THE ADA PRACTICAL GUIDE TO INTERNET MARKETING 9 The Top 10 Must-have Processes Every Dental Practice Needs Before Implementing a Marketing Strategy 1. Branding. A branding strategy is how a dental practice communicates its identity to the community. Comprised of the practice name, tagline and logo, the dental practice’s “brand” differentiates the practice from the competition. Work with a trusted graphic designer to develop a modern brand in line with the practice philosophy, and be sure to use the logo consistently in all print materials, electronic communication and online opportunities. 2. Target Patient Profile. It is hard to determine what type of marketing activities to do if you are not clear about who it is that you are trying to reach. Targeting your marketing efforts will help best reach the right audience and will serve to increase the effectiveness of your marketing efforts. For example, dental practices looking to reach suburban moms require a different strategy than practices trying to reach a seasonal snowbird population made up mostly of retirees. Identify who you want to reach and craft your marketing strategy accordingly. 3. A Defined Budget. The costs of external marketing can quickly add up if there isn’t a strategy in place ahead of time. Generally speaking, a dental practice that doesn’t have a modern marketing infrastructure would need an up-to-date logo, printed materials, a website and social media profiles. A good rule of thumb would be to designate four to six percent of annual production for marketing efforts for the first year, the “building year.” Once a solid marketing foundation has been put in place, plan on three to four percent of production each year going forward. 4. Patient Communication Skills. Each staff member who interacts with patients is part of the marketing team, so it is crucial that everyone from the front desk to hygiene to the doctors receives verbal skills training. Strong communication skills instill trust and loyalty I’ve done marketing in the past — it didn’t work! If you’ve tried marketing before and it didn’t work, it is well worth it to give it another shot. The marketing industry as a whole has gotten much more scientific in recent years. Dentists no longer have to cross their fingers and hope for the best. There is an abundance of tracking mechanisms designed to provide real-time data, so that dentists can make educated marketing decisions. If something isn’t effective, you’ll know very quickly and can change gears, saving you time and money. Plus, there are countless numbers of tools available to dentists now that didn’t exist just a few short years ago. Electronic communication, for instance, makes patient outreach much more effective and efficient, online marketing is inherently trackable, and social media has transformed word of mouth marketing. If you’ve been hesitant about marketing your practice, now is the time to jump back in!