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Dentists Can't Just Rely on Word-of-Mouth to Get More Patients

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Dentists Can’t Just Rely on Word-of-Mouth to Get More Patients

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In the past, many dentists relied heavily on word-of-mouth and patient referrals to sustain and grow their practices. Existing patients would recommend their dentist to friends, family, and coworkers, and new patients would start coming in.

While word-of-mouth is still an important way to acquire new patients, it can no longer be the only growth strategy for a successful dental clinic. The market has become far more competitive, with more dentists fighting for patients in most areas. Additionally, people’s habits around finding and researching service providers like dentists have changed dramatically with the digital age.

If you want your dental practice to thrive in the modern marketplace, you need to diversify your marketing strategy to go beyond just word-of-mouth referrals. Here are the top 7 ways to get more patients in your clinic, suggested by the best digital marketing for dentists in India.

How to Get More Patients in a Dental Clinic?

dentists-can't-just-rely-on-word-of-mouth-to-get-more-patients

Leverage Your Website to Attract Patients Online

With the majority of people going online first when researching a service provider, having an appealing and informative dental website is a must. Your site needs to communicate what makes your clinic unique clearly, provide helpful education about dental health, and make it extremely easy for visitors to find your contact info and book appointments.

Ensure your website is mobile-friendly, loads fast, is easy to navigate, and focuses on encouraging conversions over hard selling. SEO practices of the best dental digital marketing companies in India will also help people find your site when searching for a local dentist.

Interact on Relevant Social Media Platforms

Platforms like Facebook and Instagram remain incredibly popular and influential in people’s lives. As a dentist, having an active presence on the proper social channels allows you to interact directly with your local community, share helpful dental health tips, and organically grow your audience and clinic visibility.

Prioritise channels based on where your target patient demographics are most active. Post a steady combination of valuable educational content and practice updates to organically build an audience and become a trusted source for dental advice.

Claim and Optimise Online Directory Listings

Local online directories like Google My Business, Yelp, and others are increasingly influential in consumer research and decision-making. Having properly completed and claimed listings helps ensure correct practice details and directs more local traffic to your website.

Monitoring ratings and reviews is equally important. Be quick in responding openly to feedback, and encourage happy patients to leave positive reviews to build credibility. You can also hire a dedicated agency of Digital marketing for dentists in India to get better results. 

Run Paid Ads Targeting Patient Demographics

Services like Google Ads, Facebook Ads and Instagram Ads now allow dentists to very precisely target advertisements. You can reach users by location, detailed demographics, interests, search history and more to cost-effectively drive new patients who are actively looking for a dentist.

Test ads lead visitors to tailored landing pages on your site. Offer slashes introductory new patient deals to convert ads into booked appointments.

Follow Up With Current Patients

Studies show that 60% of customers are open to referring to a brand they use and trust. Yet only 29% of satisfied customers actually share referrals. Following up with pleased patients gives them that extra encouragement needed to share your clinic with others needing a dentist.

A quick email or SMS follow-up after appointments works well. Promote any referral reward programs and ask for reviews.

Offer Patient Referral Promotions

People are much more likely to share referrals when they get anything to do so. Consider launching promotions where existing patients get free dental services, gift cards, or entries into prize draws for successfully referring new patients who book appointments – make the value high enough to motivate word-of-mouth recommendations.

Getting More Dental Patients Takes Diverse Marketing

Relying solely on word-of-mouth and direct patient referrals used to be enough for dentists to sustain and grow a successful practice. However, the marketplace has changed dramatically – increased local competition, shifting consumer habits, and digital domination make diverse marketing strategies essential now. So, if you don’t have any knowledge about the digital domain, hiring dental marketing agencies in India is crucial.

Conclusion

As outlined above, dentists need to leverage options like website optimization, social media, paid ads, professional networking, patient follow-ups, and referral promotions to drive new patients cost-effectively. Combining these smart digital tactics with traditional word-of-mouth referrals is vital for practice growth. 

So, if you are looking for the best dentist marketing companies in India, Reinvent Digital has got your back. We have a team of expert strategists who have years of experience in making tailored strategies according to your brand needs. Contact our team to know more. 

FAQs

Why can’t dentists rely solely on word-of-mouth anymore?

While patient referrals are great, competition has increased significantly, and more people research healthcare providers online now. Waiting for referrals alone yields too little new patient growth. Dentists now need more proactive tactics to attract patients.

What’s the first marketing step a dentist should take?

Optimising your dental website experience for conversions is the priority. Most people search online for dentists in their area first. An appealing website builds credibility, shares your unique approach, and makes booking appointments easy to convert visitors.

How much do reviews and ratings matter?

Online reviews significantly influence which dentist people choose. Having lots of 5-star Google, Facebook, and Yelp ratings establishes trustworthiness. Being responsive to less-than-perfect feedback also improves perceptions of your practice.

How can dentists leverage social media marketing?

Platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow dentists to organically reach thousands of local people by posting helpful educational content, engaging followers, and building community – all directing interested website visitors to book.

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