No matter the size of your practice, its location, your clinical focus or your growth ambitions, it is crucial that you market your services effectively. This can take many different forms and will vary considerably between businesses. However, the goal for everyone remains the same – maintain or grow the current patient base for business sustainability.
Unfortunately, marketing is an area that many dentists are not trained in or confident about. This can lead to a lack of direction and the practice can suffer as a result. Even if you’re happy with how your business is performing right now, it is still important to have a marketing strategy and plan in place. Patients are always moving between practices and their loyalty is never guaranteed.
Start with a SWOT
If you don’t have a marketing plan, it is useful to start with what marketeers often to refer as a SWOT analysis. This allows you to identify your business’ Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats, so you can prepare for them accordingly. Try writing out a simple list for each. The former two categories will be mostly focused on your organisation internally, what you do well and could be improved. The latter two will be more influenced by external factors and can show how the business should grow or develop, and what the greatest challenges may be in the near future.
Get the team involved
This also doesn’t have to be a solo activity – it could actually be really beneficial to get the whole team involved. Not only does this demonstrate that you value their opinions, but it also provides a wider pool of fresh ideas and inspiration, which no dental practice can ever have enough of. Feedback from the team (and their patients) can also help shape the business’ priorities for the coming months and years.
Application in marketing
Application in marketingOnce you have completed your SWOT analysis, the contents can be used to inform your marketing strategy and plan. For example, your strengths should be highlighted in all marketing material and opportunities can be seized by incorporating new marketing avenues or targeting a new audience. When it comes to mitigating against potential threats, marketing messages and channels can be tailored to combat the competition directly.
Ready for 2025 and beyond
When you really understand your practice’s unique strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, you are well-positioned to set it up for success. Even when the budget is tight, effectively marketing your services is essential for the continued attraction of new patients.
Author Bio: Dr. Michael Sultan
EndoCare, led by Dr Michael Sultan, is one of the UK’s most trusted Specialist Endodontist practices. Through the use of the latest technologies and techniques, the highly-trained team can offer exceptional standards of care – always putting the patient first. What’s more, EndoCare is a dependable referral centre, to which dentists from across the country send their patients for the best in specialist endodontic treatment.
