When the term ‘branding’ is mentioned, the most common association is that of multinationals and business corporations. Very rarely is it associated with healthcare providers like dental practices. Yet building your brand as a dental practice is key to getting patients through the door and keeping them – i.e. patient acquisition and retention rates. When it comes to how patients choose their dentists, many of them cite the practice’s reputation and reviews as the driving force behind their choices. Whether consumers are seeking a new dentist or good dental care for their children, many patients want peace of mind and a dentist with a good reputation. Therefore, getting brand building right is key for dental practices today.
Why Brand Building Is Important For Dental Practices
The right branding inspires consumer trust. For a dental practice, consumer trust is important when patients are considering whether to choose a dental practice. It is also a key reason why patients swap dental practices. Another reason why building branding is important for a dental practice is that it provides visibility. Studies have shown that consumers look to online reviews and proximity when choosing a dentist.
However, without the right branding, the visibility of your dental practice to patients in surrounding areas is significantly diminished. As a result, patient intakes are negatively impacted. When you spend the time and effort on making your brand recognizable and positively associated, you are indirectly aiding your dental practice’s marketing efforts, patient trust, and ranking.
Brand Building Dental Practices Patient consumer Content
Focus On Setting Your Brand Apart And Making It Memorable
Did you know that 80 percent of consumers forget branded content within three days? According to research by Prezi, an overwhelming percentage of consumers do not retain the content put out by brands because it is either irrelevant, unmemorable, or contains too much information. When it comes to content, that they found the most memorable, 27 percent of consumers said they appreciated content that presented something new, while 49 percent said content that spoke about something good helped them remember.
For dental practices, also includes making your brand personable. From your choice of design options like your practice’s logo and brand colors to the images and impression, your waiting room portrays to patients waiting, dental practices should be mindful that their image is welcoming, calm, and evokes trust. If you prefer, hiring a graphic designer to develop a professionally designed logo is a great step. Alternatively, dental practices can utilize logo designing software like Canva and InDesign to design their branding logo and merchandise. Once developed, ensure it is consistently placed on all communication materials, and not just adverts. From patient emails to waiting room supplies, it is all a part of your brand-building efforts.
Brand Building Dental Practices Patient consumer Content
Develop A Consumer-Friendly Brand Online
Patients value a brand that is friendly and interactive. For a dental practice, this quality is particularly important, since patients want dentists that care and understand their reservations, such as dental phobias in adults or children. To create a consumer-friendly brand, dental practices should pay particular attention to their messaging and their tone.
When communicating on social media accounts, be sure to evoke empathy and friendliness. Don’t forget to expand these efforts to everything in your dental practice, including the way your receptionist answers the phone, website inquiries, or emails. Pay particular attention to your website and consumer feedback facilities. According to the Pew Research Center, 77 percent of people look online for a new healthcare provider, including dentists. Ensure your website is not only easy to use, but that your business embraces multiple patient backgrounds online, and provides a wealth of useful resources for visitors, including dental care tips catering to different income brackets or ethnicities. Adding a personal element to your branding also helps to humanize your brand. Acknowledge patient reviews, and act swiftly on criticisms. This shows a dental practice that prioritizes its patient’s comfort and needs.
Provide Content That Your Target Market Will Find Valuable
Finally, creating content is one of the best ways to build a brand – as long as the content is relevant to the market the business is targeting. The same goes for dental practices. Do your research on the kind of content that will resound with your patients (both intended and current). For instance, dental practices with many younger patients may find fun video content on helping children practice good dental hygiene is a good hit. Similarly, dentists catering to new patients and those with dental phobias may find that publishing blogging content on overcoming dental phobias and training its staff to handle such situations is a good way to build your brand.
Regardless of your brand-building choices as a dental practice, keeping your patients at the center of it all is always a good choice. While patient care is your core objective, don’t underestimate the power of branding in taking your practice to the next level.
Keywords: Dental Marketing, Dental Patient, Dental Practice, Family Dentist, Dental Implants, Emergency Dental Care, Porcelin Veneers, Oral appliances, clinical trials, Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology, Radiology and Medicine, mTMD, Facial Pain, TMD, Oral Medicine