Digital Marketing the Traditional Way
While dentistry is a niche market it is vital that you stay on top of your marketing strategies both with traditional and digital marketing.
This is especially important if you want long term business success. Remember, staying on top of things means being fresh and unique.
With that being said it can be challenging to come up with new and innovative ways to attract new patients.
Traditional Marketing is Still Relevant
Traditional marketing is still very current although it has just changed a bit. All things considered it is like everything in life. It must be relevant.
Simply said, traditional marketing has to be pertinent in today’s climate.
Traditional Marketing Tools Consist Of:
- Direct mail
- Magazines
- Newspapers
- Radio/TV
- Billboards
- Taxi/Bus Wraps
- Roadside Signage
- Telemarketing
- Window Displays
- Outdoor/Indoor Signage
Smart marketing teams blend traditional marketing with digital marketing strategies as it is the best way to reach more people. Nevertheless, some forget, or have never learned how.
Digital Marketing is Becoming Very Relevant
While some dental practices haven’t entirely embraced the digital marketing band wagon others have. In fact, some have even been able to create a nice balance between voice search marketing and traditional mail outs.
Digital marketing tools consist of:
- Social Media Marketing
- Voice Search Marketing
- Online Marketing
- Text Marketing
- Chatbots
- Content Marketing
- Pay Per Click
- SEO
- AI Marketing
Digital Marketing and Dentistry
These and other online tools will help you reach and most importantly engage with your new found audience. They will also help you keep those fans and followers.
When you combine these marketing efforts with your traditional ones you are well on your way to grabbing the lion’s share of the dental market. However, not everyone has a full toolbox when it comes to dental marketing, conventional or otherwise.
Below are some ideas that just can help you combine your traditional and digital marketing strategies.
1. Intent Data and Cold Calling
While some marketers say cold calling is, “No longer useful,” others disagree. However, cold calling in the 21st century is far different than it once was.
When you add the data you receive online into your cold calling script you will know who is interested and who could care less. So in essence your cold calls become warm calls.
Knowing who wants more info on dental implants or tooth whitening helps narrow the playing field saving everyone time and money.
If you are using team members as marketing agents you know how important time is to the rest of the dental practice.
Before making that call, ask your team, or marketing expert to locate potential patients. Ask marketers to learn as much as possible about prospects. When you do you’ll have a better chance of finding those who want and need your services.
2. Print Media and Deep Media Nurturing
The goal with deep media nurturing and print media is to grab as much attention as possible across every available channel. This makes conversion easier.
Although print isn’t the star of the show like it used to be, magazines and newspapers are still popular.
Print media has several advantages, for example, they are much less in your face than digital ads. Print advertising also offers more flexibility for dental ad placement.
Programmatic display advertising, running ads in online newspapers, involves bidding. Unfortunately you could lose out when it comes to placement in a popular magazine or search engine.
With magazines and newspapers you are in control as is also the case with electronic billboards.
Electronic billboards allow you to geo-target your ads so that potential patients have the opportunity to visit your dental practice. Geo-targeting means attracting those who are looking for a local dentist.
3. Local/ Online Events and AMB
Account Based Marketing, or ABM is used to engage and target accounts that you already have and those patients who are interested in your dental products and services.
By supporting the power of account based marketing along with live event marketing you are getting the best out of both.
For example, you can easily target the people you know would be attending and telling their friends about your live event using online data from website subscribers and social media fans and followers.
With AMB marketing you can pinpoint groups that show interest in your type of live event as well. Try and research to find out what type of events yield the highest attendance rates for even more success.
By maximizing your potential with account based marketing you are reaching a much broader audience, especially when you combine it with your social media marketing efforts.
4. Conventional Content and Geotargeting
When you combine the power of banners and billboards with geotargeting you are helping drive brand awareness while reinforcing your mission as a local dentist. Geotargeting also helps you engage with new fans and followers.
Dentainment recommends finding the geolocation of the website visitors. This will help you custom design content based on your potential patients location.
You can place messages on outdoor signage and billboards that attract people who live in your local area. Google makes it easy with journey maps and other online tools as well.
It’s important to note that when you place your ads in locations based on your users you’ll have better luck with conversion rates.
Don’t forget bus stops and other outdoor signs to bring in foot traffic. Moreover, if you really want to attract attention consider a Muriel painted by a local artist.
5. Combining Email and Direct Mail
Combining email and direct mail can be tricky, especially when you consider how many people send most of it to the spam file.
To avoid this be careful how you compose and send your email blasts. You must offer something of value. If you don’t, you may never have the chance to offer anything again. Don’t run the risk of losing them, especially if they replied to an email.
6. Personalizing is Key
Personalizing your email blasts is essential. You can do this by examining patient data or checking out your fans and followers on social media.
In addition add a short video clip to the teaser in your email. According to research people are more inclined to open an email if it has a video along with it.
Try sending follow up postcards or coupons. Firstly it shows those who have been engaging via email that you appreciate their business. Secondly, it is an excellent way to get those on the fence into your waiting room.
Regardless of how you advertise your dental practice the key is personalization. From your social media and video marketing to your postcards and in-office dental marketing you must personally engage every enquiry.
Traditional Marketing the Modern Way
When you practice both types of advertising you are covering all bases. This ensures that you are reaching those who prefer to do business online and those who don’t. Furthermore, you are attracting people you may not have been able to reach when you geotarget your billboards and spend money on social media marketing.
Whatever you do be sure to incorporate your efforts with sound ideas that will help your practice grow.
Traditional and Digital Marketing Help
Another way to watch your dental practice grow is with NexHealth as you don’t have to worry about patients booking appointments. It really is the best way to combine traditional, old school answering service, and digital, online booking service.
If you would like to learn more about combining traditional and digital marketing, call or send a direct message and talk to a team member from Dentainment today.
