Online Resources for Dentists
This year, my practice has transitioned to advertising exclusively online. I have decreased the overall marketing budget while still attracting new patients each month. This blog contains several entries on what we have done to increase the optimization of my practice websites and our overall Internet presence. My first suggestion is to sign up for free local business listings with the major search engines, including a Google Places listing. One avenue that brings consistent traffic to my websites and patients to my office door is participation in online dental directories. A well optimized website and online presence can make a great difference in the number of new patients a dentist sees.
The forums at DentalTown have been a helpful source of information in running my practice. The message boards contain a large variety of topics including dental practice marketing, dental website design, dental practice management, dental insurance, restorative dentistry, cosmetic dentistry, endodontics and periodontics. Dentists ask questions and give advice to one another. DentalTown contains a compilation of press releases, industry news articles and opportunities for continuing education. Dentists must register to become a member.
My dental office has been participating in social media through Twitter and Facebook for several months now. Facebook, in particular, has been a good way to keep up with my current patients. This month I have used these venues to promote a Ladies’ Month promotion which has attracted new patients as well.
Email marketing through a service like Constant Contact provides dentists with an easy and inexpensive resource for sharing information with patients. We ask our patients if they would like to opt-in to receive email reminders and newsletters from our office. We send out e-newsletters to all of our patients several times a year. My office also sends email reminders to patients with overdue recalls or pending treatment plans. Email marketing helped us to promote our Ladies’ Month event as well.
Dr. Edward Logan is a general and cosmetic dentist practicing in O’Fallon, Missouri. Dr. Logan graduated from the University of Washington School of Dentistry in 1993 and has since built three successful practices from scratch, one in Southern California and two in the Midwest. Though his dental education had trained him well in the area of clinical dentistry, he had learned very little regarding how to operate a successful business. Dr. Logan therefore sought extensive training in the areas of dental practice management and marketing. In his new book, Dentistry's Business Secrets: Proven Growth Strategies for Your New or Existing Practice, Dr. Logan shares the vital information he has learned.
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