Emily and Eleanor Pittard share their practical tips to help you create a memorable, consistent and strong dental brand.
In the competitive landscape of dental care, simply offering excellent service isn’t enough.
To truly thrive, we need to harness the power of effective marketing. This involves creating a strong brand, educating your team on your brand’s voice, and maintaining consistency in all communications.
We thought we’d put together a short guide to help navigate these key areas, with actionable steps to connect with patients and peers alike.
Crafting a memorable brand
Creating a brand that resonates with both patients and other dental professionals is the foundation of effective marketing. Your brand isn’t just a logo or a catchy slogan; it’s the essence of who you are and what you offer. It doesn’t matter if your business has been going for decades or you’ve only just started out, developing your brand is a lifelong process.
Define your unique value proposition (UVP)
Note that we’ve moved from USP (selling) to UVP (value), this shows the shift in the market with members of the public.
Identify what sets your practice or laboratory apart. Is it your cutting-edge technology, your communication or perhaps your expertise in a particular dental specialty? Your UVP should be at the core of your brand message.
Develop your visual identity
This includes your logo, colour scheme and typography. These elements should reflect the personality of your business.
For instance, a digital lab might be clean with minimal colours and bold graphics whereas a cosmetic dentistry practice might opt for a more elegant and sophisticated palette.
Craft your brand voice
Your brand voice is how you communicate with your audience, both in writing and verbally. It should be consistent across all platforms.
Are you formal and professional, warm and friendly or somewhere in between? This voice will shape how patients and peers perceive your practice or lab.
Educating your team
Once your brand is defined, it’s crucial to ensure your entire team embodies it. This uniformity not only builds trust but also enhances your credibility.
The first thing to do is sit down with your fellow owners (or key people who have a strong understanding of your brand already) and create a comprehensive document that outlines your brand’s visual elements, voice and key messaging. This should be highly visual and easily accessible to all team members. You could even have it printed in your staff room with a QR that takes you to any ongoing updates.
And before you say it, who has time for this stuff? Well yes, we are all ridiculously busy so you could try asking that marketing company that you already pay every month to help you develop this document, or write down some key points and delegate the putting together to a member of your team. Then just check through it after.
Training sessions and role-playing exercises can also be effective in helping your team to understand the brand more and speak to clients or patients in the right way. This could be done at your usual monthly meetings or a quick spot check at the start of the day (it doesn’t need to be an hours-long affair on a weekend – we all know everyone is busy!).
The power of consistency
Consistency is key. How many times have we heard that statement! Case in point, a very consistent message. Well, in branding the same remains true. It builds familiarity and trust, which are crucial in healthcare where you are already battling misconceptions and preconceptions before you even meet a patient, or dentist (if you are a lab).
Remember the brand guidelines document? This will come in handy when you need uniform communication, which is where you use the same tone, style and terminology across all communication channels, including social media, newsletters and patient correspondence. It will also help with visual consistency by ensuring your logo, colour scheme and typography are uniformly applied across all marketing materials, from your website to business cards and office decor. Told you it’s handy.
If you are in a management or leadership position you could also help to cultivate consistency by performing regular audits where you periodically review the marketing materials and communications to ensure they align with brand guidelines. This way you can adjust as needed to maintain consistency and before any damage is done.
Connecting with patients and dental professionals
Now you have the guide and you have the consistency, so let’s start engaging with your audience and building lasting relationships.
Social media engagement
Use platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin to share informative and engaging content. Post tips on dental health, behind-the-scenes glimpses of your practice or laboratory and patient testimonials. Engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages promptly.
Educational workshops and webinars
Host workshops or webinars on dental health topics for both patients and other dental professionals. This not only positions you as an expert in your field but also fosters community engagement.
Personalised communication
Send personalised emails or texts to your patients for appointment reminders, birthday wishes or follow-up care instructions and to your dentists congratulating them on personal achievements or sending appreciation for great photos etc. This shows that you value people as individuals.
In the dental industry, relationships are everything. Patients are more likely to trust and remain loyal to a practice where they feel a personal connection and it’s far easier to collaborate on dental work with clinicians if you understand each other and get on well!
First things first, introduce your team. Feature them on your website and social media. Share their professional qualifications as well as personal interests and hobbies. This helps patients see the human side of your practice and laboratory.
Then you can start sharing your stories. Share patient success stories (with their permission) or examples of collaborations with dental professionals and personal stories of other activities you are involved with. This will help build trust and develop relationships.
You could also participate in local events and initiatives. Sponsor a local sports team, host a free dental clinic day or get involved in health fairs. This not only boosts your brand visibility but also demonstrates your commitment to the community.
Conclusion
Effective marketing for dental professionals involves more than just advertising your services. It requires building a cohesive brand, educating your team and maintaining consistency in all communications.
By connecting with patients and other dental professionals through social media, educational initiatives and personalised communication, you can foster strong relationships and humanise your team.
Remember, in the world of dental care, your brand is the promise you make to your patients and clinicians — and how well you keep that promise is what sets you apart.
