Today, offline and word-of-mouth marketing aren’t enough to grow your client base. Marketing practices have changed and social media has been a major driving force behind that. 36% of Americans have searched for a dentist through social media. 44% of them were happy to establish contact with dentists through social media.

Dentists, like all professions, need to keep up with the latest trends. And we at Opencare understand how challenging it can be to adapt to endless changes. If your business is to survive, you need to stay on top of the rest in the competitive market. 

How can I attract more dental patients?

It’s a great question, but basically put, to get more dental clients, you need to ensure you have a strong web presence. Sites like Yelp, Opencare, and Google My Business can help increase your flow of patients, simply by creating a profile for your business. This profile tells online users about your working hours, the and the services you offer, and includes a direct link to your website. 

It’s best to add SEO-optimized content and commit to paid advertising. 

Why is social media marketing so important for dentists?

Social media is a key marketing strategy. It creates constant interaction, builds trust, and helps dental practices remain relevant among their clients. 

The National Institutes of Health prepared a digital survey for over 22,000 US dentists, with the goal of studying the impact of social media on the dental industry. Results showed 52% of dental practices used social media for marketing — mainly Facebook. 

Over 91% used social media for advertising. Also, younger dentists (under the age of 45) relied on social media more frequently than older dentists.

What are the ideal social media platforms for dentists?

• Facebook

This platform has 2.41 billion active users each month, making it the third-most used site in the world. 71% of American users are adults, and 74% log in every day. This can be valuable for a dental practice.

Facebook is particularly effective for creating constant communication, sharing newsletters, updates, education, or awareness content. Many offices rely on dental Facebook posts to get closer to their clients. Dentists share the articles they write online and get steadier traffic. 

But, regular articles are not the only thing that matters. Facebook is an ideal option for befriending customers. Many clinics share photos of the staff, which helps create a strong bond with all clients. You can also use this option as a turning point for a start-up business.  

• Instagram

Over 1 billion users log in to Instagram every month. That’s why over 75.3% of American companies use this platform in 2020 to advertise their services. It connects clients locally and shares information globally. And clients want to look at photos of previous clients’ results, the office, and even the staff. Visually appealing and varied images can help define your brand. 

But, to achieve these results, you must post original (unedited) content of your services. Customers want to know what they’re paying for. It helps them trust you. And adding hashtags can help ensure more people will read your stories and visit your page. 

• Twitter

63% of the users on Twitter are 35 to 65 years old. Many oral issues tend to affect older patients, so this is the core of your client base as a dental office. If you want to expand your engagement and reach, this is the platform to go for. 

Millions of people use Twitter each day. Therefore sharing facts will build authority and credibility with clients. As long as you opt for a content that resonates with all ages, you can get yourself noticed.

• YouTube

Video content is another effective promotion strategy. Video content is often welcome among the younger generation; it helps them feel at ease when they choose a dental service. 

Videos also give personality. The content resonates with viewers and makes the clinic appear approachable. Even though it requires more time and effort, it will be a turning point when advertising your office. The more content you create, the easier it will be to climb up the marketing ladder. 

• LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a professional social networking platform that is hyper-focussed on work, employees, and professionals. LinkedIn is a great way to reach a niche market and advertise your business professionally. Linkedin is also great to target people with benefits or insurance given to them by their employer.

You can lean into seasonality about using up dental benefits while they’re still active, understanding your dental benefits with new employers, and help professionals understand what they’re covered for.

How about social post ideas?

To get traffic, you have to be creative. It’s about appealing to a wider audience with quality content and useful information. For example, make infographics about interesting dental facts. Clear out any misconceptions or common mistakes people might be facing when they think of going to the dentist. 

Post “before and after” photos of patients who have visited your practice. This will provide the audience with visual proof of your expertise. Plus, if you implement memorable captions and relevant hashtags, you get to boost the search even more. 

Also, add surveys and quizzes. Or better yet, host a Q&A session. When you go live, you can enhance the organic reach and get more patients. Dentists also post videos when they want to communicate directly with patients. 

Some of them use this opportunity to provide clients with a virtual tour. They introduce their clinic, employees, and the technology they use. This will become a practical strategy for any campaign in the future. 

Here’s a social media calendar template!

Plan your marketing efforts strategically and well in advance. This will make the advertising a breeze. But, instead of spending all your energy day by day, you can create a calendar that will organize all the little details. It gives consistency, organization, and coordination. 

To make a calendar, start with:

• Aligning your advertising goals and objectives
• Identifying the target audience
• Defining the competition and brand position
• Establishing a foundation for every advertising effort
• Providing a clear path for growth
• Ensuring an efficient way of using all the resources available
• Creating a metric that will help you track progress 

Think about the followers, traffic, sales, and content you want to create. See if it created any leads by the end of the month and update the strategy from there. Take a look at the template example below. 

Each spreadsheet you create should be as detailed as possible. You can use dates, descriptions, URLs, or anything else you might need to explain your column. Weekly or monthly themes can be even more helpful. 

Social media is essentially about being active and engaging with your followers, The more active you are, the more attention you’ll get. With efficient planning, you can make the whole process go a lot smoother. 

Social networks are a valuable option for promoting dental practice. Since people are embracing these networks as part of their daily lives, you can use them to improve your business. This will create a noticeable advantage and help you outshine the competition. It’s no wonder why so many dental offices use social media as a marketing tactic.