As a business owner, you’re likely to be always thinking about new ways to market your business and gain new customers. But when your service is something that people typically don’t like, put off, or are even scared of, how do you effectively market to these people? In this article, the marketing experts at Wildcat Digital talk you through a number of both online and offline marketing strategies to help grow your dental practice.
So, how do you market a dental practice? There are a number of strategies you can take when marketing your dental practice. But, one of the most important things you can do is to literally put yourself on the map with Local SEO. PPC ads, referral schemes and customer experience are other great marketing techniques for dentists.
But, first things first, why should you care? Why is dental marketing so important?
In the UK dental market, many people simply register with the dental practice closest to their home that is currently accepting new patients. How do you compete with that? How are you supposed to gain new custom beyond new locals?
That’s why marketing is so important. A strong marketing strategy helps you to get your business out there so that people know you exist. Not only that, it helps you to target the right people – your ideal customers. Furthermore, marketing can help you to differentiate yourself from your competition – a key challenge in this industry.
In business, there’s a lot that you can’t control but with a good marketing strategy, you’re in the driving seat. You get to choose how you want potential customers to perceive you. You get to choose your brand, core values and mission statement. You get to choose who your ideal customers are and target only them (although that’s not to say others won’t slip though). In other words, the decisions are left down to you.
There are a hundred and one benefits of creating and implementing a strong marketing strategy (maybe more), but here are the top benefits of dental marketing:
Below are a number of marketing strategies suitable for dental practices.
One of the biggest benefits of SEO is brand visibility and an increase in traffic to your website. When done well, it can also help to generate more leads. But, it’s important to recognise that SEO is not a quick fix. SEO campaigns typically take at least 6 months to start showing significant results.
One of the best SEO techniques to use in dentistry is Local SEO. This helps to (literally) put you on the map and help you stand out from the competition in your area. Since the majority of your clients will be from your local area, this is an invaluable marketing technique. You can even implement this to promote different sites if you have more than one clinic – learn more about this in our recent blog.
But first, you’ll need to optimise your website with carefully chosen keywords. These should be a mix of high search volume, low competition keywords, localised keywords and long tail keywords. However, don’t get carried away. Google often penalised websites for overstuffing keywords into copy. Learn more about this in our blog, How to Avoid Keyword Stuffing – Keyword Best Practices.
A quicker way to get noticed is by using pay per click (PPC) advertising. This, theoretically, gets you in front of your target audience much faster than SEO but there’s a caveat or two:
As a service-based business, a good customer experience is paramount to success. This impacts your brand, your reputation, customer loyalty, retention and advocacy. This, ultimately, can influence word of mouth and referrals.
Unfortunately, building a good customer experience isn’t a quick and easy process, but it’s incredibly worth the effort. This is especially true when people typically don’t like going to the dentist!
You’ll need to work on the following:
Once you’ve optimised your customer experience, consider creating a referral scheme where existing customers are incentivised to refer you to friends and family. This could be in the form of discounted services, monetary incentives, or products your clients would like.
Even in the modern digital landscape, word of mouth is still considered to be one of the most effective forms of marketing. People generally trust their friends and family’s opinion more than the internet. A tick from your existing customers could be the difference between new customers choosing you and going with the company that comes up first on Google searches.
By now, you’ll hopefully have a better understanding of why marketing is so useful for dentists. But, don’t panic if you don’t know where to start or how to implement some of our suggestions. At Wildcat Digital, we can help with solid SEO and PPC campaigns that (literally) put you on the map.
Learn more about SEO for healthcare here, or read our recent blog on the topic.
Content Strategist & Team Leader
Founder
Our founder, Will Hitchmough, worked at a number of high profile Sheffield Digital Agencies before founding Wildcat Digital in 2018. He brings an extensive knowledge of all things related to SEO, PPC and Paid Social, as well as an expert knowledge of digital strategy.
Digital Marketing can be a minefield for many businesses, with many agencies ready to take your money without knowing how to deliver results. I founded Wildcat Digital to deliver digital success to businesses with smaller budgets in a transparent way.
Content Strategist Team Lead
With a degree in Marketing and a background in more traditional, offline marketing, Chloe joined Wildcat in 2021 after deciding to move into the digital marketing industry. She joined us as a Content Specialist and quickly moved up the ranks, becoming a Content Strategist and later an SEO Team Leader.
Outside of work, Chloe is an avid creative. If she’s not knitting, you’ll likely find her behind a sewing machine or in the kitchen trying (and often failing!) to make sourdough.
SEO Account Director
Paul has a strong background in SEO, having previously founded and ran a successful eCommerce business, as well as running a personal blog that achieves an average of 17K users per month. Paul’s knowledge of SEO is extensive, with a strong emphasis on client handling and technical SEO.
Outside of work, Paul enjoys spending time with his family and staying active with weight lifting and combat sports.
Head of Operations
Nadea joined Wildcat in 2021 and has since overhauled the way we work. She has a background in various administrative, operations and HR roles, which gave her the experience and skills needed to lead and organise a growing business.
Outside of work, Nadea loves anything that keeps her active, but she especially enjoys hiking, camping and mountain biking.
SEO Account Manager
With a background in sales, Molly is a natural Account Manager, brilliantly handling any issues that come her way. Having joined us as a Digital Marketing Executive, and working part-time through her final year of University, Molly is a shining example of how hard work pays off. She is now an SEO Account Manager with a particular interest in Content and Client Management.
In her spare time, Molly loves to get out in nature, hiking and exploring the Peak District. She also loves cooking and likes to unwind with a bit of yoga.
Senior PPC Account Manager
Libby joined Wildcat in 2021 as our first PPC hire. With a degree in Digital Media Production, a Master’s in Digital Media Management and previous experience in Social Media Management, Libby hit the ground running and has since climbed the ranks to Senior PPC Account Manager and has a particular interest in the eCommerce sector.
Outside of work, Libby likes gaming, and cooking and likes to keep active by lifting weights.
SEO Team Leader
Jasmine joined Wildcat in 2022 with a strong background in SEO and Account Management. At the time, she was finishing up a Level 4 Apprenticeship in Digital Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and has since worked her way up to SEO Team Leader. Jasmine excels at content writing and promotion, and particularly enjoys finding creative ways to join the dots on multi-channel campaigns.
In her spare time, Jasmine volunteers at a charity, helping combat loneliness & social isolation experienced by older neighbours. Outside of Wildcat, she owns a catering company, Savery Grazing, creating delicious grazing tables & platters for a range of events. She also loves skiing and exploring the Peak District.
Senior PPC Executive
Prior to joining Wildcat, Braden founded and ran his own Social Media Management agency where he gained valuable skills in growing brands’ online presence, which has since proven invaluable in his role at Wildcat.
Outside of work, Braden is a big football fan, regularly travelling to Pride Park to support Derby County. He also enjoys watching and playing snooker, hiking in the Peak District, and attending air and car shows.
Senior SEO Executive
After spending ten years managing businesses, restaurants, cafes and event spaces across Sheffield, Jon decided to change careers and joined Wildcat as an SEO Executive in 2022. He especially enjoys the client management side of the job, helping them to understand digital marketing and ways in which they can build their business’s presence online.
Outside of work, Jon likes to keep fit with running, badminton and football, and also loves music.
SEO Executive
Rachel joined us as a graduate, having recently graduated from Sheffield University with a degree in English Literature. Since joining, Rachel has proven herself to be a Content Queen, and particularly enjoys getting stuck into projects that allow her to explore her creative side.
Outside of work, Rachel enjoys a wide range of hobbies, including rugby, singing, reading, and spending time with her family and three labradors.
PPC Team Leader
Carl joined Wildcat in 2023 with a wealth of experience in PPC. He has experience working with a wide range of clients, industries and budgets, from small local businesses all the way to international e-commerce businesses. Carl has a particular interest in strategic planning and forecasting. He is passionate about data analysis and creating sustainable long-term cross-channel strategies.
In his spare time, Carl enjoys keeping fit by lifting weights, bouldering and running. He’s also a keen musician, having played the double bass and bass guitar for 20 years.
Team Lead & Technical SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Computer Science and SEO experience dating back to 2017, Dariusz has a wide range of SEO skills and knowledge. His specialist knowledge of Technical SEO has firmly landed him the title of Wildcat’s Technical Wizard, and he has recently taken on the responsibility of Team Leader for the Panthers Team.
In his spare time, Dariusz loves hiking, experimenting and trying new coffees and loves learning new things. He is currently learning more about CRO and AI and how this could benefit our clients.
SEO Account Manager
With a degree in Film and TV production, and a varied career history, Jamie made the move to marketing with a Masters degree in Digital Media Management. He has since worked in SEO at Agencies across Sheffield, before joining Wildcat and working his way up to SEO Account Manager. Jamie has a particular interest in backlinks and Digital PR and has recently gained a client a valuable backlink from Forbes!
In his spare time, Jamie is an avid foodie and loves trying new restaurants and cuisines. He also loves to travel and spent a year travelling to Australia after university.
SEO Executive
Andy joined Wildcat in 2023 after starting his digital marketing career in-house for a local Sheffield company. Since joining, he has developed a strong interest in Technical SEO and has strong skills in Account Management.
Outside of work, Andy loves music and plays in a couple of bands. He also enjoys rock climbing, cycling, photography and good food.
Client Success Coordinator
Siena joined us in 2023 with a background in sales and digital marketing. She leads on client relationships across the company, ensuring that our customers are happy throughout their journey with us, from their initial consultation through to onboarding and beyond.
Outside of work, Siena enjoys travelling and getting stuck into the local culture. She likes to make the most of her experiences and particularly enjoys watching sunrises and sunsets from beautiful locations around the world.
Senior SEO Executive
Thea has a wealth of experience in SEO, having previously worked for other Digital Marketing Agencies in Sheffield. She has a particular interest and skills in Technical SEO, but is more than willing to get stuck in and give anything a go.
Outside of work, Thea spends most of her time with her children, but also loves reading, photography and gardening.
PPC Executive
Before joining Wildcat, Tom worked across different industries, building skills in sales and customer service. He later developed a passion for digital marketing whilst working on personal marketing projects and freelance ventures, and gained numerous certifications in PPC and Social Media.
Outside of work, Tom enjoys staying active by going to the gym and hiking. He also loves travelling and motorbiking.
Head of Growth
Rich joined us in May 2024 to head up our growth team. With years of experience helping other agencies to grow, Rich joins us at an exciting time as Wildcat is working on a five-year plan to become one of the biggest agencies in the UK.
Outside of work, Rich is a father to three children, which keeps him very busy! He’s also recently started running again to keep fit and loves a bit of DIY.
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