A new dental patient will generate a minimum of $4500 in their lifetime at a practice. That doesn't include referrals. Since all practices incur attrition, every Dental Practice needs to generate between 24-50 new patients per month. This presentation will give dental marketers the tools to achieve this goal.

1. • Dale “Data Dale” Filhaber
• President, Dataman Group Direct
• Author, Lead Generation Made Easier
Marketing Tips for Building
Your Dental Practice

2. Cost vs Value
• Cost Per Acquisition - $150 - $300 per dental patient
• Year one as new patient spend averages $700-$1250
• Average dental patient stays with a practice for 7-10 years
• Average Patients spend - $653 per year (ADA average - 2016)
• a new patient will generate at least $4500 in revenue
(excluding referrals) in their lifetime with a practice
Patient News

3. 2018 Landscape
• Enormous competition
• 17% average patient attrition rate
• Need to generate 24-50 new patients per month
• Word of mouth referrals can’t keep up
• Consumers shop on-line
• Technology keeps changing
• More marketing choices than ever before
• Need to overcome price / basic practice features

4. People tend to prefer to do business
with businesses that they know,
like, and trust.
FACT

5. Your marketing efforts need to
create that culture of trust with
your patients, customers &
prospects
FACT

6. Trust helps you override basic
features & price.
FACT
So, how do you get them to trust
you?

9. Repetition Counts

10. Marketing used to Be a One-Way Street

11. The Good Old Days?

14. Today’s Marketing Mix
Different Strokes for Different Folks

15. Every modern marketer needs to cut
through a lot of noise, and connect with
prospects and clients in a meaningful way
using a myriad of marketing channels.
This is not just a new marketing strategy, it's
a new way of thinking about how your
brand communicates with your audience

16. The Shift to
Engagement Marketing

18. Goal
• To use strategic, resourceful content to engage
people and create meaningful interactions over
time, cultivating trust with our audience,
resulting in new patient acquisition and the
retention of current patients.

19. Develop an Engagement Plan
• Start with your existing marketing plan
• Calendarize
• Add in social media campaigns
• What marketing channels are you using? Do
they blend together seamlessly?
• Are you providing relevant content?
• Does your content flow across channels?
• Do you have a call to action for engagement?
• Is your team on board?
• How do you respond & interact with engaged
participants?

20. Prospecting
• Need to generate 24-50 new patients per
month*
• 92% of healthcare decisions are made by women
• 5-10 mile maximum driving radius**
• Marketing Rule of Repetition
• Blending different media for impact
• Everything directs to your Website
*DentistryIQ
**2016 survey done by The Wealthy Dentist

21. It starts with your Website

22. 2018 Website Must haves
• Visual
• Clear navigation
• Prominent phone #, directions, hours
• Photos & bios of dentists & dental team
• Lists treatment options
• Intro Video
• Virtual office tour
• Coupon offer
• Online appointment / payment portals
• Reviews area
• Links to blog, social media
• Mobile optimization
• Speed

23. Can You Be Found?
• Last year, there were over 1 million
searches in the US – Dentist and
the name of a city.
Source: WordTracker

24. 72% of people conduct an online search and
read reviews before choosing a doctor or a
dentist
Source: PEW Research

25. More than half of the searches for dentists are done on a mobile phone –
(Is your site properly optimized?)
FUN FACT: more people have mobile phones than toothbrushes
Source: Ian Carrington, Digital Marketing Director, Google

26. Marketing Toolbox
• Local Search
• SEO / PPC
• Direct Mail
• Social Media
• Marketing on Social
Media Sites
• Blogs
• Become a Thought
Leader It’s all about providing meaningful content

30. Local Search Engines
• Google My Business
https://www.google.com/business/placesforbusiness/
• Yahoo Local
https://help.yahoo.com/kb/yahoo-local-basic/SLN15966.htm
• Bing Local
https://www.bingplaces.com/DashBoard

31. Other Directories
Dental Directories
America Smiles http://www.americasmiles.com/
Smile Guide http://www.smileguide.com/get-listed/
Health Directories
Wellness.com http://www.wellness.com/find/dentist
Doctor Directory:
https://www.doctordirectory.com/hcp/Physician/SignUp
.aspx
Don’t Forget: Better Business Bureau
Chamber of Commerce

32. Can You Find Them?

33. Top Audiences
• New Movers
• Female Decision
Makers
• Parents of Children
Turning 1
• Families with Children
• Health Conscious
• Older Adults
• Ailment Sufferers
• EDDM
• Dentists & health care Referrers

34. New Movers
Zillow New Mover Study
95% – grocery
94% -- restaurants
83% – appliances
78% – department store
77% -- food delivery
78% – pet supplies
70% – dentist
59% – family doctor
55% – vet
53% – insurance
55% – hair and beauty
32% – pet grooming
Lots of Needs in First 6 Months

35. New Mover Top “Near Me” Searches

36. Parents of Children Turning 1
Time for Baby’s First
Dental Checkup
Great opportunity to
• educate parents
• share expertise
• build trust
• Generate new patients

37. Families with Children
You are the expert
Answer questions about oral care
When do teeth start erupting?
Does candy cause cavities?
What are the signs of tooth decay ?
When do molars come in?
What are sealants?
Is flouride in water important?
How often does a child need a dental checkup?
What do you do when a tooth falls out?
People Wants What’s Best for their Children
By answering these questions, you are building trust

38. Health Conscious
• According to a recent article by Store Brands, the baby boomer
generation reportedly controls 70 percent of U.S. disposable income
and, to a large extent, drive demand for healthful food products.
• Female is decision maker
• Mantra is “as long as I have my health” (and my teeth)
• It’s not about the money but the peace of mind
• Want to look good
• Boomers
• Millennials
• Ailment Sufferers

39. Millennials
• Want to look good
• Health is key
• Respond to
coupons & special
offers
• FOMO
2018 Report – 1/3 of Millennials brush their teeth only 1x/day
33 percent said they would rather go without sex for a month than undergo
a dental procedure
62 percent said were too afraid to visit the dentist
Fox News
But they will be your patients of tomorrow

40. Ailment Sufferers
• People with Diabetes
• Periodontal disease is the most common dental disease
affecting those living with diabetes, affecting nearly 22% of
those diagnosed. ... In fact, people with diabetes are at a
higher risk for gum problems because of poor blood sugar
control. As with all infections, serious gum disease may cause
blood sugar to rise.
ADA Mouth Healthy Study

41. Getting Referrals
• Dentists
• Physicians
• Other Health providers
How do you find them?
Why Should They Refer You?
Why Should They Trust You?

42. Traditional with a New Twist
• Personalized
• Irresistible
• Has staying power
• Use direct mail to move
prospects from 1
marketing channel to
another
• Time campaigns to blend
with other media
Maximize your Impact - Blend direct mail with email, FB &
Instagram marketing and schedule social posts at same
time – with similar messaging.
Hyper Targeted Direct Mail

43. Stand Out & Be Creative
Colorful – lumpy envelopes get opened
• Branded Lost Tooth box for Parents of Turning 1
• Magnets for New Movers
• Dental Welcome Box for New Movers
• SPF Lip Balm to Female decision makers
• Branded denture adhesive to older adults
Consider using a personalized QR code
in your direct mail to drive prospects to
your website. Develop a dedicated
landing page so you can track response

44. Postcard
options are
Great for New
Movers, Grand
Openings and
Branding

45. Social Media
• Great for Branding
• 70% of your patients
and prospective
patients use social
media.
• Gain visibility
• Build Reputation
• Create Engagement
• Develop TRUST

46. Social Media Strategies
• Humanize yourself & your staff
• Portray your team as personable & professional
• Put on your calendar so you post often
• Photos of your team, office & events you participate in,
especially those that benefit the community
• Links to blog posts and news articles
• Updates about your practice
• Consider contests and promotions
• Seasonal & holiday happenings
• Human Interest (Patient of the month)
• Dental Tips
• Resource for parents or seniors
• Be motivational

47. Set Up Your Facebook Page
• Go to “Create Page” link.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/create/
• Choose a page type. Choose “Local Business or Place.”
• Choose a category. This is how prospective new patients can
find you.
• Choose a business name. Enter your exact practice name that
people know you by.
• Agree to Facebook Pages Terms.
• Click “Get Started.” Click the blue button.
• Set up your page. Simply follow the prompts and you’re ready
to go

48. Set Up Your Instagram Account
• Go to https://www.instagram.com/
• Enter your email address, create a username and
password or click Log in with Facebook to sign up
with your Facebook account.
• If you register with an email, click Sign up

49. Set Up Your Twitter Account
• Go to www.twitter.com
• Click “Sign up for Twitter.”
• Provide basic information about yourself such as your full
name and email address.
• Make sure you pick a user name that represents your practice,
or at least lets users know what you do. Examples:
alphadental, drsmithdentist, etc.
• Follow the remaining prompts

50. Why Do You Tweet?
• 140 characters
• Great to share articles by
posting a link
• Post information about your
practice
• Post your own thoughts
As you continue to post, you continue to grow followers, gain credibility,
& begin to be seen by Twitter users as an authority on your subject(s)
(i.e. implants, gum disease, etc.) This helps you become a Thought
Leader and develop TRUST.

51. Provide Healthful Tips

52. Be Motivational

53. Be Fun

54. Be Part of a National Initiative

55. Be Timely

56. Be Educational

57. Contests & Promotions

58. Promote To Your Patients

59. Be Consistent
• Stick to your Marketing Calendar
• Keep posts current
• You are developing a cadre of followers,
don’t disappoint them
• Reliability connotes TRUST
• You want your brand = TRUST

60. Videos Rock
• You Tube is the 2nd largest Search Engine
• Great for SEO
• Shareable
• Patient Education
• Credibility
• Thought Leadership
• TRUST
courtesy of BiteBank Education

61. Create your YouTube Channel
• Sign in to YouTube by signing into your Google account.
• Your username & YouTube channel will share the same name
as your Google+ profile.
• Customize your YouTube channel. Click the “Add channel art”
button on your dashboard to add a banner image to your
channel.
• Click the pencil icon in the top-right corner of your banner to
add links to your personal website and social networking sites.
Give your channel a description to give potential viewers an
idea of the content on your channel.
• Upload your video. Remember to tag descriptive words or
phrases so your videos show in searches.

62. Advertising on Social Media
• Social media advertising is a way to target audiences on
specific networks through demographic information so
targeted consumers can see your brand in their feeds.

63. Facebook
• Facebook allows more advanced targeting than any other
social media advertising platform. Advertisers can target by
location (within a 5-mile radius), job description, interests,
past activity, and many other incredibly valuable criteria.
• Create custom audiences in Facebook
• Expand your reach with look-alikes
• Match to your direct mail prospect list
Tip: Change your sponsored ads & posts often
to prevent ad fatigue. Use patient-generated
content for ads for best results.

64. Why Do We Blog
• Keeps your website current
• You become The Expert
• Gives you outreach with new audiences
• Creates your own PR machine
• People can engage with your content
• Patients can share your information
• Great for Organic search
• Can be Educational
• Can be fun
• Great hiring tool

67. Call to Action
• Call Today
• Act by
• Learn More
• Click here to make an
appointment
• Click her for more
information
• Special Offer
• Free

68. Tell Them What To Do
• Click here for answers
to the most common
questions.
• Do you have questions
not answered here?
Give us a call.
• Dental problems rarely
get better on their
own. Begin care today.
CTAs courtesy of Smile Marketing

69. Become a Thought Leader
• Develop your Personal Brand
• Create & circulate content
• Write articles
• Post Blogs
• Work with Influencers
• Develop a Network
• Speak at Community Events
• Participate on Panels
• Non-Profit Involvement
Don’t be shy – Chutzpah counts!
People Trust You Because They View You As The Expert

70. Reviews
• 88 percent of patients read reviews to determine the quality of a
local practice.
• Merely 12 percent of patients do NOT pay heed to online reviews.
• 72 percent of patients admit that positive reviews make them trust a
practice more.
• 72 percent of patients usually take action after reading an
encouraging review.
• 62 percent of patients are unlikely to visit a practice with unpleasant
reviews.
Source: Practice Builders

72. Just ask
TIPS:
• Complete your entire interaction with a patient before
bringing up the subject of reviews. If you're performing a
series of procedures, wait until you've finished the last of the
work. Talking about reviews should be the very last thing you
do before the patient leaves the office.
• Gauge how the patient is feeling about your work. Ask
something simple like, "How are you feeling?"
• When patients express satisfaction, ask them to write a review
and name one or two specific sites. Make it easy - have a
setup in the office where they can write / post their review.
Seven out of 10 patients said they would leave a review if asked
Looks daunting? There are companies that do this for you

73. Reputation Management
• Reviews = Engagement
• Respond to all reviews with a smile
• Don’t overreact to negative reviews – respond openly &
offer a way to reconcile the situation
• Simplify the process
• Send the right message
• Don’t post fake reviews
• Never take down a bad review
• Good reviews build TRUST

74. Last Words on Engagement
• Time = Trust
• No longer face-to-face…but IP address-to-IP address
• The more time prospects spend on your website the better
your chance to convert
• Drive prospects from one media channel to another
• Facebook post to your website to clicking on a YouTube Video
• Use a QR code in print to direct someone to your website
• Article in Chamber newsletter clicks thru to your site
• Show off your expertise – people trust The Expert
• Be consistent in everything you do
• Respond to all Reviews
• Earn their Trust

75. Resources
• DentistryIQ
• SmileMarketing
• Practice Builders
• The Wealthy Dentist
• Smart Practice
• Word Tracker
• American Dental Association
• Bitebank Education
• Patient News
• Dataman Group Direct

76. Thank You
561.451.9302 – 800.771.DATA
Datamangroup.com
Visit the section of our website dedicated to Dental Practice marketing