Why Your Dental Team Must Stand Apart from the Crowd
“Different Is Better Than Better” — Sally Hogshead
I’ve always believed it is good practice to reduce complex ideas into concentrated, general truths. In this way, it becomes easier to apply grand concepts to everyday scenarios, which are always unpredictable and endlessly varied. The quote above is an example of such distilled thinking. In just five words, marketing authority Sally Hogshead accurately defines the most important characteristic present ineffective marketing and maybe the most important characteristic of all communication: uniqueness, the ability to stand apart from the crowd long enough to correspond an idea, an idea which, in turn, sells a product, service, or ideology. The message itself is really secondary to its ability to first attract attention. The best idea or product means nothing if it’s never noticed, so gathering an audience is paramount. For dentists, this means creating a marketing strategy that sets the office apart from the growing number of practices; in short, only different dentists attract new patients.
Most Dentists Conform
The unfortunate reality for most dental practices is that their marketing blends in too well. Their offices fail to stand out because they mimic the competition so closely and essentially disappear. In an effort to conserve time and play it safe, dentists are choosing recycled, plug-and-play marketing strategies. There are even companies that will help your office conform to this trend. They supply all the materials and even handle social media. It all seems to make sense at first—that is until you realize that much of your competition is doing the same thing. Your dental practice becomes like a yellow fish in a school of yellow fish; and to prospective patients scrolling through social media, it’s all white noise. The key to building your practice is to design a different marketing strategy that turns your office into a blue fish in a school of yellow fish.
Blue-Fish Thinking Builds Successful Practices
The first step to becoming a blue fish is attitude. To stand apart from the crowd, you have to think differently, outside of the box, avoiding what all the other dentists are doing. Approach every aspect of your marketing with a fresh perspective. Brainstorm with your staff; talk with family and friends—sometimes the best ideas come from people who are the least connected to the subject. Becoming a blue fish is not easy, and it requires a good deal of mental and physical effort, but the longer you and your team think like blue fish, the easier it is to market like blue fish.
Successful Practices Market Their Mission
The most successful dental practices let their guiding principles and strengths direct all marketing decisions. Being different is critical, but trying to be something you’re not comes across as fake and disingenuous. Different dentists attract new patients by exploring their mission statements; this type of self-audit reveals the values of your dental team and what makes your team unique. By allowing the true nature of your practice to guide all of your marketing, prospective patients will perceive your brand as genuine.
Four Dental Practices That Found Their Different
Comfort Dogs: I recently came across a dental practice that uses specially trained dogs to help their patients cope with dental anxiety. I’ve long known that pets are used to reduce stress and help people recover from illnesses, but I had never seen animals functioning in this type of direct, clinical way. After doing some research on the subject, I discovered that substantial training goes into preparing dogs for such a role, which is no doubt why other practices don’t offer the service and why it demonstrates an extraordinary commitment to patient comfort.
Glamour Photo Shoot for Staff: A local all-female dental staff recently decided to capitalize on their uniquely feminine appeal by doing a fun, glamour-like photo shoot. The result was a short video that reflected the camaraderie of the team and the hip, youthful nature of the office. Prospective patients intuitively know that staff morale impacts patient care, so they gravitate toward cohesive dental teams.
Debonding Reveal Videos: Debondings are a great time to celebrate with patients. Most offices prepare at least a small gift and take pictures for social media, but one office decided to take debondings to another level with braces-free reveal videos that capture the moment when patients see their new smile for the first time. By doing this, different dentists attract new patients by demonstrating a patient-focused mission, while sharing heartfelt reactions from actual patients. To those searching for a dental home, this type of content is very persuasive; it’s marketing gold actually, and in this case, it comes across as completely genuine because the office consistently focuses on creating an extraordinary patient experience.
Public Service Projects: It’s always a good idea to include some type of outreach to your mission statement. It not only exposes your staff to prospective patients in the community, but it is also a great way to build teamwork. I came across one veteran dental team that has taken their community service to a new level, volunteering at many events and collecting items for the local food pantry. They also hold special events that provide free dentistry to veterans and the needy. Their goodwill is clearly from the heart, but this type of altruism is not soon forgotten by prospective patients who meet team members at various functions and who see all their activities recorded on social media.
Different Dentists Attract New Patients with Fresh Opportunity
Despite growing competition in today’s dental market, there are more and more opportunities to highlight and sell your practice if you possess a unique message and marketing plan. Because the current trend is moving toward corporate, franchise-like marketing strategies, innovative, different dental teams can easily stand out, attract new patients, and grow their practices.
Engaging Social Media for Dentists [4 Best] (Vol. 1)
A Collection of the Most Effective Social Media Posts for DentistsContent, Content, ContentIt’s a challenge to develop fresh and engaging social media posts for dentists, posts that break through all the noise to deliver likes, comments, and shares. Dental offices are busy places, and there is little extra time or
