The days of television and radio advertising along with print advertising are long gone. This is equally as true today for dental industry marketing as it is for virtually every other business, retail outlet or medical services business such as a dental office. In fact, businesses in today's world can be divided among those that are thriving online and those that are caught in the old paradigm of yesterday's marketing methods. The good news is that becoming actively involved online as a way to source clients, customers as well as new leads and patients from the Internet is much easier than most people might imagine.
Digital Generation and the New Digital Lifestyle
To be competitive in any business nowadays requires understanding the latest trends in marketing and how people find the products and services that they need. We are in a digital generation with a new digital lifestyle that must be embraced by business owners and those in the dental industry. Indeed, everyone today, especially the younger generation, carries a virtual directory of every service and product imaginable right in a back pocket in the form of a mobile phone. Those in the dental industry must embrace this fact and ensure that they can be easily found online via any kind of connected device in a quick and efficient way. Equally important is the fact that today's digitally minded generation is extremely tuned into social media. This is an aspect of online marketing that simply cannot go unanswered by those with dental practices and other business ventures.
To be competitive in any business nowadays requires understanding the latest trends in marketing and how people find the products and services that they need. We are in a digital generation with a new digital lifestyle that must be embraced by business owners and those in the dental industry.
New Ways of Searching For and Finding Services and Products
From choosing the best restaurant in town to finding the best deal on a lawnmower or searching for a plumber or electrician, the Internet is hands down the go-to source. Whether it is on a desktop computer, a laptop or mobile phone, one thing is certain and that is that searching for what we need every day has changed quite a bit in the last few decades. This includes searching for dental services such as a routine cleaning, a root canal or even major reconstructive work. The dentist, endodontist and orthodontist as well as others that specialize in dental care and services who understand this new way of finding services and products will likely fare well in the coming years. Fortunately, today many dentists are thriving in this new digital age. Those who have yet to climb aboard the digital marketing ride have incredible opportunities to increase their market share in the dental services industry.
Online Marketing Offers Incredibly Efficient Promotional Advantage
The bottom line is that there will be dental care providers who will avoid taking full advantage of all that the Internet and the digital age makes possible and others that seize the opportunity in order to grow a thriving practice. Either way, the opportunities abound when it comes to what is available because of the modern Internet and digital connectivity. Promoting an idea, concept, product, service or medical practice can be as simple as establishing the right type of website and then marketing online in a highly efficient and results driven way. For example, today's websites must be highly responsive so that they look equally as impressive on a laptop computer as they do on a mobile phone. Old outdated websites that do not load properly on a mobile device will only serve to impede business growth. In addition, any business today, whether it is a dental office or a clothing store must participate in the conversations that are taking place across social media channels. YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook among others offer incredible and virtually free opportunities to promote, advertise and market a business or medical practice in a fun and interesting way.
Security and Privacy
The security and privacy of personal information and data online has taken center stage in recent years. This is perhaps one of the most important aspects of being involved in the digital age that simply cannot be ignored or overlooked. Those in the dental industry as well as business owners and anyone else wishing to etch out a following online must make security and privacy a top priority. Investing in the very best in online security and privacy protocols, equipment and software will pay for itself in multiples over the short and long-term. Customers, clients and patients all expect their personal information, data and financial information to be well protected and highly secure. Especially of concern when it comes to dental care facilities and patient’s data is that of medical records. Ensuring full HIPAA compliance and guaranteeing that patient information is kept safe and secure will let patients know that they are working with a professional organization - one that has placed a high premium on security and privacy.
How to Start the Process - What to do Next
The most exciting part of today's digital age is that it is easy, convenient and relatively inexpensive to get started in an online promotional campaign as compared to older traditional offline marketing. Typically, a dental office or any other type of business for that matter should first have their existing website evaluated for responsiveness and for levels of intuitiveness. In other words, a website should look good and respond well on all devices and it should be easy to navigate. If a company website lacks in this regard it must be reworked or completely rebuilt as necessary. The next step is to begin focusing on optimizing a website for better search engine interaction. This may include adding a blog along with posting unique and original content at regular intervals. Modern search engines detect unique, useful and original content and reward websites accordingly by improving their ranking for specific search terms and relevant keywords.
Search Engine Optimization and Internet Marketing
In addition, it is absolutely vital to work with an experienced and knowledgeable SEO team in order to enjoy the greatest levels of success online. Experts in search engine optimization and Internet marketing can expertly guide a dental office campaign so that it achieves measurable results and key milestones. Along with these initial steps it is important to begin developing a social media presence online for your brand or business. This can involve setting up a Twitter or Facebook account and starting to instantly interact with potential customers, patients and clients by answering questions and offering useful and valuable information. Videos, infographics and a wide range of other relevant digital information can be offered via social media while linking directly back to a dental office website or other business site. Additional useful strategies include posting relevant press releases announcing business events and company news and linking with others in the industry.
Conclusion
Those in the medical industry and especially anyone in the dental field have much to gain from all that today's modern digital world makes possible. All that is required is to become actively involved and to work with the right team of professionals. When Internet marketing, search engine optimization and social media strategies are blended in a successful and meaningful way, the end result can be a substantial increase in business and improved bottom-line performance and profitability. Dentists, endodontists and orthodontists as well as others are quickly discovering the value of online marketing and in maintaining a digital conversation with existing patients, potential patients and others. Moving a dental practice to the next logical level only requires taking the next step by initiating an online marketing or promotional campaign. Contact Vigorant today to learn more about becoming digitally connected in a world where online marketing is becoming the new gold standard in the dental industry.