Guest Writer: Anais Osipova
Edited By: Dr. Deborah Marynak
2022

The market for dental practices is saturated with competition. As a result, it can be challenging for new dentists to stand out and establish their brand. However, with strategic planning and a little branding know-how, you can transform your practice into one that’s more visible, less generic, and more memorable than ever before.

This article will give you tips on how to brand your dental practice. From identifying your target audience to defining your specialty, we’ll share insights on building brand recognition and trust with potential patients.

1.  Define Your Specialty/Niche

First and foremost, when branding your dental practice, you must determine what makes you unique. Discover what unique services you can offer your patients and why they should choose your practice. For instance, you may be a general practice clinician who also enjoys doing orthodontics, implants, cosmetics, or oral surgery. As such, your branding should position your dental practice in the area you prefer to practice. 

Aside from the practical offerings, you should work to appeal emotionally by defining how you and your team stand out amongst other dental practitioners. For example, is your team trained to work with children or patients with dental anxiety? The more your brand emphasizes your unique skills and treatments, the more reason you give to potential patients to choose your dental practice over the competition.

You’ve heard the saying: ‘jack of all trades but master of none.’ Be certain to give this part of branding plenty of thought. Speak to your relatives and friends; ask them what makes you unique, not necessarily as a dentist, but as a person. Involve your team to help define your office’s special attributes and services. Write a mission statement that reflects your uniqueness.

2.  Identify Your Target Audience

Once you’re clear on your niche, start to identify your target market. What type of patients do you want to see in your dental practice? Ideally, this will include patients looking for specific services, such as dental implants or a new cosmetic smile.

Once you know your target market, you’ll want to ensure you’re communicating with them consistently. In fact, 73% of individuals prefer personalized products and services. To draw your target clients in, convey your dental practice’s specialties and skills through social media posts, advertisements, and email marketing campaigns.

3.  Create a Logo

Your logo is the foundation of your branding efforts. It represents your business and serves as a visual symbol that consumers associate with your brand. A logo needs to be memorable, easy to understand, and consistent with your brand colors to create a cohesive whole. Surprisingly, 60% of consumers stated they avoid companies with unappealing logos, regardless of stellar reviews.

To choose a logo design, consider your target market and specialty. For example, if your target market consists of young families, you may choose to build your brand around child-friendly services. Once you understand your customer better, you can create a logo design that reflects your brand more accurately.

4.  Establish a Digital Presence

In the digital age, it is more likely that a potential client will come across your dental practice online. Therefore, your branding efforts must also extend to digital platforms to improve awareness, visibility, and client attraction efforts. To brand your dental practice digitally, consider implementing these strategies:

-Create a website

Your dental practice website is likely the go-to place for potential clients searching for information regarding your services, pricing, and team. Therefore, maximize the branded content on your website with a page displaying all your services, treatments, and specialties. Create a page introducing your team; this page should display the team members’ experience, specialties, skills, and photos.

-Sign Up for Free Social Media Platforms

Fifty-four percent of potential clients browse social media for more information. As such, these free social platforms are create an opportunity to post branded marketing and promotional content. Creating engaging posts that incorporate your dental practice’s logo and design elements, show your before and after treatment photos, all in an effort to promote brand awareness.

-Run Advertisements on Google and Facebook

More than 65% of people trust Google ads, making it an ideal marketing platform for dental practices looking to establish their brand as trustworthy. When creating ads, make sure the language and visual elements are consistent throughout and across all channels.

-Send Out Promotional Marketing Emails

Email marketing is one way to reach out to potential patients to boost brand awareness. For instance, your dental practice can send emails highlighting your specialties and top client reviews. Or you can reach out to existing patients, reminding them to return to your clinic by offering them a promotional offer. Sixty-one percent of patients prefer receiving weekly promotional emails.

-Write Educational Blog Posts

Seventy percent of people prefer getting their information through blog posts rather than ads. Therefore, by creating educational blogs and posting them on your website, your dental practice can brand itself as a resource for valuable dental information. In turn, this can increase trust and authority among current and future clients.

5.  Offer Financing Options

Finally, your dental practice can stand out amongst the competition by branding itself as a clinic that offers flexible payment options. When you offer dental financing options for patients, they don’t have to put off necessary care because of a lack of funds. Your patients can then associate your brand with client-friendly financing, increasing the likelihood they turn to your practice when in need of emergency dental care on a limited budget.

6.  Build Patient Relationships

Last, and most importantly, establishing strong relationships with your patients is essential for successful brand growth. To do this, you’ll want to ensure that patients feel like they’re receiving individualized care from your team. Additionally, patients should feel welcomed and engaged throughout their treatment and beyond.

Seventy-three percent of patients state they love a brand because of the positive client services. The first step to promoting a pleasant patient experience is building a team skilled in both dental treatments and client relations. As such, your clients can relate your dental brand with exceptional service, incentivizing them to return and refer your practice to others. 

Conclusion

When it comes to branding, the misconception is often that the focus is on the visual elements that make a practice stand out. However, dental practices can brand themselves with more than just a logo. Defining your practice’s specialty, offering financing options, and building client relationships are additional ways to build a dental brand, promote awareness, and make the patient experience memorable.

Anais is based in Los Angeles, CA with a background in legal studies and a curiosity for how tech solutions are revolutionizing finance business offerings and growth.

Now is the time for merchants across diverse high-growth verticals to leverage innovative fintech to maximize their business opportunities and growth. With the proper guidance and tools, astronomical revenue milestones can be achieved.

Anais's Resources:
https://blog.titanwebagency.com/differentiate-high-end-practice
https://www.crowdspring.com/blog/branding-statistics/
https://www.tailorbrands.com/blog/branding-statistics
https://www.dentalstaffing.org/blog/building-a-dental-dream-team-5-things-to-look-for-in-a-new-hire
https://www.andava.com/learn/social-media-statistics/
https://www.greatdentalwebsites.com/resources/startling-marketing-statistics-that-every-dentist-should-know
https://finturf.com/medical/dental-financing/