As 2023 approaches, we thought it would be a great idea to share 5 effective marketing strategies that work like magic, but you’ve probably never tried.
In the grand scheme of marketing, these strategies aren’t all that uncommon. However, when it comes to the dental industry (particularly dental practices), these 5 marketing strategies aren’t just uncommon, they’re outlets that many dentists and practice owners don’t pay great attention to.
So if you’re thinking about taking a new, exciting approach to your marketing in the new year, this post is for you. Keep reading as we break down these 5 effective marketing strategies you’ve probably never tried, all while making a case for why you should implement them in the new year!
5 Effective Marketing Strategies You’ve Probably Never Tried
Spoiler alert: the strategies that we’re sharing in this post largely revolve around content.
That’s because in the modern world, content is currency, and it is one of the most effective ways to build know, like, and trust with your prospects.
But rest assured, we’re not going over your typical content marketing strategies, such as Instagram or TikTok. Instead, we’ll be breaking down the 5 most uncommon marketing strategies that can grow your dental practice exponentially.
Blogging
Blogging is an overlooked marketing strategy that can provide tons of benefits. Many dental practices have a website, and they spend hundreds of dollars trying to optimize their SEO. However, blogging is one of the best ways to optimize SEO and increase searchability and discoverability.
Although you can optimize your on-site copy for SEO, SEO that lives on your blog allows you to rank on search engines for a multitude of keywords. Think about what your prospects might potentially type in their Google search bar regarding dental treatments. If your blog post was able to answer their question efficiently, chances are your post will rank on the first page of Google.
Now think about how many questions your prospect might have when it comes to dental treatments and procedures that you offer. If you had a blog post answering all those potential scenarios, you have a bigger chance of ranking high on Google’s search results.
This won’t just increase your monthly site visitors exponentially, but if you’re able to position yourself as the go-to expert in dentistry, you’ll be able to convert site visitors into loyal patients.
Podcasting
Similar to blogging, podcasting is a great way to build trust with your audience by positioning yourself as the expert in your field. However, if you’re thinking about starting your own podcast, you need to keep your target audience top of mind.
Chances are, your patients won’t be other dental professionals. Which means your podcast needs to be catered to your target audience and what they’d be most interested in.
Podcasting can also help with your searchability and discoverability because SEO does play an important role. A part of publishing a podcast episode is writing show notes that will live on your podcast hosting platform as well as on your website (if you choose to publish it on your site).
You could even take it a step further by writing a blog post summary of your podcast episode – further increasing your rankability.
YouTube (Long-Form Video Content)
There are two types of content that you can create – content that has a short lifespan and content that is evergreen. Content such as blogs and podcasts are evergreen, meaning they can be discovered for years to come, which means your ROI is set up for longevity.
But content for Instagram has a clear expiration date on it. At most, a piece of content you publish on Instagram has a lifespan of 72 hours. That’s not to say that it’s not worth your investment. Instagram content is powerful and it adds to the personable experience that you want your audience to know, like, and trust. But it’s a platform that needs to be updated regularly due to the short lifespan of your post.
However, if you’re looking for an evergreen platform that uses the medium of video, YouTube is a great option. The same SEO and keyword research applies to YouTube, but it combines the same personable touch that Instagram provides while allowing your content to be evergreen.
Vlogging the day-to-day happenings of your practice is a great way to give your prospects a unique view of what it’s like to be a patient there. You can also film educational-style content that informs your prospect on what they can expect from their treatment.
Regardless, long-form video content is a great opportunity for your prospects to get to know you, like you, and trust you – the key ingredients to becoming a loyal patient.
Email Marketing
Now, email marketing isn’t necessarily an “uncommon” marketing strategy. In fact, it’s become pretty mainstream. However, it’s made our list of the 5 effective marketing strategies you’ve probably never tried because most people aren’t doing email marketing correctly.
Take it from The Dental Marketer’s resident copywriter and email marketing specialist, Clare. She’s written and tested thousands (maybe even millions) of email marketing sequences that generate the desired results!
According to her, the key to effective email marketing is writing to your list as if they were friends, not customers. For example, formal subject lines, like “What to Expect From Your Next Dental Visit” doesn’t generate curiosity.
For starters, capitalized subject lines (where every word is properly capitalized like an article heading) are a dead giveaway that this email is not at all personalized. Which automatically turns your subscriber away.
Instead, a key factor to getting your email marketing to convert is to:
- Make sure your emails get opened
- Make sure your links are getting clicked
And in order to check these 2 points off, you need to make sure your copy is primed to convert.
One of the best ways for your emails to get opened? Write subject line that drives clicks. For instance, if you want to write an email about what your patients can expect from their next dental visit, you could write a subject line that reads, “Why my patient walked out…” with a preview text that says, “and how you can prepare for a comfortable visit.”
And if you want your subscriber to take action on your links or call-to-action, the copy in your email needs to persuade your prospect to take whatever action you want them to take.
Exclusive Content (Subscription Model or Free)
Ok, we lied (but not really). This is the ONE Instagram marketing strategy we’ll give in this article. Although it does involve Instagram, it is likely a strategy you’ve never tried before…
Share exclusive content to your followers who opt-in for it!
In case you missed it, Instagram has recently released their new subscription only feature. This means you’re able to publish exclusive content for a monthly subscription fee from your audience.
Don’t want your followers to pay in order to access your exclusive content? There’s a work around this matter.
Utilize your Close Friends only list on Instagram Stories!
Now, the key here is to share exclusive content that makes it worth your audience’s while. Maybe you can offer “exclusive discounts” for your audience who decide to join your close friends list.
You want to do this because you want your audience to feel like they’re opting into something that is worth their while. And although you’re offering exclusive discounts or content that those who don’t opt-in won’t receive, you’ll get to determine who your warmer leads are versus your colder ones.
That makes it much easier for you to nurture those who are more likely to convert, giving you a clearer idea of where your prospects are on their customer journey.
Out With the Old, In With the Digital!
Marketing has changed throughout the years, especially since the emergence of social media and the internet.
In 2023, content will continue to reign supreme, serving as a necessary entryway for your prospects before they decide to do business with you.
The key is to make your content as easily accessible and as worthwhile as possible.
Which one of these 5 marketing strategies are you most excited to try in the new year?
