Welcome to Outstand Online’s guide to smart dental practice growth strategies for 2023! Growing your dental practice goes beyond just attracting new patients. To ensure long-term success, it’s crucial to invest in patient retention and optimize office operations. Here are 20 top strategies, tactics, and growth hacks to take your dental practice to the next level:
1. Set an Attainable Practice Growth Strategy
Sustainable growth requires intentional planning. Develop a detailed growth plan outlining the tactics and strategies you’ll employ to achieve your goals.
2. Establish Measurable Goals
Define success for your dental practice with realistic goals and stretch achievements. This will give you and your team a clear direction to work towards.
3. Track Your Performance
Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) regularly, such as website traffic, dental SEO metrics, and patient satisfaction scores. Create a dashboard for a quick overview of your practice’s performance.
4. Know Your Audience
Understand your target audience’s demographics and communication preferences. Tailor your marketing and engagement strategies accordingly.
5. Display Dental Patient Reviews and Testimonials
Leverage positive patient reviews by showcasing them on your website, social media, and within your practice. Patient testimonials are powerful tools for attracting new patients.
6. Blog Frequently to Boost Dental SEO
Publish informative blog posts regularly to engage your audience and improve your website’s search engine optimization.
7. Use Email Marketing
Keep your practice top-of-mind with regular email campaigns. Consider a monthly newsletter and use emails to share updates, reminders, and promotions.
8. Offer Promotions and Discounts
Incentivize patient loyalty by providing discounts for services or promotions for patient referrals.
9. Use Video to Attract Dental Patients
Video marketing is highly engaging. Utilize it for promotional and educational content to increase visibility for your practice.
10. Distribute Patient Satisfaction Surveys
Request feedback from patients to understand their needs and promptly address any issues.
11. Train Your Staff for a Positive Patient Experience
Ensure your staff provides excellent customer service to foster patient loyalty and positive reviews.
12. Focus on Local SEO for Dentists
Optimize your online presence locally to attract nearby patients. Utilize Google My Business and relevant keywords.
13. Keep Your Website Fresh and Updated
Regularly add new content, such as blog posts, to support your dental SEO strategy and improve conversion rates.
14. Prominently Display CTAs on Every Page
Make it easy for website visitors to engage with your practice by incorporating clear calls-to-action on all pages.
15. Claim and Optimize Your Online Profiles
Improve your online presence by claiming and optimizing your profiles on platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and Vitals.
16. Encourage Patient Referrals
Ask satisfied patients to refer their friends and family to your practice.
17. Use Appointment Reminders to Reduce No-Shows
Decrease last-minute cancellations by sending automated appointment reminders via email or text.
18. Enhance Your Social Media Strategy with Creative Instagram Ideas
Leverage the power of Instagram’s engagement by creating unique and compelling dental content.
19. Run a Social Media Contest
Engage your followers and boost awareness of your practice by hosting a social media contest.
20. Promote Your Dental Practice Using Google Advertising
Invest in cost-per-click (CPC) ads to target prospective patients effectively and boost your return on investment.
21. Increase Engagement with Facebook Ads
Harness the power of Facebook’s extensive user base by running targeted ads to reach potential patients who are not already following your practice. Facebook ads allow you to reach a highly engaged audience, increasing your practice’s visibility and attracting new patients.
22. Equip Your Website with Online Scheduling
Offering online scheduling on your website provides convenience for patients and can significantly impact your growth strategy. With more than 60 percent of patients preferring a digital experience for scheduling, incorporating online booking, changing, or canceling appointments can attract and retain patients.
23. Respond to Negative Reviews
Online reviews carry significant weight in shaping patients’ perceptions of your practice. Address negative reviews promptly and professionally, and offer to resolve the issue offline. Demonstrating a commitment to resolving concerns can turn patient sentiment around and show potential patients that you prioritize their satisfaction.
24. Improve Staff Productivity
Streamline your front office operations by implementing practice management technology, such as two-way text messaging, online scheduling, and digital intake forms. This can help your staff accomplish tasks more efficiently, reducing administrative work and improving overall productivity.
25. Enhance Patient Communication
Stay connected with your patients in between visits using email and text messaging. Offering multiple communication options allows patients to contact your practice in a way that suits them best, leading to increased engagement and appeal to potential new patients.
Remember, every dental practice is unique, so find the right combination of growth strategies that work best for your business. With creativity, commitment, and a willingness to adapt, your dental practice can thrive and achieve sustainable growth in 2023 and beyond.
For more tips and insights on dental marketing and advertising, check out our Outstand Online blog.
