“Don’t skip steps” is solid advice that can be applied across numerous walks of life, and the realm of dental practice marketing is no exception. Building a strong, robust dental marketing program that draws in leads and improves your clinic’s ROI requires some planning and execution, and you’ll be in the best shape if you never attempt to rush the process or skip important steps within it.
This becomes much simpler when you work with our team at Dental Implant Machine, where we walk you through each of the phases of our dental implant marketing funnel while showing you how a step-by-step approach we’ve perfected over time will help you generate greater sales and ROI. Generally speaking, what are some of the broad steps dental clinics need to be taking here, and why is each so important not to overlook? Here’s a basic primer.
Identifying Marketing Goals
First and foremost, you need to know what you’re trying to achieve with your marketing strategy. What are some specific numbers or targets you want to hit in terms of new patients, increased revenue, etc.? Once you have a general idea of these goals, you can start to formulate a plan of attack that will help you reach them.
These will also help you measure your progress along the way and determine whether or not you need to make any adjustments to your strategy. You can’t hit a target if you’re not aiming for one, so this step is key.
Understanding and Identifying Your Ideal Patients
Next up, you need to have a clear understanding of who your ideal patients are. What are their demographics? What type of dental work do they need or want? What’s their average budget for dental care?
This step is important because it will help you focus your marketing efforts on the right people. There’s no sense in spending time and money marketing to individuals who will never need or want your services, so knowing who your ideal patients are is crucial.
Identify Procedures That Bring in Patients
As you’re well aware, not all dental procedures are created equal. Some are much more popular than others, and some tend to bring in patients who are more likely to spend money on other services.
This step is important because it will help you focus your marketing efforts on the procedures that are most likely to bring in new patients. It makes no sense to spend a lot of money marketing a procedure that doesn’t interest people, so this step is key.
Budget Themes
It’s vital that you set a budget for your marketing efforts and stick to it. This will help you avoid overspending and ensure that you have the resources you need to reach your goals.
While this will be an ongoing process that will require some trial and error, having a budget in place from the outset will help you stay on track.
Assess Current and Previous Tactics
Now that you’ve got a clear understanding of your patients and what you’re trying to achieve, it’s time to take a look at your current marketing efforts and see how they’ve been performing. Are you happy with the results?
This step is important because it will help you understand what’s working and what isn’t. If something isn’t working, there’s no sense in continuing to do it. This step will also help you determine where you should be spending your time and money.
For instance, if you’re not happy with your current website, it might be time to invest in a new one. Or, if you’re not seeing the results you want from your social media marketing, it might be time to hire someone to help you out.
Note and Consider Roadblocks
As you’re evaluating your current marketing efforts, be sure to note any roadblocks you come across. These could be anything from a lack of budget to a lack of time, and may also include themes like “I don’t know how to use Facebook” or “I’m not sure what type of content to post.”
This step is important because it will help you identify areas where you need help. If you’re not sure how to overcome a particular roadblock, reach out to someone who does.
For instance, a common roadblock for many dental practices is the simple realm of time. Many dental clinics simply don’t have the time to invest in an effective marketing strategy. If this is the case, you might want to consider hiring someone to help you out — and this is where a quality marketing agency like Dental Implant Machine can come in handy.
Consider Your Competitors
Your competitors serve an important role in your marketing strategy, so be sure to take them into account as you’re planning your own efforts. What are they doing that’s working? What isn’t?
This step is important because it will help you avoid making the same mistakes as your competitors. It will also help you learn from their successes and replicate them in your own clinic.
Determining Tracking and Analysis Methods
Another extremely important step in any dental marketing strategy is to determine how you’ll track your progress and analyze your results. This could involve anything from setting up Google Analytics to simply keeping a spreadsheet of your weekly leads.
This step is important because it will help you determine whether or not your marketing efforts are actually paying off. If you’re not tracking your progress, it will be very difficult to improve your ROI.
Stay Committed Throughout
As your efforts are moving forward and you’re starting to see results, it’s important that you stay committed to your plan. Remember, this is an ongoing process, and skipping steps can lead to big problems down the road.
If you find yourself struggling to stay on track or implement your plan effectively, reach out for help. There are plenty of resources available, including quality dental marketing agencies like ours.
To learn more about any of these vital strategies, or to speak to our staff about any of our dental clinic marketing solutions, get in touch with us at Dental Implant Machine today!
