It may seem like a given, but many people underestimate the importance of location. Even the most meticulously designed dental practice can struggle mightily to succeed (or merely survive) in an inferior location. Don’t rush to find a place; a little research will save you a lot of trouble down the road. If you don’t have a location yet, now is the time to find a prime one. The best location is where people want what you have to offer, and you want to serve those people. Dental-specific demographic research is mission critical when determining whether a location is right for your practice and, if it is, what message will resonate with that community. Do you want to see mainly families, young professionals, or an older demographic? Should insurance-friendly or fee-for-service be your model? What is the competition like? These are just a few key questions to get you started.

If you already have a location, get to know your area and make it work in your favor as much as possible. Is your practice vision in line with the actual people who live around it? Are there any details you could tweak to make your practice more appealing? You can’t escape reality when needing to eat the plate in front of you, so make sure there’s not a disconnect between what your dental practice offers and what your target market actually wants. The sweet spot is there, and it’s where you’ll find success.

Remember, the party is yours, but it’s not for you. Your dental brand needs to appeal to your target patient audience, not just to you, your colleagues, or your friends. That’s not to say their input can’t be helpful, but when it comes to making the final decisions for your branding, always go with what works for you and best reflects the desires of your ideal patients. This includes your practice name, which will immediately either align your message with your patients’ needs or fade into the background noise, of which there’s plenty. Don’t underestimate the discernment and expectations of today’s consumers. They’re receiving more invitations than ever before, so make sure your invitation stands out and accurately portrays that your party is awesome.

One of the most important gauges of a brand’s success is its perceived value, or equity. While you’re getting your practice name out there, remember to be consistent about the messages you’re sending. Are people seeing your dental practice logo in places that already hold value to them, like schools, community events, and neighboring businesses? You can capitalize on that goodwill by manipulating the frequency of your branding and by diversifying your efforts.

Frequency refers to maintaining a constant presence in your community. A brief stint of DIY PPC advertising or one drop of mailers a year probably won’t make a big enough ripple to secure your dental practice brand as a household name. Studies have shown that repeated exposure (through a variety of channels, not just paid advertising) is a reliable way to build brand equity. Diversifying your efforts involves expanding your presence into new media. The benefits of diversifying are twofold: you reach new potential patients, and you increase your frequency with the crossover patients you’re already reaching through other methods. Practically any medium is fair game, as long as it fits your budget, schedule, and brand image. For example, if you want to build a reputation with young families, participate as a sponsor in local school or community events. If digital marketing isn’t already included in your arsenal, hurry and make a plan to get started!

Plenty of factors keep people from going to the dentist, from budget concerns and scheduling conflicts to dental phobias. While some barriers are out of your control, many can be removed with a few simple strategies. Make it easy for patients to choose you by providing:

• Incentives - New patient offers and competitive fees
• Accessibility - An optimized dental website, visible signage, an accessible office, reliable answering and handling of calls, and prompt follow-up
• Convenience - Extended hours and easy check-in
• Atmosphere - TVs, beverages, and other amenities that will make your dental office feel less clinical
• Accommodating financing - Insurance acceptance and alternatives for patients without it

Another major potential barrier is timing. You wouldn’t plan a party in the middle of the week when you know your guests are busy with work and school, or in the middle of the night when they’re sleeping, so why open your dental practice when people aren’t likely to have dental care on the mind? Whether it’s your grand opening or just one move in your larger marketing strategy, you’re bound to get lost in the shuffle during historically busy times like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s. June is sometimes another pretty downer time for dental marketing, although pediatric dentists do have different busy seasons than general dentists.

You’d be more likely to take a restaurant recommendation from a good friend or a Yelp review over an ad in the local paper or coupon mailer, wouldn’t you? Use this concept to your advantage by encouraging patients to review your dental practice online. Positive patient reviews—specifically through reputable third-party sources like Google My Business, Facebook, and Yelp—are powerful brand builders.

Sure, any marketing is probably better than none, even if it’s for a less-than-marketable practice, but advertising is not a magic bullet and be wary of anyone who makes such a claim! The reality is that to succeed at marketing your dental practice and growing your business, you have to build your brand from the ground up with marketability in mind. We’d love the opportunity to be part of your practice journey!