With information right at their fingertips on their mobile devices, patients today are more empowered than ever to make more informed decisions concerning their care.
As a result, in the fight for new patients, every dentist needs to know where to spend their time (and money) online.
That’s why we’ve taken the time to list the top dental marketing trends of 2019.
Trend #1: Dentists Are Spending More Time on Social Media
Dentists are using social media as a branding tool more than ever before. They’re using platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to show off their happy patients and build trust within the community.
As a report published by the US National Institute of Health cites, there “...exists a sizable number of patients who are already comfortable to connect with their dentists on social media platforms such as Facebook [and] there is an opportunity for dental practices to trade upon a more active social media presence for enhanced patient interaction and engagement.”
Moreover, the report also highlights how today’s patients are actively exploring social media for “additional information” about their dentists, including “online reviews and qualifications.”
Put plainly, the modern dental patient wants a dentist that is active and supportive on social media. The dentists that do a better job of using social media to share content, educate their patients, and answer questions from the community are going to be the dentists that get ahead of the competition.
Trend #2: Dentists Are Doing a Better Job Using Content
The patient experience doesn’t start when someone walks into the practice—it starts online the second someone engages with the practice’s content.
That’s why dentists are doing a much better job creating and deploying helpful content than they have in the past—they’re using it to facilitate a superior patient experience.
Effective content is content that…
- Answers both everyday patient questions and unusual patient questions.
- Addresses and eases common clinical concerns.
- Is easy to consume.
For example, through a blog post, a dentist can “detail the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for a specific dental problem.”
Or consider The Singing Dentist, Dr. Milad Shadrooh, who uses “videos of himself singing parodies to popular songs...to encourage children on the importance of dental hygiene and raise oral health awareness.”
Publishing quality content be it in the form of a blog, video, or something else gives a dental practice an improved ability to:
- Rank on Google.
- Trend on social media
- Growing awareness and brand recognition in the community.
Trend #3: Dentists Are Making the Most Out of Video
Dentists like Dr. Shadrooh are becoming more common—not for their passion for singing, but for their effective use of video as a marketing tool.
As far as content goes, video is the most widely consumed (and shared) form of media on the Internet, and it will soon represent 80% of all web traffic.
More importantly, video is just about the closest thing a dentist can do to meeting a potential patient in person—it gives them the ability to connect with potential patients in a personal, professional way that other forms of content can’t offer.
With video, a dentist can showcase their personality, communicate their value, and improve their ability to rank on search engines like Google all at the same time. They can also brilliantly demonstrate the importance of regular cleanings, and the effectiveness of more complicated dental procedures.
Trend #4: Mobile Has Gone Mainstream for Dentists
Today, 81% of the US population (approximately 270 million people) owns a smartphone, and when you consider most people start looking for a new dentist from their smartphone, it’s easy to understand why dentists are starting to aggressively embrace mobile tech.
From mobile-optimized websites to dynamic landing pages to mobile ads, the importance and popularity of mobile in dental marketing will only continue to grow in the years ahead.
Trend #5: Reputation Management Is BIG
Dentists are quickly realizing that what people say about them online matters in a BIG way.
In fact, 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, and 93% of consumers say they use online reviews to make more informed purchasing decisions.
That means—fair or unfair—many dental practices lose business because their online reputation isn’t stellar—they have too many 3-star or lower reviews on key consumer-focused platforms like Google My Business, Yelp, and Facebook.
Which is why so many dental practices have spent 2019 investing in platforms and services that offer online reputation management.
Want to Learn More?
If you are interested in learning more about the top dental marketing trends, contact the dental marketing experts at Scorpion today.
