Internet Dental Marketing: The Secrets Dentists Need To Know

Knowing the importance of dental continuing education, dentists must develop dental marketing strategies. Some dentists spend thousands of dollars a month on phone book advertising – and to many of them, it is worth every penny. One Florida dentist spending $9,000 monthly raved, “Even though the cost is high, it pays for itself over and over month after month.” A Louisiana orthodontist (spending $1,200/month) agreed: “I believe it has been worth the expense so far.”

The rise of Sedation Dentist highlights another important issue: dentists are concerned that dental advertising be both tasteful and ethical. One dentist cautioned, “Keep ‘em professional! Ohio has new rules regarding the advertising of specialty services by a GP, so be careful to disclose ‘general’ dentist (not ‘family, or cosmetic, or implant’ dentist).”

For some dental practices, a well-designed advertising campaign can bring in lots of new patients. “My radio ad with website support led to over 200 calls in four days!” raved an Illinois dentist. “A mini implant ad can help many people with denture problems and many more with restoring their existing teeth,” commented an Idaho dentist. “Oh yeah, and my campaign brought in thousands in restorative revenue!”

The success of any marketing program can only be determined by considering one’s return on investment (ROI). “You absolutely must have a way of tracking incoming calls from yellow pages to determine if it is a benefit for your particular office,” cautioned an Ohio periodontist who spends $2,000 a month.

Some dentists feel the pressure to advertise just to stay competitive. “Mandatory. Line listings = Losers!” said a Texas dentist. “It’s a necessary evil,” sighed a Michigan dentist. “After 15 years of not doing it, we are now feeling the heat to participate with other dentists in our area who have placing ads,” complained a Canadian dentist.

The internet has changed changed attitudes about traditional phone book marketing. “Marketing in the yellow pages is a dying trend. I still can’t make myself stop, but I question if it is wise use of my marketing budget,” mused a West Virginia general dentist. “Antiquated and worthless compared to well positioned website,” agreed a Washington dentist.

To many dental practices, the phone book is used for informational purposes, not marketing. “It should be only a small fraction of one’s marketing plan, more for public access to your phone number and address than for actual marketing,” suggests a pediatric dentist who pays $300 a month to be in 4 books.

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