Dental Marketing Tips To Apply During Covid-19
As the COVID-19 pandemic becomes even more catastrophic with every passing day, we are faced with the realities of things we need to do to stop the spread. It’s why most dental offices may be closed to all routine, cosmetic, or elective procedures.
Although the situation will likely feel like a significant blow to your dental practice, there are certain things you can do to keep a steady pace with your dental marketing activities during the current COVID-19 crisis. This approach will ensure you hit the ground running once you can resume business as usual.
Just because your dental office’s doors are closed to most patients, for the moment, doesn’t mean you can’t make an impact. The fact is that now is the perfect time to make some extra efforts to show existing and potential patients as well as the community the high level of service and value you provide. Here, we have listed some marketing tips for dentists during the crisis of COVID-19.
Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Tik Tok)
If you had an active presence on social media before the pandemic, make sure you maintain the same level of interaction now as well. Even if you haven’t started using social media, this is the opportune time to give your dental practice some visibility on various platforms.
The projection is that by 2020, at least 3.1 billion people across the globe will be using social media. It’s a highly popular online activity, and there are no indications of it slowing done any time soon. Since your potential and existing patients are on these platforms, you must get your brand before them through various channels.
INSTAGRAM and FACEBOOK are popular social media marketing platforms, and you can maintain visibility in the online space by being active on them. Both these platforms offer the option to use video content or “stories.”
You may also use Facebook’s new feature FACEBOOK CREATOR STUDIO! This tool allows you to organize your posts better. You’ll be able to do both Facebook and Instagram from here.
I am sure you have learned about TIKTOK and how this platform is growing extremely fast. This platform allows you to record and edit cool small videos to build a brand. Younger generations mostly used TikTok; however, during the crisis of COVID-19, the demographics have changed completely. You can see older people, young adolescents, and even famous people doing challenges through TikTok.
Here is a hint: Do not make your Social Media accounts as Dental & Deals account. People remember emotions. Make cool stories that have nothing to do with dentistry, yet turn some regular life events into dentistry. You must never forget the rules of “SOCIAL” media. But also, during the COVID-19 pandemic, you can continue catering to your patients, answering their questions, providing them with value, and forging connections via social media without stepping foot inside your dental practice at all.
YouTube (Informative Videos)
Similar to creating relatable blog content, you can market your dental practice through video content. People today love putting a face to brands and making connections. If you have always had the creation of videos on your “to-do” list, now might be the right time to make extra efforts and get this done. Uploading informative videos on your YouTube channel is an excellent way to stay in the limelight at a time when a more significant number of people are online. You can post these videos to your blogs and social media accounts as well. It’s one of the best ways to make personal connections with your audiences while providing them valuable information. YouTube videos are a great way to make a lasting first impression on existing and potential patients.
What kind of videos should you be doing? Feel comfortable with what you are talking on the video. You are always explaining treatments to patients. Perhaps, this is the time to explain each procedure to a camera. Don’t worry. It will come naturally since you are the expert! Become an educator; If you get one patient conversion from these videos, then you already got a Return on Investment.
Make sure you create an account on YOUTUBE and Create a Studio so you can upload your videos. Once uploaded, you’ll have the option to embed these videos on your website. If you are talking about emergency dentistry, then you’ll be able to paste that video on your website’s emergency page.
Start TeleDentistry
Were you aware that you, as a dentist, can offer your patients virtual consultations? And even bill the PPO Insurances? There are many apps to choose from that can help you provide teledentistry services. It can prove to be an effective way to continue marketing your brand and keeping in contact with patients at a time when you are unable to treat any new patients at your dental office.
You can provide dental consultations to your patients via these apps, well before they visit you at your office. This is an excellent way to make connections and build trust. It also gives your patients peace of mind that they don’t have to risk going out for a simple prescription.
Most of these apps have functions such as multi-doctor video collaboration, patient consent forms with e-signatures, options for online payments, and more. Many have social media signage you can use to promote your video consultations, which you can use as a useful marketing tool.
Email Marketing
Most dentists maintain patient email lists, whether they use Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, etc. If you do not have their upgraded services can not send mass emails to your patients, here is the solution. Create an account on MAIL CHIMP and you can make your email templates without being a developer or designer! It is effortless! Once you have a nice template, you can start sending a mass email to your patients.
You may also want to use CANVA DESIGN CREATOR to create beautiful designs for your email! These two websites are absolutely free! Yes, of course, they have upgraded services as well, but the free features cover all you need to send a high-quality email to all your patients!
Now is the right time to show your patients how much you care about them and their dental health. Use digital marketing techniques to your advantage by sending emails regarding what they can do in case they find themselves dealing with a dental emergency, to let them know you are offering teledentistry, or maybe just a simple hello!
You can send emails regarding the COVID-19 crisis and things they can do to stay safe. Keep in mind that our patients are dealing with upheaval and significant stress. An occasional email sent to their inbox can be reassuring and indicates that they have your support and that your dental office cares.
Dental SEO Planning
Organic traffic is on the ascent. Use various trending keywords to add relevance to content that you post so you can show up in the top-10 search results on Google. Even at a time like this, your business must be visible online so that once things get back to normal, your position on the SERPS will still be intact. It’s why dental SEO planning matters. Some things you can focus on include:
- Prioritize quality content to climb to the top results on search engines
- Invest in organic growth, so you are prepared for a bounce-back surge in business
- Focus on Local SEO. This is even more crucial now when patients are staying close to home. Optimize your website for terms patients may use the most.
- Maintain updated business information on your GOOGLE MY BUSINESS listing – upload pictures, respond to reviews, and improve the information from your practice.
Most dentists have comprehensive digital dental marketing strategies in place, and it’s a good time to revisit those. See what’s working and what isn’t so you can make the necessary changes for a more significant impact. If you need any help with these, feel free to reach out! We are here to help and explain how it works.
Analyze Your Digital Health
Analyzing your practice’s digital health is like going to the dentist for your routine examination every 3-6 months. It is important just to see whats going on with in your digital presence. Here is a a link to get you started: GEEKBOOST FREE SCANNER. This scanner is a FREE tool that allows you to see your local listing’s presence. It is always very important to know that NAP (Name, Address, and Phone Number) accuracy are essential for a great Local SEO strategy.
Create a SWOT analysis
Strategic planning is all about objective assessment and setting realistic goals. Use the SWOT analysis to discover all critical external and internal issues. Refresh your marketing plan if needed, and understand where you stand today so you can achieve your future goals. A SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) will help you diagnose your website, marketing, and internal practice efforts on avenues that harbor the most significant benefits.
Strategies You Should Pause During COVID-19
Just as you focus more on specific dental marketing strategies during this time, there are some that you need to set on pause-mode now, such as:
- Google Adwords is an aggressive strategy that attracts patients. However, that’s just a waste of money when your dental office is closed, and you need to stop it till things get back on track. If you are seeing emergency patients, you may pivot your campaign towards emergencies and get the most out of it.
- Review generator programs should be paused because Google is operating with limited staff as well, and they are placing review postings on hold. It is uncertain when and if Google may approve and post all reviews during these crazy times.
Remember, that just because your dental practice’s doors are closed for now, doesn’t mean that your practice has to come to a grinding halt. Follow these marketing strategies for dentists discussed above to make the most of the current situation so that you still maintain your standing in the market, through the COVID-19 crisis.
Lastly, listen to free podcasts there are many podcasts to learn from! Increase your knowledge about management and marketing! Aside from being a dentist, you are also a business owner, so listen to classes about leadership, photography, management, finances, marketing, etc. If you are a dentist that speaks Spanish, we have a small podcast you may start with. FREE knowledge from our very own Cesar Navarro,MSM, and Brayan Sanchez, MBA. Our dental podcast is called MARKETING DENTAL EN ACCION. (Spanish)
If you need any help with your dental marketing, feel free to contact GEEK DENTAL MARKETING at 954.681.5824 or by filling our “Get Started Form”
