We have been talking about medical marketing a lot lately, particularly with people taking more control over their health and wellness. Medical marketing encompasses all areas of the medical and wellness industries, including dental marketing. Word of mouth referrals are now giving way to more sophisticated forms of marketing. Let’s explore the reasons why hiring a dental marketing agency makes sense and how you can grow your practice.
Cost Effective
Since most dental offices do not have a marketing position, or even a big marketing budget, hiring an expert is cost- and time- effective. Using a professional agency enables you to get the most return for your investment, even if your budget is modest. A professional will advise you on the areas where you need to spend money to make money as well as where you can save, promising the best ROI.
Website Essentials
Every business needs a website and your dental practice is no exception. It should be the hub of your business and reflect the essence of your practice. Hiring an agency will take your site from basic to brilliant by guiding you on what prospects want: clear information, facts on your dentists and staff members, details about your services and procedures. And help you stay away from red flag deterrents: stock photography, too-good-to-be-true offers, and highly technical info. Use your site to attract new patients, not scare them off or confuse them.
Optimized SEO
A quick Google search for a dentist will give you some options. But what if your office is not on that list? How can you increase your SEO? By hiring a dental marketing pro who specializes in website SEO optimization. Be sure to research their portfolio, rates, and check references as well as reaffirm your goals before committing to an agency. An expert can boost your SEO quickly and effectively.
Social Media Leadership
When you are a dental professional, the first thing on your mind is teeth and gums, not posts and hash tags, so your social media (SM) often gets lost on the to-do list. Hiring a dental marketing professional to manage this will increase your online presence and reduce your stress. Using Facebook, Twitter, and the like will give you an edge over your competitors since social media is part of people's everyday life. Hiring help will enable you to have a strategy, a schedule, and a regular online presence; social media is not effective if you don’t work at it. Use it for patient profiles, images, success stories, discounts and promotions, product reviews, and wellness updates.
Pay Per Click
Used in conjunction with SEO and social media, pay per click (PPC) ad options can take your business to the next level. Working with an agency will help you balance your free promotional opportunities, like social media, with paid marketing approaches such as PPC ads on Google or Facebook. Both options hold value but work best when used together strategically.
Long-Term Solutions
Measuring the results and effectiveness of your newly implemented marketing strategy takes time, something that non-marketers can find frustrating. Having the support of an agency will help you measure your metrics and determine what is and is not working over the long haul. It is important to embark on a relationship that can work over a significant period of time so that you can recognize the results. For example, PPC can be very effective but many people don’t test it out long enough to accurately measure it.
Using a professional is the best way to stay on top of the ever-changing marketing landscape and get the most out of your budget. With the medical industry rapidly evolving along with the world of online marketing and social media, it’s critical to make the most of all of your opportunities. And with your focus on your patients, rely on a marketing expert to focus on your marketing.
If you want to know if inbound marketing is the right strategy for your healthcare organization, download the free eBook below!
