What is Internal Marketing for Dentists?
At Pain-Free Dental Marketing, we see your marketing strategy as a bird that needs both wings to fly. One wing is the external marketing you’re familiar with; the other is internal, and it’s focused on leveraging your existing patient base to elevate your practice. Internal marketing forces us to ask how to leverage getting existing patients back into the dental chair and make them cheerleaders for your office.
It’s important to know that “Internal marketing” is not just email campaigns or the other points mentioned above. It is also the way you answer the phone, the way you greet people at the door. It’s about your feel at the office and the experience that the patient has when they are with you, too. A big part of growing a dental practice is looking at the existing patient base and ensuring we do not forget about them. It’s about telling them about new services you offer, getting them back in for cosmetic treatment, and asking them for reviews! In essence, it’s every touchpoint your patients have with your practice—both in and out of the dental chair.
Email Marketing
Patient Reactivation: Reactivating dormant patients is one of the most cost-effective ways to boost your practice. Our expertly crafted emails can remind them of the quality care you provide, encouraging a return visit.
Use It, Don’t Lose It (UIDLI): Many people don’t realize that their dental benefits expire at the end of the year. We send compelling emails to remind patients to use their benefits before losing them, helping boost end-of-year appointments.
Unscheduled Treatment: For those patients who have initiated but not completed treatments, our targeted emails can nudge them toward completion. These reminders help patients take the necessary steps for their oral health and help you secure more completed treatments.
Seasonal Emails: From holiday promotions to summer cleaning specials, we can craft emails that tie into various seasons or events, giving patients an extra incentive to make an appointment.
Patient Referral Programs
Referral Incentives: Word-of-mouth is incredibly powerful in the healthcare industry. We can help you establish a robust referral program that rewards current patients for bringing new ones to your practice.
Tracking and Feedback: We provide systems to track the effectiveness of referral programs, offering insights that can be used to refine and optimize future efforts.
Sponsorship & Local Event Support
Flyers & Brochures: Local events are a great opportunity to showcase your practice. We can create eye-catching flyers and brochures that effectively communicate your services and special offers.
Sponsorship Support: We can assist in identifying and securing sponsorship opportunities that align with your practice’s ethos and target audience, amplifying your reach in the community.
SWAG Ideas & Designs: Everyone loves free stuff! We can help you come up with creative, branded items to give away at events, making sure your practice is memorable to potential new patients.
How Internal Marketing for Dentists Can Help You
Building Relationships, Not Just Client Lists
The power of internal marketing lies in its ability to foster relationships. How your front desk staff answers the phone, how you greet patients at the door, and the ambiance of your office—all these form part of the patient experience. And let’s face it, a happy patient not only comes back but also brings friends and family.
Don’t Forget Your Loyal Smiles
The existing patients you have are not just names in a database; they are the foundation of your practice. They deserve to know about new services you’re offering, whether that’s Invisalign, teeth whitening, or same-day crowns. And why stop there? Encourage them to return for cosmetic treatments, and don’t forget to ask them for reviews. After all, they already love your services; let them be your ambassadors.
Harness the Full Potential of Internal Marketing
Pain-Free Dental Marketing provides comprehensive strategies that will help you bring together both external and internal marketing efforts for a well-rounded, effective approach. Our support extends to helping you make critical decisions on where to focus your internal marketing for maximum returns. It’s not about throwing money at ads and billboards; it’s about finding the right balance between attracting new patients and retaining the ones you have. It’s about making your practice not just a choice, but the choice—for new and existing patients alike!