In the past dentists were not allowed to advertise their services, except list their services in the yellow pages, but things have changed dramatically. These days people search for dentists or the specialised services they offer, like teeth whitening, veneers, implants or dentures on the internet. So, if you're not on Google or social media like Facebook, you're missing out on getting new clients or advertising any new services to existing clients.
Here's why you should consider digital advertising as your best option:
1. It's much cheaper: nothing beats the cost of digital ads. Radio is about R15 000 per spot and you have a lot of wastage, as most people listening to a radio ad are not busy looking for a dentist. Print ads are very expensive and the same thing applies - do you use a newspaper or magazine? Which newspaper or magazine? Most people hardly have time to read and most local papers are just scanned and then used to start the braai or line the cat litter box.
2. It's measurable: on facebook and google, you get reports on how well you ads are doing, how many people clicked on your ads and how many people clicked on any links in your ads, plus how much each lead costs.
3. It's highly targeted: you can target potential clients according to your location, their income, their gender, age, their interests and almost anything else you can think of. So, for example, if you are offering teeth whitening, Facebook ads can be sent to people who have an interest in health, glamour and looking good, by selecting the magazines they read and adding those to your audience. On Google you can use keywords people are searching for like "teeth whitening" or "dentists who do teeth whitening" etc. You can be very specific about these and google will give you results on which words work best, so you can adjust and improve your ad reach all the time, until you hit page 1 on the google ad search for people looking for that specific service.
4. You can build up potential client lists: with every campaign, not everyone who sees your ad will immediately take up your offer, but by capturing their details (name, email and tel number), you can do e-mail follow-up campaigns for free to those who showed and interest and interacted with your ad or facebook page. You may want to use this to offer them another type of service, or just to let them know about all the services you offer.
5. You can build relationships with clients: the more they know you, the more they'll like and trust you. By liking your facebook page, you can post news or offers regularly, which will keep your practice alive in their heads, so when the time comes to do that teeth cleaning, check-up or teeth whitening they've always wanted , you'll be top-of-mind.
BUT HOW DO YOU DO ALL OF THIS?
You're not a digital marketer and you have no time to learn about it or do it. Your speciality is dentistry - not writing ads, emails, capturing leads, monitoring ad spend or doing follow-ups on leads. Let a professional rather do this work. You could hire an ad agency, but that's expensive.
You could also just rely on having a website, but that's merely a showcase of what you offer - not a fast, direct marketing tool. With stiff competition out there, people are not just going to find your website, without some targeted advertising. Google advertising is not easy - they are constantly changing the rules! And Facebook advertising is not easy either - you have to know how to set up the ads, design them, write the copy, define your audiences and most importantly, know how to capture the leads ... to successfully re-target them.
I CAN HELP
I've had extensive training in digital advertising, marketing, strategy, design, copywriting and the tech involved to capture high-quality leads that can become high-value, long-term clients. I've also been in the advertising and marketing business for over 25 years, so my services come with a lot of practical knowledge and know-how that can help you grow your business.
To find out more, call me on 082-926-3313 or mail me at siobhan.rothenburg@gmail.com.
Comments