One of the most important tasks of a dental or orthodontic practice is to attract patients.
You can attract and retain your next 10, 20, or 40+ new Orthodontics patients if you leverage the best digital marketing ideas below.
To start getting patients today, speak with a digital marketing specialist for free to ask your questions.
The Global Orthodontics Market is growing rapidly.
Data from Fortune Business Insights revealed that the global orthodontics market size was valued at $6.73 billion in 2021, and the market is projected to surpass $21.5 billion by 2030.
Source: Omnicore
You just need to attract a tiny fraction of this multi-billion-dollar market to grow a profitable Orthodontics business.
Whether it’s a new patient or a current one, acquiring new patients is crucial to growing the clinic’s revenue.
According to the Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, “Orthodontics practice has always relied on referrals for an influx of new patients.”
To truly scale and grow your revenue, you can’t rely solely on referrals from satisfied patients and dentists, you also have to reach out to potential patients using online marketing strategies.
What is Orthodontics Digital Marketing?
Orthodontics digital marketing is the process of utilizing the internet to increase your practice’s visibility, acquire new patients, and deliver a memorable experience with existing patients.
It can be done through a variety of different methods, from implementing social media strategies to running Google search ads.
It’s important to remember that online presence is crucial for establishing trust with potential patients, especially in a competitive orthodontic market.
This means that your website must be updated regularly with helpful content, and it must be optimized to generate traffic from potential patients searching for orthodontist services in their area .
7 Ways to Acquire Patients and Grow a Profitable Orthodontics Practice
Here are the proven and easy-to-implement digital marketing strategies to attract consistent patients to your Orthodontics practice:
1. Attract Patients Through Your Orthodontics Website
A great website for an orthodontics practice is more than just a digital business card.
We believe a well-built medical website is a 24-hour-a-day virtual salesperson that actively attracts and converts prospective clients into new patients.
Using a combination of Local SEO and conversion optimization, an optimized orthodontic site will help you increase your lead volume online.
It will also ensure your website loads quickly on mobile devices and offers a seamless, easy-to-use experience for your target audience.
22 seconds is the average time it takes to fully load a mobile page, according to Google’s report. That’s not ideal if you want to win.
Your goal is to make your website load within 3 seconds on both desktop and mobile devices.
A good example of an Orthodontics website that’s fast and mobile-friendly is Omega Dental Specialists:
Source: Omegadentists.com
Additionally, if your website shows up in a Google map pack for local searches related to Orthodontics, then you can attract leads and patients consistently.
For example, when I search for “Orthodontists near Houston,” take a look at the results on the map, as well as the organic results. You should strive to rank there as well.
Optimizing your website for SEO involves several important elements:
- Claiming your business profile on the Google My Business page, and using consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone) across local directories, review websites, and on your website.
- Creating articles that answer specific questions about orthodontist procedures and bursting some of the common myths.
- Designing a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes.
- Integrating an easy-to-use booking system that makes it easier for new patients to book free consultations with you.
- Properly formatting your content to make it easier to share on social media networks.
Pro Tip: Whenever you write an article for your website, you can repurpose it as a video, image, audio, or even a social media post, which you can share on social platforms.
An active social media presence offers a viable way to build a strong brand image for your orthodontics practice.
If you have any questions or don’t know how to effectively design and optimize your Orthodontists website, book a free strategy session with a team member at Omnicore.
2. Run YouTube Pre-Roll Ads to Get Patients
Pre-Roll Ads are one of the most effective forms of advertising on YouTube.
A Pre-roll ad is a short video advert that plays before the main YouTube video you clicked on starts playing. Viewers can ‘skip’ the ad and watch the video they initially clicked on.
They allow advertisers to reach a vast & dedicated audience on YouTube, and they’re also extremely cost-effective.
These ads are a great way to reach potential patients and educate them on your services.
For example, if you offer sedation dentistry or high-value treatment options, you can run ads that showcase those services and explain what they can do for patients.
YouTube is a popular video-sharing platform that has a huge user base.
This large pool of viewers makes it possible for advertisers to target and engage with highly profitable customers.
When launching a YouTube Pre-Roll Ad campaign, you’ll need to set up a budget and bidding strategy. This should align with your business goals and priorities so that you can track success easily.
You can start your pre-roll ad with as little as $10/day.
Using behavioral targeting, you can ensure that your pre-roll ad is served to viewers who are most likely to be interested in what you have to offer.
Additionally, you can exclude topics and demographics that don’t suit your message.
That’s why health professionals in the dentistry field use YouTube advertising — because it gives them complete control over who sees their ads.
3. Partner With Local Dentists Online for Referrals
Referrals are an excellent way to grow your Orthodontist practice.
They help you build a solid reputation and are a great indicator of customer satisfaction levels. Patients who are satisfied with your services will recommend your clinic to their friends and family.
Referrals are 18% more loyal and 92% of consumers rely on referrals from people they know.
Source: Growthagency.co
One way to increase patient referrals is by partnering with local dentists online.
This is a simple and cost-effective strategy that will give you access to new customers, especially those with employer-sponsored insurance.
The first step in partnering with a dentist is to find out what kinds of patients they are targeting. You can find out this information by using their website or social media account.
Instagram is one of the most reliable platforms to find and DM dentist influencers in your city, state, or country.
Source: Dr. Yewande Oduwole
You can also get in touch with them through email or phone. This will help you determine who is a good fit for your team and your clinic.
Another way to partner with local dentists online is by offering discounts and incentives for referring their patients to your clinic.
Oftentimes, this is just a simple gesture that shows how much you value their business.
4. Launch a Referral Program to Get New Patients
Collaborating with Dentists in your locality for referrals is a targeted digital marketing strategy — aimed at attracting Dentists ONLY.
A referral program, on the other hand, can be a broader marketing strategy to encourage and leverage your happy patients/clients for referrals.
Traditionally, the best way to attract the most targeted patients to your orthodontic clinic is to establish a referral program.
Every generation, as you can see below, has embraced referral advertising — especially from people they know and trust.
This can be a great way to increase the volume of new patients you receive and can also lead to more consistent revenue for your business.
Before launching your referral program, it’s important to set some clear goals and make sure your team is ready to help you reach them.
Without a plan, your efforts will be more difficult to measure and you may be less likely to see results.
One of the most common ways to encourage current patients to refer other people is by offering a reward or incentive for their referral. This could include free crooked teeth alignment or service discounts.
Louisiana Dental Center offers $500 OFF any ‘Comprehensive Orthodontic treatment.”
Source: Ladentalcenter.com
To get the most out of your patient referral program, you should also create a series of bespoke resources that patients can use to share their experiences with their friends and family.
This will help you gain a better understanding of your audience and increase the effectiveness of your overall referral marketing strategy.
5. Get Consistent Patients With Facebook Lead Ads
With Facebook Lead Ads, Orthodontists are in luck because they can run ads directly on Facebook and get leads without sending them off the platform.
Facebook Lead Ads are a great way to get consistent patients in the door.
These ads allow you to collect contact information directly from your audience, allowing you to follow up with them in real time.
To run a successful Lead Ad campaign, you will need to have an effective advertising strategy and know your audience.
Start by creating personas for your target audience. This will give you a good understanding of who your customers are, and what they want to achieve.
Next, design a Facebook Lead Ad that makes sense for your business model and marketing goals. The best ones will feature:
- A compelling offer.
- A clear call to action.
- An eye-catching design.
Remember to download your lead data from Facebook as soon as possible.
This will save you time and energy, and it can be done by simply looking up your forms on the Facebook Ads Manager page.
Alternatively, you can automate this process through an official Facebook partner like LeadsBridge to streamline the workflow and get the most out of your leads.
6. Host a Social Media Contest to Offer a Free Consultation
Patients often struggle to get started on orthodontic treatment because they don’t know how long their treatment will take or what kind of results they can expect.
This is why it’s crucial to provide them with all of the information they need before they decide to start treatment.
A great way to do this is through a free consultation. It lets you build brand trust and make patients feel more comfortable before they decide to book an appointment.
Source: Harborkidsdental.com
You can run social media giveaways and contests to attract new followers and encourage current ones to engage with your posts.
These types of contests usually require people to do a specific task, such as liking a post, tagging their friends, or sharing it. They’re also a great way to promote your brand or products.
For your Instagram contests, try creating visuals that communicate everything users need to know about the giveaway without being overwhelming.
Ultimately, you want your social media contest to reach 1,000+ people. That way, you can get 50+ or more followers to request a free consultation with you.
If you convert 5 to 20 of these free consultations into loyal patients, then you’re on your way to growing your revenue and building a memorable Orthodontics brand.
7. Use Google Search Ads to Attract Patients
Google Search ads are one of the most effective ways to get new patients to call your phone line or visit your practice.
They work by targeting people who are already searching for Orthodontics services on the Google search engine and presenting them with your ad.
These ads can be used for a variety of purposes, including getting new patients and increasing retention rates.
The first step is to determine the best keywords for your Google Ads campaign.
This is done by conducting keyword research and analyzing the words and phrases that potential patients would use when looking for your services.
Using Google’s keyword planner is helpful for this. It will give you information about search volumes, competition levels, and CPC or bid rates for specific keywords.
Source: Shoutmeloud.com
Once you have chosen the right keywords, create an ad that matches the keyword.
This will make your ad more appealing to prospective patients and increase the chances of them clicking on it.
Another great feature of Google’s ad platform is its location-based targeting option.
This allows you to target potential patients within a certain radius of your practice location, ensuring that your ads are shown only to people who are close to where you operate.
To launch your first Orthodontics Google ads, speak with a digital marketing specialist to get your questions answered and your budget defined.
Conclusion
Orthodontics procedures cover both the prevention and correction of misaligned teeth in the jaws, as well as the aesthetic positioning of the jaws.
Not many people can manage any form of dental disorder. So they will seek Orthodontists in their city or state to help them with these treatments.
The Orthodontics and dentistry industry is competitive.
While you have a role to play in promoting your services, we can help you to design a result-driven digital marketing strategy to market your practice and get new patients.
With Omnicore’s Orthodontist marketing program, you’ll have an irresistible marketing offer that will be seen and heard by the right people, especially those in your locality. Speak with a digital marketing specialist today. It’s free!
Photo Credit: Unsplash
