Marketing your dental practice can seem like a difficult proposition. You likely don’t have the resources to run a major campaign. But, especially when facing local competition, how can you make sure that potential patients in surrounding areas are persuaded to visit your practice next time?

Content marketing could be the answer. Formerly a novelty, it has become one of the most popular digital marketing strategy across industries. In fact, 72% of marketers have a content marketing strategy in place.

The goal of this type of marketing philosophy is simple: instead of pushing a sales message to your audience, you publish relevant and high-quality content on your website that your potential patients actually want to read. Ad blockers are on the rise, an indication of the increasing cynicism toward traditional advertising. Publishing content your audience actually wants to read is crucial to get through to potential patients.

Of course, that means you need a strategy. Content marketing can help you succeed in marketing your dental practice, but only if you get it right. Here are 4 types of content that will attract and engage your audience, growing your practice as a result.

1) Educational Content

To attract new patients, especially those who have never heard of you or don’t have any personal experience with your practice, you need to establish the fact that you are an expert in your field. When they first walk in, your patients need to be able to trust the fact that you can take care of their teeth reliably and successfully.

Of course, every dentist proclaims their expertise. How do you stand out? Educational content is the key. On your blog, social media, and newsletter, you can post updates that help your audience better understand their teeth and dental health.

This educational content can take a variety of shapes. For example, you can post regular blog updates that cover the various areas of your mouth and teeth and why they are important. You can also explain new studies about dental health in everyday language. The more accessible you make the information, the more your audience will appreciate it.

2) Behind the Scenes Content

Another opportunity to build trust is your ability to introduce potential patients to your practice before they ever step foot in it. Through digital marketing, you have the invaluable opportunity to introduce team members (including yourself), as well as your physical location.

For example, consider creating a video that presents everyone with whom patients will come in contact with during their visit. Simply offering video increases the chance that your audience will pay attention to your content by 81%, and 90% of internet users say that watching a related video is helpful in their decision-making process.

You may also want to consider offering your audience a glimpse behind the scenes of your physical location. A video that walks them through the premises gets them more comfortable coming into a location that many connect with instant anxiety.

However you present your behind the scenes content, video is successful not only because of the medium’s inherent advantages. In addition, you can post it on a variety of channels, and video has been shown to be particularly successful on social media. Create one video, and take advantage of it in a variety of ways.

3) DIY Guides

It may seem counterintuitive to post content that helps patients visit your practice less. But in reality, that exact strategy can play a large role in helping you gain trust and get your practice’s name in front of your audience.

Think about your last doctor’s visit. On the way out, your physician likely gave you valuable advice on how to take care of yourself, and as a dentist, you probably do the same thing with your patients. What if you could give that advice digitally?

That’s where DIY guides enter the equation. Publish content that helps your audience better take care of their teeth, from how to brush them to regular flossing. Over time, your potential and current patients will come to trust you for their dental questions, which will translate to more regular practice visits.

4) Social Proof

Don’t underestimate the power of your audience’s peers telling them about the quality of your practice and service. Social proof is scientifically proven to work, as your audience will trust others like them or independent experts.

Through content marketing, you can incorporate various types of social proof throughout your digital presence. For example, you can post regular testimonials from current patients as well as expert reviews on social media. In addition, you can publish more in-depth patient success stories on your blog.

The latter option works especially well if you sell a specific product, such as the 6 Month Smile. To many, the premise of these braces sounds too good to be true. An authentic story by a different patient, along with plenty of before and after pictures and testimonials, just might convince them otherwise.

Are you looking to enhance your dental practice marketing on a tight budget? If so, content marketing may just be the right option for you. Through various digital channels, from social media to your website and blog, you can publish content that is actually helpful and relevant to your audience. The result will be a more authentic online presence that ultimately enhances your credibility and drives patient trust.

Of course, you still need to make sure that the content you publish is credible and positions you as an expert.

Much success,

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