Whether you are a new or existing practice, patient acquisition is an important strategy to focus on with your marketing efforts. Direct mail marketing is often left on the back burner, as many dental practices focus on digital ads to attract new patients. There are several benefits of using direct mail marketing to attract new patients:
- Direct mail marketing has a better response rate, helping increase ROI.
- Postcards and fliers can be used to attract new patients via phone calls, physical foot traffic, or visits to your website.
- Using Every Door Direct MailⓇ will in combination with your digital marketing help you find patients that will stay with your clinic for a lifetime.
Let’s take a look at how direct mail marketing can help your dental practice attract new patients.
How Do Patients Choose Their Dental Clinic?
There are a few things that patients look for when they are shopping around for a new dental clinic. These include the shortness of wait times, fiancing, an online presence, a personalized experience, and convenience. All of these factors can be communicated through direct mail. For example, there is no better way to tell a prospective patient that your clinic is just down the road by sending them a postcard in a direct mail marketing campaign. If you are running a direct mail campaign that brings prospective patients to your website, this is an opportunity to let your patients know more about what they can expect when they use your clinic.
Dentists have challenges in retaining patients. The average clinic, according to the ADA, only retains about 41% of new patients. One of the biggest sources of attrition for dental clinics is patient no-shows. In addition to attracting new patients, direct mail can also help you retain your existing patient base. Here are some areas where direct mail campaigns can help:
- Consider direct mail campaigns for existing patients to schedule their upcoming hygiene appointments.
- Direct mail campaigns can also be used to alert families about specials on cleanings and exams.
- Many patients prefer to be reminded that they need to schedule their upcoming appointments via a postcard or email.
What Are Dental Clinics Typically Doing for Their Advertising Efforts?
The majority of dentists spend their marketing dollars on digital marketing, such as social media search ads, and search engine optimization. The standard click for a search engine ad can be anywhere from $7 to $10 for dental search terms. On average, the typical dentist will see an ROI of two dollars for every dollar spent. Also, many dentists depend upon referrals to reach new customers. In fact, the typical dental clinic attracts 80% of new patients through existing patient referrals. While these methods can help maintain a practice’s patient base, direct mail marketing can be an effective way to get new patients.
Why Should Dental Practices Consider Every Door Direct MailⓇ
Direct mail marketing makes sense for dental practices. Not only is the ROI substantially better, but it’s also much more affordable than digital marketing. Direct mail marketing can be used in tandem with existing digital marketing efforts to build a new patient base and retain existing patients. Here are some statistics that support direct mail as a way for dental practices to attract and retain patients:
- Direct mail has an average response rate of about 4.4%, according to the Data & Marketing Association.
- Many consumers who receive direct mail consider it to be a trustworthy form of advertising, a great way for a dental practice to establish trust with new patients.
- According to the Small Business Chronicle, direct mail has the ability to yield ROIs of 29% or higher.
- The Direct Mail Association cites that 39% of people will try a business or service for the first time after receiving a piece of direct mail.
How Can Dental Practices Start Using Direct Mail To Attract and Retain Patients?
Direct mail marketing can be used on its own or in tandem with digital advertising. Here are some guidelines to help your dental practice start leveraging direct mail.
Generate Mailing Lists For Prospective and Existing Patients
Mailing lists for new and existing patients make sense. Many people forget to schedule their dental cleanings and other routine examinations. A friendly reminder via mail will get people to your website or on the phone to book their next appointment. A prospective patient list should be generated based on criteria that are relevant to your current patient base:
- What distance do people generally travel to visit your clinic? Focusing on specific zip codes and addresses in that range will help you attract new patients.
- Are your typical patients single individuals, married, or married with families? Focusing on that specific demographic will help your practice find the right patients and craft a unique value proposition.
- Does your clinic offer more services beyond general dentistry, like veneers, implants, or cosmetic dentistry? Consider including financial demographics in your mailing list to reach those people with a unique value proposition as well.
Research the Clinic Down the Street To See Their Unique Value Proposition
Many clinics send out direct mail with their unique value proposition every six months or so. Some of the standard value propositions include:
- Either free cleanings and exams or a uniquely low price on basic services.
- Offering an Amazon gift card to new patients who redeem the offer within a certain timeframe.
- Offering another incentive, such as free teeth whitening trays, for new patients.
Researching the nearby clinics will help your practice craft the best value proposition to bring new patients in the door.
Copywrite and Design Your Direct Mail Assets
A professional copywriter can help your practice come up with some copy to use on your direct mail marketing postcards or fliers. The messaging needs to be short, and concise, and use emotion to compel prospective patients to use your practice. Additionally, you should include the option to visit your website, as many patients are looking for practices with an online practice.
It’s very important to feature images of your practice and the staff that work there. This helps establish trust in the direct mail campaign.
Timing and Executing Your Direct Mail Campaign
Across all industries, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the best days for direct mail response. Additionally, many marketers will guide you toward not sending your campaigns on holidays or during vacations. However, your dental practice might benefit from timing its direct mail campaigns around key events throughout the year:
- Throughout July and August, so that your prospective patients can get in for their dental services before the school year starts.
- Starting in October and going through mid-December, so that people might be able to get dental cleanings and exams during their holiday downtime.
- Targeting some direct mail campaigns to be received towards the end of the week and on Saturdays so that people can plan for when they need to get their dental work done.
Planning Your Campaign Response
When you go to execute your campaign, there are a few best practices that will help you keep up with your web traffic, phone calls, and bookings. On your webpage, you may want to consider a dedicated landing page for web traffic visits from your direct mail campaign. This will help you monitor visitors. You may want to give them a dedicated booking link where they can redeem any personalized offer that you have given them. Additionally, you want to make sure that your staff anticipates calls during the direct mail campaign timeframe.
Work With Every Door Direct Mail For Your Dental Practice
When it comes to dental practices, direct mail is a cost-effective and targeted solution to reach potential patients. By sending postcards or flyers directly to households in your area, you can capture the attention of individuals who are actively seeking dental services or those who may be overdue for a checkup. Additionally, direct mail allows for a personalized approach that can showcase your unique services, discounts, and specials to entice recipients to book an appointment. Compared to other forms of advertising, direct mail has a higher response rate, ensuring that your message is seen by more individuals. Plus, with the use of tracking codes, you can measure the effectiveness of your direct mail campaign and adjust your approach to achieve optimal results. For dental practices looking to attract new patients, retain existing ones, and increase their bottom line, direct mail is an excellent solution that can deliver exceptional results. Don’t miss out on the benefits of direct mail advertising for your dental practice – start your campaign today!
