Making Your Practice Stand Out from the Crowd

One of the challenges in dental marketing is identifying what makes one practice different from another. A patient can go to just about any dentist in town for a filling, crown, or root canal, so why should they choose yours?

The truth is that every practice has something special to offer. The key is identifying what your practice’s greatest strength is and making sure that you are effectively communicating it to your potential patients.

Identifying Your Strengths

So what is it about your practice that makes you different? Start by making a list.

Maybe you offer an advanced service that nobody else in the area offers. While this may seem like an obvious strength, your long-term patients might be taking it for granted. Maybe you’ve cultivated a spa-like environment that helps patients feel comfortable. Or maybe your strength is the friendly person at your front desk who takes the time to get to know the names of all your patients and helps them feel welcome.

Do Your Patients Agree?

Here’s the catch – your strength only matters if your patients agree that it is, in fact, a reason to choose you.

It makes no difference that you offer a particular service if the demographic in your area simply isn’t interested. You might even be surprised to find that what your patients consider your greatest strength is something you never even considered, like your hygienist’s great sense of humor.

Don’t be afraid to ask your patients why they come to your practice and what keeps them coming back. Their answers are marketing gold!

Communicate Your Strengths

Once you have a list of reasons why people should come to your practice, make sure that these are reflected in your marketing. Check the copy on your website, your social media posts, any direct mailing you do. Are you actually letting people know what they can expect from you?

It’s especially important to highlight the benefits to the patient. While you might be excited about the technical aspects of your new laser and how easy it makes your job, your patients only care about the fact that it makes their time in the chair faster and more comfortable.

If you need help communicating this aspect, don’t hesitate to ask us about custom copywriting for your website!

Strike a Balance

Once you’ve identified your strengths and let potential patients know what to expect, make sure that you consistently deliver. Your patients need to be able to trust you if they are going to accept and follow your recommendations, so if you promise to see patients promptly, don’t leave them waiting for fifteen minutes.

At the same time, be flexible. Maybe a new dentist opens up shop nearby and advertises the same benefits as you. Maybe your friendly receptionist who knows everyone retires. Life has a way of throwing us curveballs, so be prepared. Pay attention to your competition, and make sure that you update your marketing regularly so that it always reflects your practice’s current culture.

Identifying and communicating your strengths should not be a one-time task to check off when complete. It should be an ongoing process that you revisit on a regular basis.

Great Dental Websites Can Help Your Practice

Need some help with your marketing? Give us a call! We can review your current website and help you plan for the future!