To be able to attract patients to a dental website it is necessary to understand precisely what they actually want to know. No two people are the same and as with marketing and selling before the advent of the internet, the key was knowing who the customer was. The internet allows for quicker, more precise and relevant market research. It’s of no use to group all patients together as one into the category of patients. It is necessary to be more precise, because the patient aged twenty-five is not looking for the same things that a seventy year old is looking for in a dentist.
Getting the content to be effective
An effective patient attraction system will require meaningful and engaging content that fulfills the needs of its readers. It is essential to always be aware of which patients the website is endeavouring to address. A fundamental flaw in a lot of website content is that it underestimates those it’s aimed at by being condescending or poorly conceived. If trying to attract patients is the objective then the content should reflect what patients are looking for from a dental practice. Looking for younger patients the content should seek to open an avenue for conversation rather than listing a series of points.
Never ignore the competition
A lot can be learned from the opposition and gaining a competitive advantage by analysing their strengths and weaknesses is a key element of an efficient and successful plan. It is also important to have as part of a potent attraction plan an ongoing study of the competition’s capabilities and achievements. Measuring own brand capabilities against competitors requires research, which provides own value data as well as the brand value information of the competition.
Tell a story
The pace at which digital marketing has evolved has relegated blogs and long structured content to the back of the queue. It is essential for a brand to be able to tell a story and with a younger audience that story must be able to captivate the searcher within the first eight seconds or the opportunity is lost. The use of images helps to make a better connection emotionally with the message that a dental website is trying to convey.
Use the right channels to get a message out there
The right content via the right channel will promote a dental practice more efficiently, because using one channel is not going to reach everyone. Using facebook, Twitter and Linkedin for example will be a better way to promote than just using Facebook again to try and appeal to a diverse audience. It is necessary to meet prospective patients where they are and not everyone is in the same place. This is why constantly evaluating SEOS through analytics and research has to be part of the patient attraction system for it to succeed. Once a message hits the correct patient they will try to engage in a conversation and it would be a pity to lose the opportunity to engage because the message was sent through the incorrect channel. Effectively once a message has been delivered it’s the target audience that dictates which channel is used.
