Dentist Websites Most Popular Dental Marketing
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Dentists
use many different avenues for their
dental marketing, but this survey found the
top choice was clearly dental practice websites. Fully 85% of respondents said
they have a
dental website.
The yellow pages were the next most popular choice, with 68% of dentists having phone book listings.
Direct mail dental marketing is still part of the game, but it seems to be losing ground. just under a third of dentists are using new resident direct mail and targeted direct mail, and no one said they're using saturation direct mail marketing.
Here's how many dentists say they've utilized the following marketing vectors in the past year - it's clear the dental website is still king!
- 85% Dental practice website(s)
- 68% Yellow Pages
- 56% Dental practice signage
- 53% Internal patient referral programs
- 35% Newspaper ads
- 32% New Resident direct mail
- 29% Targeted direct mail
- 29% Patient rewards program
- 26% Pay-per-click (PPC) web marketing
- 26% Email patient newsletters
- 24% Dental directory listing(s)
- 15% TV ads
- 15% Magazine ads
- 15% Public Relations marketing
- 15% Facebook page
- 12% Radio ads
- 9% Internet video search
- 3% Twitter
- 0% Saturation direct mail
- 0% Other Internet social media
Build relationships with other doctors
- "I help with marketing a dental implant surgeon, and when a referral comes in that does not have a general dentist, the prosthetic portion is referred to me." (Kentucky dentist)
Target high-value patients
- "I visit chiropractors and hair salons and leave VIP cards for reduced fees for certain cosmetic services and informational brochures." (New Jersey dentist)
Get yourself out there
- "I go to public mixers and chamber events" (Iowa dentist)
Patient newsletters
- "I send out a printed patient newsletter." (Ohio prosthodontist)
Some don't do much
- "I just have my name listed in small letters in the Yellow Pages." (California dentist)
- "I rely on word of mouth." (Illinois dentist)
Mixed feelings about "marketing"
- "It is very simple: Just be the best moral, ethical and professional Doctor you can be." (Illinois dentist)
- "I have no plans whatsoever to market my practice. The marketing is done by my patients, I do not solicit new patients and don't take new patients over the phone unless I know them or they have been referred by existing patients. I'm approaching 60, I like my practice size just as it is. If it drops a bit, I don't loose any sleep. If patients reject my treatment plans, they do so with the knowledge that they have rejected what's best for their mouths but they either cannot afford it or will live with the results of their decisions. They are fully informed of the implications. More often than not, I talk patients out of treatment because it is not in their best interest, and I know they are not good candidates for that treatment. We come up with an alternate plan that will better suit their needs. I make enough money to have a good life, I don't need 5 houses, 2 motor homes and 3 Porsches. I have peace of mind, something money can't buy." (California dentist)
Note: Survey sample included 34 respondents.
