How to Make a Dental Portfolio for Prospective New Patients
Dentists Need to Prove Themselves Today
Dentists who began practicing before the internet dominated our lives, will remember when reputation and referral were the most important aspects of practice growth. Before Google turned smartphones into our personal vetting machines, dentists experienced a much slower movement of information. If they pleased patients and did good work, their practices grew. Back then dentists weren’t compelled to demonstrate their skills to prospective patients because people trusted the degree and license hanging on the wall. Today, however, the requirements for success have grown, and dentists must build a dental portfolio to showcase their work.
Dental Images and Video Rule
The internet has made everything faster. People get directions instantly, pay bills while standing in line at the grocery store, and order food with a few clicks. This is why images and videos are so powerful; they’re fast. It might take a paragraph to explain what a picture can do in a few seconds. For this reason, the internet is dominated by visual media. Many studies have been done to demonstrate how web content with images gets more engagement, which leads to more traffic and business. Dentists, therefore, must document their work and build a dental portfolio template. In the bustle of the day, it’s easy to forget about taking pictures, but such oversight really leads to many lost opportunities for growth. Prospective patients today expect you to back up your claims and impress them with your skills. Remember, they are just a click away from visiting your competition down the street, so you need to consistently demonstrate how your dental work improves appearance and quality of life.
Dental Portfolio Template—What Content Is Most Effective?
Patient Testimonials: Because we are intensely social creatures, the testimony of others does much to guide our decisions. When existing patients explain how their dental work provides a higher quality of life, your brand receives a lot of credibility. It’s one thing to write about your dental team’s accomplishments on a website or social media channel, but it’s entirely different when patients describe their own experiences. People really trust patient testimony, which explains why online reviews are so powerful.
Reveals: Showing the unfiltered moments when patients see dental work for the first time can be very memorable. Dental work dramatically affects a person’s appearance and self-esteem, so it’s not uncommon for the experience to be filled with emotion. Viewers participate in this joyful moment and remember it when they need dental services.
Before and After Images: Being able to showcase your dental work to prospective patients is extremely effective because it allows a viewer to live vicariously. In other words, prospective patients imagine what it would be like to replace their own missing teeth or to whiten their own smiles.
Engaging, High-Quality Video Content Is the Future of Dental Marketing
Why Your Dental Practice Needs a Media Specialist The Past and Future of Dental Marketing Marketing a dental practice has certainly changed over the years. Early in the twentieth century, dentists built their practices with door signs and satisfied patients. Referrals were the primary practice builders back then, so growth happened
Invest in Digital Storage with Backup
As you collect media and build your dental portfolio template, your computer hard drive will fill up, quickly. Thankfully, expandable solid-state hard drives (SSD) are coming down in price, so it’s a lot easier to store and back up all your valuable media. Even though SSD storage is more expensive than traditional HDD, it’s worth the investment; these drives don’t have any moving parts, which makes them more durable and reliable.
Get Permission to Publish
As with all patient images posted online, it’s important to get permission. A simple form for patients to sign is sufficient. Even if the patient’s face is cropped out, it’s important to get authorization. Most often, patients are flattered and eager to show off their new dental work, but a signed form prevents any type of HIPAA violation.