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2015 is fast approaching! So in honor of the New Year, here are 50 places to find New Patients next year! You may be doing some of these things already, and some may not apply to your office, but here they are in no particular order....
1. YouTube
Post personalized videos, introductions and tours of your practice, information about certain procedures, etc…
2. Facebook and Twitter
There are a million ways to use Facebook and Twitter. Facebook ads, “Like” or “Follow Me” contests, "Caption This" contests, interacting with your patients (with their permission), getting the word out about special offers, sharing interesting information about dentistry.
3. Instagram
Instagram now has more accounts than Twitter. Set one up and post pics of patients (with their permission), Elf on the Shelf shenanigans, Halloween contests,etc. Create your own hashtag for your practice and be sure every image has it attached.
4. Pinterest
Pin any pics from your website or blog and caption them with titles that are searchable so others can find them. Re-pin dental related images on your accounts pin boards to increase engagement with other pinners.
5. Practice Blog
Set up a blog in seconds with Squarespace, WordPress, tumblr, or on your practice website. Write articles that relate to the questions your patients are asking.
6. Write Articles for LOCAL Publications
This creates awareness about you and your practice, lets people get a taste of you and your personality, and positions you as an expert in your local market. Use articles you've written for your practice blog, just be sure and reword items so it's not an exact duplicate.
7. Dentistry Forums or Groups
Participating in dentistry email networks like the Crown Council or forums such as Dentaltown can lead to referrals, especially from dentists who have patients moving to your area.
8. Community Forums or Groups
Get involved in your local community forums and other online groups. Participate in chamber of commerce events.
9. Cross Promotion
What other businesses in your local market already serve the same type of people you want to serve? Could you arrange to trade referrals when appropriate? How about giving a few free whitening coupons to a spa to give to their VIP clients?
10. Search Engine Marketing
When someone searches “[your town] dentist” are you going to pop up? Tweak your webpage to give yourself the best chance of popping up on that first page of Google for specific search keywords.
12. Pay Per Click
Or you can just pay to be there when people search Google. For example, someone searches for “sedation dentistry”, you can have an ad up and ready to go on the search results page that they can click based on what city they are searching from. Google Adwords is the way to go, but do your research first on how to effectively do it.
13.Press Releases
When’s the last time you were in the local news? Write a press release about a compelling subject that matters to your patients and send it off to your local newspapers and TV stations. You never know the media attention you could receive.
14. Classified Ads
They aren’t dead, no matter what you may hear. But remember, people are going to look up a dentist in a classified ad if they are in pain. Or maybe if they are looking for a specific procedure. So tailor your ad accordingly, and don’t be like every other dentistry ad, be different.
15. Post Flyers Locally
Admittedly, this might be a little monotonous, but what if you posted some flyers with those tear-off fringes at the bottom that include a special offer to get people in the door? You could post them in places of business that serve your target audience and that give you permission. Make a Friday afternoon office field trip of it!
16. Patient Email List
Make sure you collect emails from your patients and send out a little note to them via email every now and again. This could be on special occasions (such as their birthday), to give them interesting information about dentistry, and of course to remind them about appointments. Just be sure you aren't flooding their inboxes. There are lots of software packages that can help make this easy.
17. Capture Email on Your Website
Give a special “get them in the door” offer, or offer to send some interesting information about dentistry facts they need to know that they must sign-up for via a form on your site.
18. Direct Mail
Since the most common way to reach people now is via e-mail, direct mail is less competitive. Reaching people at home with targeted messages and irresistible offers or reasons to give you a try are a proven method.
19. Advertise in Community Publications
Don’t just “get your name out there”. Give people a reason to raise their hand and say they are interested in paying you a visit.
20. Text Message Advertising
Collect cell numbers of your patients, and sign up with a text message service. Text a special offer for new patients to your existing patients and then tell them to forward the message. Give an incentive to current patients for spreading the word.
