There are a lot of factors that go into making dental marketing successful for your practice. Not only do you have to decide what type of audience to market to, but you also have to decide which tactics to use and how those tactics appear to your audience. With a lot of dental marketing materials like websites, print advertisements, or even direct mail postcards, there’s a lot of effort put into their appearance and design. But all too often, the design of the messaging for these tactics takes a backseat.
The way you craft your messaging can make the difference in whether or not new patients take action from your marketing materials. It’s not just what you say, but it’s how you say it that determines just how successful your dental marketing tactics can be. If at this point you’re realizing that your practice doesn’t put much thought into copywriting, or even if you have circulating dental marketing right now with only generic content, here are a few tips that can help you step up your copywriting game.
- Start by Envisioning Your Ideal Patient
Before you decide what to write, you need to determine who you’re writing to. This is why generic dental marketing content doesn’t always get the job done. Sure, it might seem relevant simply because it’s dental related. But the truth is that every dental practice, although they may offer the same or similar services, has a different target audience. These audiences have unique demographics, psychographics, common concerns, and common needs.
Before any copywriting takes place, define your ideal patient and keep them in mind as you’re writing the messaging designed for them. Do they have dental insurance or do they favor a fee-for-service model? What is their income range? What are their top dental concerns? These are just a few of the many questions you could ask yourself to define your ideal patient.
- Write to Address Common Needs
This is where your front office and hygiene staff will play a valuable part in crafting your marketing messages. To really connect with your audience, you should be able to address their common needs and concerns in a way that resonates with them. Start with pinpointing and interpreting some of the common questions your office staff hears from current or potential patients that call in or come for a first visit.
For example, patients that call in to ask, “Do you have any current new patient specials” are really saying, “I’m looking to save money. Can you help with that?” Or, some patients who call in to ask about weekend hours are really trying to find a dentist that can accommodate their busy schedule. Keep these types of common questions and concerns in mind as you’re crafting your marketing messaging so it will connect with your patients on a better level.
- Headlines Matter
Headlines are arguably the most important element of any dental marketing materials. If your headlines don’t immediately draw in the reader, there’s little to no chance that they’ll actually read the rest of the messaging. This applies to everything from websites and online ads to direct mail postcards and other print advertisements.
A good headline should be a summary of what the page or ad is about while also addressing the needs of your ideal patient. For example, instead of a headline that simply reads “Emergency Dentistry,” try something more engaging such as, “No More Pain! Emergency Dental Care When You Need It.
- Use Simple Language
With how immersed you are in the industry, it can be easy to forget that your patients may not understand the same industry terms and jargon that you’re used to using on an everyday basis. For example, most patients probably have no idea what bruxism means, but they would probably respond to a content that said, “Do you grind your teeth at night? We can help!” Always take a second or third glance at the messaging you create for your marketing materials. Simplify it as much as possible to make it an easy, engaging read for your target audience.
- Calls to Action Are a Must
Marketing materials that don’t include calls to action aren’t worth much. Every piece of marketing content you distribute should include clear, compelling calls to action and also provide readers, listeners, or viewers with information about how they can move forward with it. If you want your audience to “call now,” “visit us today,” or “click here,” make sure you tell them, and also tell them how with a phone number, address, or link.
With a little guidance and some extra effort put into your copywriting, your marketing materials can start producing a lot more bang for your buck. We hope these five tips will help you improve your copywriting and ultimately attract more patients!