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You know dental practice marketing is important, but how? The best dental marketing is something you can’t buy. “Referrals from satisfied patients are the best resource. It’s that simple, and if you treat people well, they will refer you patients just like them,” explained a Florida dentist. “We give our patients a referral card (a little bigger than wallet size) that contains our logo and company information is stapled on the front side of our gift bags that we hand out to patients (with their toothbrush and floss). We always remind them to give out these cards to anybody who needs a dental office. This has worked great so far,” exclaimed a Canadian dental assistant.

Dentist Sedation practitioners make a point of highlighting their special services. Direct mail marketing can be a goldmine for dental practices. “Most effective for me was a single postcard - very simple, with my photo,” commented a Michigan dentist. “We sent out a personal holiday card with a short letter of thanks and future exciting information to present and past patients we hoped to reactivate,” said a Minnesota dentist. “We had a huge response of reactivation and new referrals from present happy patients.”

Many dental practices engage in incentive marketing: for example, free cosmetic consultations, or discounts on routine dental cleaning for new residents. One practice describes their points system to reward their good patients: “Points are given each time a patient comes on time for their appointments. Once they have enough points, they get to pick a prize ranging from kids’ toys, grocery store gift cards, movie tickets, etc. The toys are displayed inside a glass case in the waiting room to entice our children patients.”

Proper targeting is critical to the success of any marketing campaign. “In an area exclusive, I invest in personal contact with new residents,” said a California dentist. “We distribute neighborhood flyers monthly. And we keep track of which neighborhood produces the best visitors,” said one dental practitioner, highlighting the need for quantitative analysis to determine the success of any campaign.

For some dental practices, a well-designed advertising campaign can bring in lots of new patients. “My radio ad with website support led to over 200 calls in four days!” raved an Illinois dentist. “A mini implant ad can help many people with denture problems and many more with restoring their existing teeth,” commented an Idaho dentist. “Oh yeah, and my campaign brought in thousands in restorative revenue!”