In our highly competitive world, a strategic marketing plan is absolutely essential for businesses that want to attract new customers and clients.
But perhaps nowhere is this more clear than in the healthcare sector, where clinics and hospitals need to compete for patients who have highly specific needs and who are willing to do extensive research to find the provider that best meets these needs.
The Internet has made it easier than ever before for patients to read reviews, find new providers, book appointments, and compare prices, so perhaps it isn’t surprising that so many dental clinics are investing heavily in reputation management tools and social advertising to reach new patients online.
But the truth is, that while these tools are absolutely essential in building a modern marketing strategy, focusing on digital to the exclusion of all else can lead to costly mistakes. Instead, you need to integrate new digital tools with more traditional marketing strategies to build a campaign that can turn clicks into appointments.
How Direct Mail Puts Your Clinic On Peoples’ Radar
The idea behind direct mail is one of the oldest in marketing: just about everyone has an address, so one of the best ways to make contact with potential patients or customers is through the post.
For businesses like your dental clinic that want to draw people from the ideal demographics within a specific geographical area – demographics that match your ideal patient – direct mail remains one of the most powerful ways of marketing a dental practice because it is the only way to guarantee 100% reach.
Most marketing experts agree that the patient journey begins with awareness of the options available. Once a patient knows they have a choice about which dental clinic to visit, they can start seeking out more information that will help them make the right decision based on their own priorities and the advantages you provide.
Direct mail is still the best way to ensure people in your area are aware of your clinic; whatever other digital marketing tools you use can build on this basic knowledge.
Why Dental Newsletters Make Your Clinic Stand Out
Of course, it also matters what you use direct mail for. There are lots of different approaches to direct mail available to dental clinics, and choosing the right one for your needs is essential to long-term success.
Many healthcare businesses have traditionally relied on postcards as a way of communicating their presence to residents in their communities. But a recent study has shown that a more value-added approach using informative newsletters results in nearly twice the return.
This is because many patients value the educational component in the newsletter. Rather than tuning out an advertisement, they appreciate the interesting content and like reading a newsletter that actually provides them with information about how they can improve their dental health.
The other benefit of direct mail newsletters is that they can be a multiplier for digital advertising campaigns. Once you have made contact through a newsletter, potential patients will be much more receptive to other forms of advertising via social media or paid media. And if they Google dental clinics in their area, there’s a higher likelihood they will click on your webpage if your name is familiar.
Marketing your clinic effectively means using the different channels available to you strategically. And while social and SEO advertising can be highly effective, it cannot entirely replace the 100% reach of direct mail.
For this reason, combining digital and direct mail advertising is the single best way to make the most of your marketing campaign this year.
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