Running a successful dental practice requires a constant flow of new patients and retention of existing clients. In today’s highly competitive market, dental practitioners must implement creative and cost-effective marketing ideas to attract new patients and retain existing ones. Without a well-executed marketing strategy, practices risk losing many patients and revenue.

What are some common dental marketing mistakes? In a world where potential patients have numerous options for dental care, practices that don’t invest in marketing or at least approach a dental marketing agency are likely to get left behind. They may struggle to bring in new patients and lose existing ones to more visible and engaging competitors. Over 90% of patients say they would consider switching dentists if they found a better online presence. Additionally, not retaining existing patients leads to a negative reputation for the dental practice or even closure.

Implementing creative and cost-effective marketing ideas can help dental practitioners increase patient acquisition and retention. Dental marketing ideas should also focus on building patient relationships and creating a positive experience. This way, dental practices can establish themselves as industry leaders, build patient trust and loyalty, and secure long-term success.

1. Establish Your Brand 

Establish Your Brand Identity

Creating a successful dental brand requires establishing a unique identity that distinguishes you from your competitors. Start by defining the values, mission, and vision of your dental practice that you want to convey to your patients. Use this for developing a messaging strategy that resonates with your target patients. Consider what type of patient you want to attract and tailor your brand message to appeal to their needs and interests. Establishing a consistent and clear brand identity can create a loyal following and attract new patients who share your values.

Let’s say your dental practice is focused on providing a calming and relaxing environment for patients who experience anxiety when visiting the dentist. Your brand identity could be centered around providing a stress-free experience. Use messaging that highlights the soothing mood of your office or how your team is trained to help patients feel more comfortable during their visit. Your brand values include a commitment to patient care, kindness, and empathy.

Create a Unique and Professional Logo

Your dental logo puts a face to your name, and it’s essential to make it memorable and professional. Enlist a talented graphic designer to create a dental logo that reflects your brand identity and values. It’s vital that your dental logo is also easily recognizable and scalable to fit all marketing materials. Use your logo consistently across all your marketing channels, from your website to your business cards.

Use a logo incorporating cityscape elements if your dental practice is in a vibrant urban place. For example, you could use a color scheme with bright colors and bold lines or a skyline graphic in your logo design. This type of logo would be visually striking and modern and help your practice stand out from other dental offices in the neighborhood.

Develop Your Brand Voice

Your brand voice is how you communicate with your patients and convey your brand’s values and personality. Determine the tone you want to use in your messaging, whether friendly, formal, approachable, or professional. Your voice should be consistent across all marketing channels, from print advertising to your social media platform.

What are some ways to make dental marketing more personal? If your dental practice is focused on providing personalized care to each patient, your brand voice could be friendly and warm. Use language that emphasizes your desire to provide care tailored to their needs and get to know each patient. Your messaging could include phrases like “your comfort is our top priority” or “we treat you like family.” This brand voice would help establish familiarity and trust with your patients and set your practice apart from others that may provide a more impersonal or clinical experience.

2. Develop a Unique Selling Proposition

A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is a statement that defines what makes your dental practice different and valuable to your target audience. To develop a strong USP, you must identify your practice’s strengths and determine what sets you apart from other businesses in your area. Your USP should be clear and concise to capture the attention of potential patients.

Here are some creative examples of how you can develop a unique selling proposition for your dental practice:

Affordable Dentistry

If your practice offers affordable dental services, you could use this as your USP. Your USP could be “Get the dental care you need without breaking the bank” or “Affordable dental care that doesn’t compromise on quality.”

Personalized Care

 If your practice focuses on personalized patient care, you could use this as your USP. Your USP could be “We treat you like family, not just another patient” or “Experience personalized dental care that puts your needs first.”

Expertise in Cosmetic Dentistry

 If your practice specializes in cosmetic dentistry, you could use this as your USP. Your USP could be “Get the perfect smile you’ve always wanted with our cosmetic dentistry expertise” or “Transform your smile with our expert cosmetic dentistry services.”

Convenient Scheduling

If your practice offers extended hours, weekend appointments, or online scheduling, you could use this as your USP. Your USP could be “We work around your schedule, not the other way around” or “Convenient scheduling to fit your busy lifestyle.”

Pain-free Dentistry

This could be your unique selling proposition if your practice offers pain-free dentistry. You can emphasize using advanced dental technology to provide pain-free and comfortable treatment. Your USP could be “We make your dental experience stress-free and pain-free.”

3. Create a Comprehensive Marketing Plan 

A comprehensive dental marketing plan should include a mix of offline and online marketing strategies tailored to the unique goals and needs of the dental practice. In creating a comprehensive marketing plan, one must remember to:

Set Clear Goals

A clear goal is the first step in creating a successful marketing plan. For instance, a dental practice might want to increase patient acquisition by a certain percentage, enhance brand awareness or improve online reviews. Over 60% of patients report that they are more likely to choose a dental practice with a website that includes patient reviews.

One example of a comprehensive marketing plan is an SEO optimization plan. This could involve building backlinks to their website, publishing regular blog posts with targeted keywords, and creating a dental practice website optimized for search engines. You could also improve the user experience. Over 70% of patients say they are more likely to choose a dental practice with a website that is easy to use and navigate. The plan could include local SEO optimization, such as listing on local directories and a Google My Business page.

Another example of a comprehensive marketing plan is that a dental practice could create a brand awareness campaign to establish itself as the go-to dental clinic in the area. This could include online reviews, flyers, billboards, and social media ads. The campaign could promote the clinic’s unique value proposition, such as cutting-edge technology or personalized care.

Establish a Budget

Establish a budget once the goals are clear. This is crucial to ensure the dental practice can allocate the necessary resources to achieve its goals. The budget should cover all aspects of the marketing plan, including offline and online advertising, content creation, website design, social media marketing, and SEO.

4. Develop a Content Strategy

By developing a content strategy, you can build lasting relationships with your patients and establish your practice as a trusted source of dental information. 

Identify Your Target Audience 

Your target audience could be diverse, including seniors needing dentures, adults seeking cosmetic dentistry, or parents looking for children’s dental care. Once you identify your target patients, you can tailor your content to their concerns and needs.

Create Engaging Content

To create engaging content, aim to provide solutions to your target audience’s pain points. For example, you could create blog articles about the latest dental technology or tips for maintaining healthy teeth. You could also create content such as patient testimonials or instructional videos.

Develop a Content Calendar

To ensure organization and consistency, developing a content calendar is essential. This calendar should outline your monthly content plan, including topics, deadlines, and publishing dates. This will help you provide consistent and valuable content for your patients. It will also allow you to plan for promotions or seasonal events.

5. Explore Digital Marketing Strategies

With the help of a lot of online strategies, dental practices can effectively promote their services and engage with potential patients. 

Social Media

Social media are an excellent opportunity to reach potential patients and build relationships with existing patients. Dentists can use platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook to showcase their expertise, share patient success stories, and provide educational content. Over 50% of patients say they are more likely to choose a dental practice with a website with educational content.

By leveraging the power of social media, dental practices can build a robust online presence and foster a loyal community of patients. Over 80% of patients report being more likely to choose a dental practice with an active social media presence.

Paid Advertising

Something to consider is the part paid advertising plays in having a significant impact. Paid advertising can be a great way to reach potential patients and increase your visibility and sales growth. Google Ads can help you target people searching for a specific dental service in your area. On the other hand, Facebook Ads can help you reach a particular demographic of potential patients, such as seniors or young parents. And with YouTube Ads, you can create engaging video content that showcases your practice and services. Video marketing is a great chance to engage with potential patients and show them your services. 

SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) is a great way to ensure your website is visible to potential patients. Optimizing your website with valuable content, high-quality backlinks, and relevant keywords can attract more organic traffic and boost your visibility on search engines. And with the right digital marketing strategy, you can position yourself as the go-to dental practice in your vicinity.

6. Leverage Social Media Platforms

Dental practices can take advantage of the benefits of social media platforms to reach new patients and educate, engage, and build trust with their existing patient base.

Content

Content marketing is essential to dental marketing, allowing doctors to share valuable information with their patients. Creating unique and informative content, such as blogs, videos, and infographics can help educate potential patients about the dental process, tips for oral health, or symptoms and effects of a dental condition. This can establish a practice as a thought leader in the industry and create a stronger bond between the course and its patients.

Another way to leverage social media platforms is to showcase before and after photos of dental treatments. Over 40% of patients say they are more likely to choose a dental practice with a website that includes before and after pictures of previous patients. This can be a powerful way to demonstrate the effectiveness of different treatments and showcase the results that patients can achieve. Sharing these photos on social media can help build credibility and trust with potential patients searching for the proper dental practice.

Engagement

Remember the importance of engagement! Social media contests, promotions, and giveaways can be a fun and creative way to interact with patients and attract new followers. By offering incentives such as free teeth whitening or a discount to those who engage in social media posts, practices can turn their followers into loyal patients and advocates.

Branding

Don’t forget that consistency is key to branding on social media. Using the same colors, logos, and messaging across all platforms can help create a cohesive and recognizable brand that patients can quickly identify. By optimizing social media profiles with complete and accurate information, dental practices can make it easier for potential patients to find them online and learn more about their services.

Social media platforms can be a powerful dental marketing strategy to attract new patients, educate and engage their existing patient base, and build a solid online presence. 

7. Identify and Leverage Technology 

Leverage Automation Technology

Why spend time on repetitive tasks when you can automate them? Dental practices can utilize automation technology to streamline their operations and focus on providing quality patient care. By implementing automated appointment reminders, follow-ups, and confirmations, dental practices can reduce the workload on their staff and increase efficiency. But that’s not all – by leveraging chatbots, dental practices can offer 24/7 support for customers, answer common questions, and book appointments. Patients will greatly appreciate the convenience and responsiveness of an automated system, leading to a higher level of customer satisfaction and retention.

Utilize Online Scheduling Platforms

Say goodbye to phone tag and hello to online scheduling! With online scheduling platforms, dental practices can allow patients to book appointments anytime from any device. These platforms eliminate the need for phone calls and enable patients to schedule appointments quickly and easily. 

How can dental marketing be used to increase patient loyalty? You can send an automated reminder to patients, reducing the risk of no-shows and cancellations. By providing a seamless scheduling experience, dental practices can increase patient loyalty and attract new patients through positive word-of-mouth.

Explore Innovative Technologies 

Dental practices can explore innovative technologies to differentiate themselves from competitors and improve the patient experience. For example, dental companies can leverage virtual reality to help patients relax during a dental procedure or use 3D printing to create custom dental prosthetics. Dental practices can also use digital scanners to make more accurate impressions and provide faster treatment times. Exploring innovative technologies can create a buzz around a dental practice, attract new patients, and improve the overall patient experience.

8. Utilize Search Engine Optimization

SEO can make your dental practice stand out in a sea of competitors. By optimizing their website and content for search engines, dental practices can improve their rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs) and direct more traffic to their site. It all starts with understanding your audience. Over 70% of Americans are actively searching online for dental services. You need to know your target consumers, what kind of content they find valuable, and what they are actually searching for. With this knowledge, you can optimize your content and website to match their preferences and needs. 

Keyword Research

To effectively utilize SEO in dental marketing, practices should conduct thorough keyword research. This involves identifying the phrases and search terms potential patients use to find dental services online. Once these keywords have been identified, you can incorporate them into the website’s on-page elements, metadata, and content to improve their relevance to search engines.

Backlinks

In addition to on-page optimization, dental practices should also focus on building high-quality backlinks to their website. A link from another reputable website can improve your practice’s authority and trustworthiness in the eyes of search engines, which can result in more traffic and higher rankings.

Local Optimization

Another important aspect of dental SEO is local optimization. This involves optimizing the practice’s website and other online properties (such as Google My Business listings) to appear prominently in local search results. This is particularly important for dental practices that serve a specific geographic area, as it can help them attract more local patients.

Finally, dental practices should regularly monitor and analyze their SEO performance to identify areas for improvement. By tracking key metrics such as keyword rankings, backlink profiles, and website traffic, dental practices can adjust their tactics and strategies to maximize their results over time.

9. Utilize Traditional Marketing Strategies 

What are some common objections to dental marketing? In today’s digital age, traditional marketing strategies have become obsolete. However, that is far from the truth, especially when it comes to promoting dental services. Conventional marketing strategies have a proven track record of success, and incorporating them into your dental marketing plan can help you reach a broader audience.

What are some dental marketing ideas that have been successful in the past? Word-of-mouth marketing is a form of a traditional strategy that should not be overlooked. Encourage your current patients to refer their friends and family to your practice by offering incentives such as discounts for insurance transactions or a complimentary dental hygiene product. Creating a referral program can be a great way to get more patients. Patient referrals can be incredibly powerful and can help you build a loyal patient base over time.

Sponsoring local events is another effective way to promote your dental services through traditional marketing strategies. You can partner with or sponsor community events such as charity runs, school fairs, or health fairs to get your brand in front of a large audience. To increase brand recognition, you can also give away promotional items, such as dental products for flossing and brushing.

Another traditional marketing idea that can be effective for brands is print advertising. Placing ads in local newspapers or magazines can help you reach a large audience and build your brand in the community. Ensure your ads are visually appealing and feature a solid call to action, such as offering a free cleaning or a special payment plan for new patients. Offering discounts and promotions can be a great way to attract new patients.

Finally, direct mail marketing is one of the most effective traditional marketing strategies for promoting dental services. Sending a newsletter, postcards, flyers, or brochures to potential patients in your city can be an excellent way to generate interest and create awareness of your services. How can dental marketing be targeted to specific demographics? You can target your mailings based on demographics such as age, income, and location, which can help you reach your ideal audience.

10. Measure Your Marketing Success 

Measuring and tracking performance is paramount in understanding the impact of your marketing efforts and confirming that you are receiving your determined outcomes. It is essential to gauge your success to stop carelessly investing in marketing strategies that don’t bring you the sought-after ROI.

Quantifiable standards, referred to as key performance indicators (KPIs), can be used to gauge the effectiveness of your dental marketing initiatives. What are some ways to measure the effectiveness of dental marketing campaigns? Types of KPIs for dental marketing include website visitors, transition numbers, social media interest, internet reviews, and email list open and click-through rates. Email marketing is an effective way to keep in touch with existing patients and reach out to potential patients. A pay-per-click (PPC) ad is also one of the marketing opportunities worth exploring. 

To accurately evaluate your advertising initiatives’ success, you must clearly outline the objectives for each marketing campaign. This will help ascertain which indicators are most practical to monitor and which analytics to pay attention to. For instance, to boost web traffic, you should follow the number of individual viewers, the time used on the website, and the rate of leaving abruptly. 

It is essential to observe your dental marketing performance continually and adjust accordingly. This involves charting your key performance indicators and comparing them to your objectives to determine if you are progressing or need to review your marketing approach.

Lastly, it is essential to have tools to evaluate data. This can include using programs such as Google Analytics or other analytics programs to monitor your KPIs and generate summaries to assist you in making data-supported conclusions regarding your marketing strategies.

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What Is the Most Effective Dental Marketing Strategy?

When it comes to dental marketing, the most effective strategy is to combine various tactics. Some of the most successful strategies include leveraging patient referrals and reviews to build trust and credibility, creating high-quality content showcasing expertise, and developing a robust online presence through social media marketing and search engine optimization (SEO).

2. How Can I Maximize My Return on Investment in Dental Marketing?

It’s essential to focus on tactics that have proven effective in maximizing your return on investment in dental marketing, such as targeting specific keywords with SEO or running highly targeted social media ads. It’s also essential to track your results and adjust your strategy accordingly to improve your ROI continuously.

3. What Are the Best Ways to Reach My Target Audience With Dental Marketing?

Reaching your target audience with dental marketing requires a multi-channel approach combining online and offline tactics. Some of the best ways to reach your target audience include email marketing to keep your existing patients informed and engaged, leveraging social media to engage with potential patients, and optimizing your website for local search.

4. What Should I Consider When Creating a Dental Marketing Plan?

When creating a dental marketing plan, it’s essential to consider factors such as your goals, budget, and target audience. You should also research your competitors and identify any gaps or opportunities in the market that you can leverage to differentiate your practice and stand out from the crowd.

5. How Can I Measure the Success of My Dental Marketing Efforts?  

Measuring the success of your dental marketing efforts requires a combination of quantitative and qualitative metrics. Some key metrics to track include leads generated, website traffic, patient acquisition costs, and patient satisfaction ratings. By analyzing this data continuously, you can make data-driven decisions to improve your overall performance and optimize your marketing strategy.

Dental Marketing for Free? Yes, Here Are 57 Ways to Market Your Dental Practice for Free!

As a dental professional, you know that marketing your practice is essential to success. But what if you don’t have a lot of money to spend on marketing? Don’t worry – there are plenty of free dental marketing strategies that you can use to get the word out about your practice. 

This blog post will discuss 57 ways to market your dental practice for free. We will cover everything from online marketing to offline marketing to community outreach initiatives. So whether you are just starting out or looking for more advanced tactics, this blog post has something for everyone!

Why Free Marketing?

If you are new to dental marketing or starting a new practice, you may not have much money to invest in marketing. There are a few reasons why free marketing is a good idea, even if you have the budget to spend on paid advertising. Free marketing is a great way to get started.

Free marketing can be just as effective as paid advertising. It can be more effective in some cases because people are more likely to trust free information than paid information. When you provide valuable content for free, people are more likely to respond positively. It’s a great way to build relationships with potential patients.

Now that we have discussed some of the benefits of free marketing let’s look at 57 different ways to market your dental practice for free.

Assortment of Dental Marketing Ideas

Online Dental Marketing Ideas

There are many free online dental marketing ideas that you can use to reach potential dental patients. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective online marketing ideas:

1. Register with Google My Business.

  • Increase traffic to your website and business.
  • Complete all sections for best results.
  • Update often with new posts.
  • Provides a place for your happy dental patients to review your dental practice.
  • Update often with new posts.

2. Create a dental blog.

  • Attract and nurture leads.
  • Capture and engage with new and existing customers.
  • Drive traffic to your website by increasing your dental website rankings on Google.

3. Guest blog for others.

  • Can increase social media shares to your content.
  • Boost your follower count.
  • Increase your network.
  • Build your backlink profile.

4. Host a free webinar.

  • Teach dental patients about a new procedure
  • Teach dental patients why your in-house plan is a great way to save money while getting the care they want and need.
  • Teach dental patients about new technology that will benefit them.

5. Comment, comment, comment!

  • Comment on dental posts or pages.
  • Comment on dental blogs.
  • Link back to your site when appropriate.

6. Post helpful, fun videos.

  • Show your personality.
  • Provide great content.
  • Connect with your audience.
  • End every video with a call to action.

7. Publish new content.

  • Boost your website visibility on Google.
  • Increase traffic.
  • Educate your audience and give them a reason to keep coming back.

8. Join and participate in relevant industry forums.

  • Actively participate and become the authority on niche topics.
  • Create a unique signature that highlights your brand and contact information.

9. Write your own eBook.

  • Create a short or long-form PDF ebook.
  • Offer your eBook as a free download on your website.
  • Look into eBook affiliate marketing to extend your book exposure.

10. Create a Microsoft Business Account.

  • Set up a business account on Microsoft’s platform.
  • Add all of your business details.

11. Answer questions on forums or message boards.

  • Create an account on Quora or Reddit.
  • Find communities centered on dental needs.
  • Respond to questions as an expert in the field to establish authority.
  • Link your website or follow up with a direct message.

12. Have a unique, recognizable logo/brand.

  • Clarify your branding by using the same logo across social media and your website.
Dental Marketing Logo

CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING MARKETING STRATEGIES TO HELP YOUR PRACTICE GROW

52 Ways to Market Your Dental Practice for FREE: Ebook | Omni Premier Marketing

Get the FREE eBook!

52 Ways to Market Your Dental Practice for FREE!

We cover everything from online marketing to offline marketing to community outreach initiatives so you can take your dental practice to the next level, all for FREE!

Get my FREE Ebook!
dental social media marketing ideas

Social Media Dental Marketing Ideas

One of the most popular free marketing ideas nowadays is social media marketing. By creating social media accounts and sharing relevant content, you can reach thousands of people in need of a local dentist right in your area for free!

13. Set up an Instagram account.

  • Create a business profile for your practice.
  • Post once a week and build to 3-4 times a week.
  • Create a content calendar.
  • Automate posting.
  • Let people know about products, services, deals, and promotions.

14. Create a Facebook account.

  • Set up a business profile.
  • Share relevant posts to your page.
  • Create your own content to post.
  • Promote your products and services.

15. Join groups on Facebook.

  • Grow your network.
  • Get to know your competition.
  • Let people know what you do/offer.
  • Join the conversation and see what your clients need.
  • Connect with people who need your services.

16. Set up a business LinkedIn account.

  • Keep in touch with your network.
  • Join groups to build connections.
  • Share relevant posts from your blog.
  • Establish yourself as an industry expert.

17. Join Groups on Linkedin.

  • Learn from professionals in your industry.
  • Share ideas and ask questions.
  • Develop a presence in the LinkedIn dental community.

18. Use hashtags on social media.

  • Expand your visibility.
  • Research relevant hashtags in your niche.
  • Drive your target audience to your post.

19. Run a social media giveaway.

  • Offer a prize, product, or service.
  • Require participants to like your page/share your page/tag your business.
  • Introduce potential customers to your services.

20. Reach younger clients on TikTok.

  • Yes, dental TikTok is a thing!
  • 39% of millennials are on TikTok (and need a dentist!).
Dental Marketing Logo

CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING MARKETING STRATEGIES TO HELP YOUR PRACTICE GROW

dentist email marketing ideas

Email Dental Marketing Ideas

Email marketing is another dental marketing strategy that you can use to reach potential patients. By creating a list of email subscribers and sending them regular updates, you can keep them informed about what’s going on at your dental practice.

21. Build an email list.

  • Keep track of contacts.
  • If you have a point of contact, you can send updates on new products/services.

22. Try a “cold email.”

  • Use https://hunter.io/ to compile email lists and reach out to a high volume of people relatively quickly.
  • Use email templates that are proven to convert.
    • Enticing subject line
    • Enticing offer
    • Social proof
    • Strong CTA

23. Set up a gorgeous landing page.

  • Use a clean, professional format.
  • Start collecting emails!

24. Create great lead magnets for your landing pages.

  • Offer an eBook, a free consultation, complimentary exam, etc.

25. Utilize email marketing.

  • Send out monthly blasts highlighting your practice.
  • Recognize patient birthdays and anniversaries.
  • Send monthly promotions/events.

26. Make a newsletter.

  • Keep in touch with your growing network.
  • Offer promotions, deals, services, helpful tips & tricks.
Dental Marketing Logo

NOT ALL HEALTHCARE WEBSITE DESIGNS ARE CREATED EQUAL…AND THEY SHOULDN’T BE!

52 Ways to Market Your Dental Practice for FREE: Ebook | Omni Premier Marketing

Get the FREE eBook!

52 Ways to Market Your Dental Practice for FREE!

We cover everything from online marketing to offline marketing to community outreach initiatives so you can take your dental practice to the next level, all for FREE!

Get my FREE Ebook!
dentist network marketing ideas

Networking Dental Marketing Ideas

Another free dental marketing strategy that you can use is networking with your local community. You never know when you will meet someone who needs your dental services! Get involved with local groups and organizations, and attend community events.

27. Be a guest on a podcast.

  • Broaden your exposure to an engaged audience.
  • You can present valuable information with a dialed-in audience.

28. Partner with local businesses.

  • Offer referral discounts to local businesses.
  • Can find potential clients.
    • Get double word of mouth.
    • Create lasting partnerships.
    • Increase visibility in the community.

29. Partner with local businesses to create or attend health fairs.

  • Set up a booth with branding and spin the wheel for prizes.
  • Gather names and book actual appointments for people at the event.
  • Offer market materials such as pens, mugs, brochures, etc.

30. Perfect your “elevator pitch.”

  • Master your brief, compelling description of your company that highlights your unique selling proposition.
  • You’ll be surprised at all the places you can use your pitch both offline and online.
  • Use modified versions for your social media profiles and advertising copy.

31.  Host a class/event.

  • Find local people who are interested in dental practices.
  • Offer value to the participants of your webinar.
  • Use a webinar to reach a larger audience.

32. Sign up for local business organizations.

  • Find local entrepreneur organizations that only accept one business per niche.
  • Attend the weekly business group, build connections, and start networking!

33. Create a meetup for your business.

  • Create meetup events at your business for casual connections.
  • Host a wine tasting event or a social event at your business after hours

34.  Engage as much as possible with the local community/ volunteer.

  • Engage as much as possible with the local community/ volunteer.

35.  Network with referring providers if you are a specialist in your field.

  • Build a partnership with referring businesses.
  • Attract new business referrals by bringing materials to their office.
  • Host a “Meet the Provider” lunch event for referring businesses to educate them on the benefits of your services.
  • Speak with administrators about setting up the event.

36.  Partner with other businesses to exchange/display contact materials.

37.  Provide flyers, business cards, pens, or other giveaways.

38.  Participate in local community fundraising events, such as Wish Week.

  • Offer to donate a service as an auction item.
  • Contribute a percentage of new business proceeds for a window of time.

39.  Visit school classrooms to talk about the importance of dental/physical health.

  • Hand out business cards and other giveaways to students to take to their parents.

40.  Host an assembly at a school.

  • Send every kid home with a toothbrush.
  • Send home promotion flyers.
Dental Marketing Logo

RECEIVE MORE PATIENT FEEDBACK AND IMPROVE YOUR ONLINE REPUTATION

Offline Marketing ideas for dentists

Offline Dental Marketing Ideas

There are also some free offline dental marketing ideas that you can use to promote your dental practice. Let’s take a look at some of the most effective traditional marketing ideas:

41. Be your own “sign spinner.

  • That’s right. I said it—a sign spinner. Spend some time designing a sign that fits your brand.
  • Include an offer, and contact info on your sign.
  • Pick a high-traffic area and do your best to attract attention.

42. Leave flyers on local small business bulletin boards.

  • Coffee shops
  • Independent local stores
    • Supermarkets
    • Gyms
Dental Marketing Logo

A proven channel for connecting
your healthcare practice with new and prospective patients.

local marketing ideas for dentists

Word of Mouth Dental Marketing Ideas

One of the best free marketing ideas out there is word-of-mouth marketing. When you provide exceptional service and deliver outstanding results, patients will be more than happy to recommend your dental practice to their friends and family.

43. Send out a “Thank You” card.

  • Send to existing clients.
  • Offer a human element and personal touch.
  • Get your current client signing your praise and referring new clients to your dental office.

44. Offer a special plan for your office neighbors.

  • Create a special discount for people in your building.
  • Promote it with brochures dropped off at the offices.
    • Stop in with small buckets of disposable toothbrushes people can use at work.
    • Be sure to ask for referrals from each patient you get!
    • Stop by after with a thank you gift.

45. Spread the Word

  • Ask family and friends to spread the word about your practice.
  • Word of mouth is a potent and underused tool.
    • Tell your friends and family that they will get a 10% personal discount from you, incentivizing more word-of-mouth referrals.

46. Utilize employees as brand ambassadors.

  • Offer a family and friends discount.

47. Customer referral program.

  • Get the word out!

48. Stay in contact

  • Reach out to existing contacts with birthday cards, which allows you to stay at the forefront.

49. Generate Reviews

  • Your clients are your best marketing assets. Use them to help build your business!
  • Offer incentives for reviewing your business.
  • When choosing between two providers, a patient is 91% more likely to select the provider with higher reviews!
  • Remind your dental patients that you appreciate good reviews as it helps build your business.

50. Use your customers as means of marketing.

  • Offer incentives for sharing your posts on social media
  • Offer incentives for wearing or displaying your business with t-shirts, bumper stickers, etc

51. Reach out to people in your current client base who own/operate businesses where they could recommend you to their clients and attain new patients.

52. Make sure all your team members have great dental care.

  • Your team members are the face of your business.
  • Give them radiant smiles that showcase your dental talent!
Dental Marketing Logo

INCREASE YOUR PRACTICE’S VISIBILITY WITH LOCAL MARKETING. REACH NEW LEADS & POTENTIAL PATIENTS IN YOUR LOCAL AREA.

52 Ways to Market Your Dental Practice for FREE: Ebook | Omni Premier Marketing

Get the FREE eBook!

52 Ways to Market Your Dental Practice for FREE!

We cover everything from online marketing to offline marketing to community outreach initiatives so you can take your dental practice to the next level, all for FREE!

Get my FREE Ebook!

Marketing for Dentists: Choosing the Right  Strategy

So how do you choose the right dental marketing ideas for your dental practice? It depends on several factors, including your budget, target audience, and goals.

Consider your budget and how much time you are willing to invest in dental practice marketing. If you have a limited budget, you may want to focus on free online marketing ideas like social media marketing and email marketing.

Think about who you are trying to reach with your marketing efforts. If your target audience is younger people, social media marketing may be the best option for you. If you are trying to reach older adults, direct mail marketing may be better.

Finally, consider what you want to achieve with your dental marketing. Do you want to attract more patients? Increase brand awareness? Educate people about dental health? Once you know your goals, you can choose the free marketing idea to help you achieve them.

The Downsides of Free Marketing

While free marketing can be a great way to reach potential dental patients, it also has downsides. First, it takes time and effort to implement successful free marketing strategies. You need to be patient and put in the hard work to see results.

Second, free marketing is not always as effective as paid advertising. Paid advertising can be more targeted and reach a larger audience.

Finally, free marketing can sometimes be overwhelming. There are so many free marketing advice and strategies that it can be challenging to know where to start.

Why Free Marketing Works?

If you are new to dental marketing or starting a new dental practice, you may not have much money to invest in marketing. There are a few reasons why free marketing is a good idea, even if you have the budget to spend on paid advertising. Free marketing ideas are a great way to get started.

Free marketing can be just as effective as paid advertising. It can be more effective in some cases because people are more likely to trust free information than paid information. When you provide valuable content for free, people are more likely to respond positively. It’s a great way to build relationships with potential patients.

The Benefits of Paid Marketing

While our free marketing ideas have their advantages, there are also several benefits to paid marketing. Paid marketing allows you to reach a larger audience with your message. It is also more targeted and can be more effective than free marketing.

Paid dental marketing is also a great way to boost your visibility in search engines. When you pay for ads, your dental practice will appear at the top of search results, making it more likely that people will find you.

Finally, paid marketing is a great way to get more patients through the door. If you are looking to increase patient numbers, paid marketing is the way to go.

When to Hire a Marketing Team

Some marketing tasks you can do on your own. However, there may come a time when you need to hire an expert dental marketing team to help you.

Hiring a marketing team can be a great way to get more patients and grow your dental practice if you have the budget. A good marketing team will help you create a marketing plan, choose the right marketing strategy for dental clinic, improve your search engine optimization and track your results. 

Marketing can be time-consuming, and it takes a lot of work to create successful campaigns. If you’re too busy running your dental practice, hiring someone else to handle your marketing may be best. Hiring a marketing team is also a good idea if you don’t have the time or expertise to do the dental marketing yourself.

Marketing agencies are experts in their field. By relinquishing marketing to the experts, you have more time for your area of expertise—dentistry!

Conclusion

The bottom line is that free marketing ideas can be a great way to reach potential patients, but it also has some downsides. Paid advertising can be more targeted and effective than free marketing, and it’s a great way to get more patients through the door. Whether it is marketing for oral surgeons or dental implants, hiring one of the best dental marketing agencies can be a wise investment if you have the budget. Our team knows the ins and outs of how to advertise dental offices.