Marketing Strategies for Enhancing the Orthodontic Patient Journey
In today's competitive healthcare industry, effective marketing is crucial for the success of any dental practice with orthodontic service. The importance of marketing cannot be overstated; it drives awareness, builds trust, and attracts new patients who are looking for quality orthodontic care.
This blog will explore powerful marketing strategies tailored specifically for the orthodontic patient journey. By harnessing these tactics, dental professionals and orthodontists can significantly boost their online presence, foster deeper engagement with potential patients and their caregivers, and ultimately drive practice growth.
Understanding the Orthodontic Patient Journey
The orthodontic patient journey consists of several stages that a patient goes through before, during, and after receiving treatment. Understanding these stages is essential for developing targeted marketing strategies that address patients' unique needs at each point.
Awareness
In the awareness stage, potential patients recognize they need orthodontic treatment. They begin searching for solutions and information about their options. This stage is critical for capturing their attention and making your practice and services stand out.
Consideration
During the consideration stage, patients evaluate different orthodontic practices and compare their offerings. They seek detailed information, such as patient testimonials, before-and-after photos, and educational content to help them make an informed decision.
Decision
At this stage, patients are ready to choose an orthodontic practice and book an appointment. They look for ease of scheduling, virtual or free consultations, and personalized communication to finalize their decision.
Post-Treatment Care
After completing their treatment, patients require ongoing care and support. This stage focuses on maintaining patient loyalty, encouraging reviews, and providing continuous education on oral health.
Effective Marketing Strategies for Each Stage
Awareness
To capture potential patients' attention during the awareness stage, orthodontic practices should leverage a mix of digital and traditional marketing tactics. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are excellent for reaching a broad audience. You can generate interest through organic posts that have engaging content, eye-catching visuals, and informative videos.
Traditional media can also help to get your name out there and increase brand visibility. Billboards, radio ads, and newspaper ads for example are great options to use in the awareness stage for the local community.
Consideration
In the consideration stage, you will want to deepen the relationship with potential patients who have shown interest in your practice. Marketing efforts should be targeted and focus on providing valuable information that helps potential patients make an informed choice.
To nurture prospects in this stage of the patient journey, you can utilize OTT/CTV ads, keyword search retargeting display ads, site retargeting display ads, and prospect email. These methods allow for precise targeting and help get them closer to making the decision to book an appointment.
Decision
Now it’s time to capture your leads. At this point in the journey, the prospect is ready to convert. When the patient makes a decision, you want to make it easy for them to choose your practice. Having an online scheduling tool is key to allowing patients to conveniently book an appointment. 67% of patients prefer to book their appointments online, making it a must-have element incorporated into your practice’s website.
To drive conversions, use pay-per-click (PPC) ads, automated direct mail, and paid social ads. These targeted efforts provide timely information during the patient journey, guiding them to easily make an appointment via a direct link to an online scheduler or a phone number. These strategies assist patients in booking their appointments.
Post-Treatment Care
Maintaining patient loyalty after treatment is crucial for long-term success. Keep them coming back with appointment reminders and practice announcements through SMS, automated direct mail, and email marketing.
You may consider developing a loyalty program that rewards patients for referring friends and family. Patients can also stay engaged by asking them to leave reviews on platforms like Google and Yelp, boosting your practice's online reputation. Continue educating your patients by sending them newsletters with tips on maintaining their oral health. This ongoing communication keeps your practice top-of-mind and reinforces your commitment to their well-being.
Dental Practice Success Story
By working with Darwill, a family-owned dental practice was able to achieve its goal of attracting new patients, particularly families with children, to their practice. Based on the client’s goals and the local audience, we determined that addressable geo-fencing and other programmatic tactics would be of great benefit for precise targeting.
By targeting local households with children, the campaign generated hundreds of web and office visits over the campaign duration. With Darwill as a partner, your practice can yield impressive results and drive patient growth.
See Your Patient Base Grow
Effective marketing strategies are essential for guiding patients through their orthodontic journey. By understanding the stages of the patient journey and implementing tailored marketing tactics, orthodontic practices can build trust, engage potential patients, and ultimately achieve sustained growth.
To take your orthodontic marketing to the next level, consider partnering with experts who specialize in this field. Contact Darwill today to get started on a customized marketing plan that will transform your practice.
