists and staff that comprise your practice in a video, plus demonstrating the office's routine daily activities, provides them all of the relevant information where and how they want it. 

Dental treatments and products, perhaps the most vital aspects of a dental practice's offerings in the eyes of consumers, can be revealed through a demo video. After undergoing some form of dental work or testing a new product, patients are often keen to share the results on social media platforms. You can do the same by presenting the results of your patients with a video that demonstrates the before and after of a procedure or product usage. Viewers will witness how a patient's oral appearance is transformed right before their eyes and maybe feel compelled to do similar. 

Sharing Your Dental Expertise on a Podcast

Whether it's as a guest or host, podcasting has grown into an outstanding outlet for content marketing, showing an ability to develop great measures of trust and attention from listeners. Podcasting's foundation lies in subscriptions and on-demand listening, giving it all of the benefits of talk radio and then some. 

Although many podcasts offer a video alternative to each episode, the audio option is enticing for listeners because they hit the play button during time that is otherwise spent driving, preparing a meal, mowing the lawn, etc. Videos largely struggle to retain viewers after five minutes, but plenty of podcasts exceed an hour in length and manage to develop a loyal fanbase. Their listeners, in that period, get to know the host, like them and trust them to the point where they continue tuning in. 

As the host of a podcast, you can get started with a simple microphone and record engaging content consistently. Regular recording is pivotal in your efforts to gain listeners, but it also boosts your comfort level in front of the microphone and helps improve your delivery. 

To start, if you're a new dentist, you can focus your podcast on oral healthcare tips and recommendations, answering any questions that patients might be stuck with. Know what information your consumers are after and share content that appeals directly to them. Should you be stumped on this matter, speak to your patients, uncover what concerns they are experiencing, and how you can be of assistance. Online, send out a survey to your email list and pose questions to your social media following. 

Advertising On Local Projects 

For local attention, you can plant your dental practice's information on projects within the area, one of which is advertising on rentable city bikes. Your name and practice will become visible to the public as the riders go about their day and you can even hire a group to wear branded shirts, jackets, and helmets that display your business. 

There are also bike billboard trailers that are towed by bike riders on bike lanes, beach boardwalks, and paths, trike billboards that provide extra space and stability for brand installations, and sidewalk bike signs that serve as billboards in your chosen neighborhoods. 

Bicycle billboards are attention-grabbing for several reasons: they give your dental practice noticeability on the streets that differs from traditional outdoor advertising, they stand out from gas-fueled billboard vehicles and are acknowledged by people, and they connect with people in areas where other advertising isn't seen, and they engage with the public. 

Local events, be they conferences, fairs, or festivals, will generate exposure for your dental practice as well. Determine which events your consumers frequent and then strive to get your information into their hands. If all goes according to plan on the initial attempt, contact the organizers to learn how often these events occur. Who knows, you might later opt to be a sponsor at the events and your dental practice will be spotted by more potential patients. 

Contests For Patients 

All consumers enjoy a contest, particularly when there is a prize to lure them in. At an event, in your dental practice's office, or online, you can get customers involved by creating a fun-filled contest that ends with the winner receiving a practical prize. This low-cost strategy will generate buzz, hopefully, give the consumers an unforgettable experience, and show that you genuinely care about them. 

Brainstorm a few ideas on how you intend to carry out this contest and find the proper approach that will get people participating in numbers. A raffle or an in-person contest is one thought; you can also run a social media contest that entails a question for consumers to answer, resulting in the most creative or captivating response earning the prize. Some ideas that you can contemplate are a comment or photo contest on one of your social media pages, a short video contest, a trivia contest, a product customization contest, a guessing game contest, a product recommendation contest, a photo caption contest, a fill-in-the-blank contest, a logo design contest, and a do-it-yourself contest. 

As you can see, new dentists are embracing the concept of implementing trendy, contemporary marketing tactics, doing their utmost to catch the eyes of consumers, keep them coming back to the practice's online platforms, and convince residents to become patients.

Are you a new dentist looking to attract more patients through these new-fangled techniques? Tentative about making the plunge into one of these fascinating options or simply lack the know-how to get the ball rolling?

Contact our team at Dr. Marketing and discover how you can creatively and effectively express your dental practice's message to a broader consumer base