Enhance your online marketing presence to make your practice easy to find.
As a dental professional, you’re already focused on delivering an excellent patient-centric experience within the walls of your office. But a lot happens online before your patients ever set foot in your practice—or even make the decision to do so.
In today’s digitally-driven world, your online presence can make or break the success of your practice. It’s crucial to dedicate the same level of effort and care to your virtual identity to ensure the right patients can find you—and once they do, they receive the best and most accurate impression of your practice.
Get Social. Your Reputation Will Thank You!
Social media marketing has been steadily climbing for many years and shouldn’t be overlooked when it comes to managing your reputation. Consumers—including your patients—turn to social media to share their experiences (both good and bad) and learn about friends’ experiences.
Too often practices don’t take full advantage of social media. Never underestimate the power of your reputation, especially online. Many consumers search for reviews, including on social channels, before choosing a new healthcare provider. A good reputation can bring those patients in your door, while a poor one can have them steering clear. Remember, positive reviews are a powerful marketing tool.
Managing your practice social media sites can be overwhelming and time-consuming, so let the experts at Henry Schein One help you manage your online reputation and interact with your patients through social media services. You can expand and maintain your online presence with blogs,
social media posts, and fresh web content using the practice marketing tools in the Dentrix Ultimate Service Bundle.
Dip Your Toes in a New Pool of Patients
Accepting dental insurance is no longer the only way to reach new patients. There are additional options, such as dental savings plans, that encourage patients to obtain preventive and restorative care, improving both their oral health and your bottom line.
Dental savings plans are ideal for patients in your practice who cannot complete their treatment plan due to cost. Unlike traditional insurance, there are no health restrictions, annual limits, or caps on procedures, and plans activate quickly (usually the same day). The patient pays you at time of service, based on the associated fee schedule of the plan they purchased.
This also eliminates paperwork hassles for your practice, as there are no claim forms to submit and no waiting for payment/reimbursement from network carriers. Patients can be presented with a treatment case and start to complete work the same or next day.
There are millions of uninsured and under-insured consumers looking to purchase a dental savings plan each month. Participating in one or more of these plans increases your visibility to these prospective patients.
For instance, DentalPlans.com markets and administers over 30 dental savings plans from 20 well-known network carriers. As a participating provider, your practice can claim your free profile and appear on top of the provider directory, which can help generate new patients. You’ll also receive free customized marketing brochures to give to your patients.
People Search for Everything. Why Not Your Business?
When you look for almost anything in a search engine, do you find yourself typing “near me” at the end of it? Each year this trend continues to increase, and it is now many consumers’ preferred way to find everything from retail stores to health care providers. What does this mean for your practice? You must ensure your practice’s profile is claimed on all free local
directories and that you expand your online presence.
The Dentrix Optimum Pro Service Bundle helps you build a stronger web presence through accurate online business listings and positive reviews on Google and other sites. The reputation management tools in the Optimum Pro Bundle can help you attract new patients to your practice and help ensure that when people search for dentists “near me” they are seeing your practice information with positive patient reviews.
Managing your digital presence and reputation by leveraging offerings like local search, social media, and dental savings plans are cost-effective and easy ways to market your practice. You can help patients find and engage with your practice and easily access dental care. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Learn More
Find out if you’re spending your marketing dollars wisely with a free, online Practice Marketing Assessment. Visit assessment.henryscheinone.com to take the assessment.
To learn more about dental saving plans or to claim your free practice profile and appear in the carriers’ provider directory, call 877-511-3720, visit www.dentalplans.com, or email PMP@DentalPlans.com.
By Sarah Pizzutelli, Senior Manager, Dentist Marketing & Operations
Originally published in Dentrix Magazine, Summer 2019
