For the sake of time I am going to group dental marketing services, dental advertising services and online dental marketing services together. But please note there is a difference between them.
In layman’s terms: Marketing is, your ideal patient, what message resonates with them and where you find them.
Advertising is taking that message and making it standout to the ideal patient to get them to set an appointment.
While online marketing is designed to attract ideal patient to your website where you can educate them to build like and trust and earn their business.
Advertising Services (first 6), Marketing services (next 7), Online marketing sevices (last 7)
- Print ads: Magazines, newspapers, preprints, journals, shoppers, catalogues coupon books
- Direct mail ads: Post cards, letters, packages, door hangers, shared mail (multiple ads within one package)
- Electronic advertising mediums: Television, cable and radio
- Online ads: Banners ads, pop ups, directories, maps and pay-per-click ads
- Billboards: Stationary, fly overs, sporting events, banners and yard signs
- Directories: yellow pages, product specifics. Misc.: A few of the main ones are: Signage, store display, point of purchase, bill stuffers, product packaging
- Marketing evaluation: Description of biggest marketing challenge, current marketing conditions, competitor websites, marketing plan, marketing budget, marketing calendar, and contact information
- Surveys: In person, focus groups, mail with return form, handout to complete on spot, online, by phone, suggestion box, electronic: Arbitron, Neilson
- Marketing research: Use survey data, analyze sales data, analyze competitors, and analyze positioning, target market’s behavior, demographics, geographic, and psychographics
- Marketing strategy: Use survey and research to determine target market, competitors positioning and companies differentiation to form gap analysis and formulate messaging, branding. Analyze mediums to determine which match target market.
- Marketing material:Graphic design, logos, art elements, design taglines, branding, Design, proof and print business card, letter head, thanks you notes, marketing kits, and online presence, including misc. office documents, signage, invoices and forms.
- Marketing kit: Content, marketing story, differentiation statement, ideal client statement, services and products, case studies, testimonials, customer list, presentation folders, tri-folds,
- Market plan: Developing advertising campaigns, negotiating and buying media, setting up billing, tracking, measuring, analytics
- Website development: Content for pages, site design, call to actions, landing pages, white paper and/or case study development, lead nurturing, lead generation and lead conversion, blogging, email marketing, e-books, e-zines.
- Content Generation: listening stations, blogging, white papers or reports, tips, social media posts
- Search engine optimization: keyword search, on page keyword use, backlinks
- Social Media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Goggle +, You Tube…
- Online advertising: PPC, directories, reputation management
- Mobile: Text, QR codes, geo targeting, local
- Analytics: Tracking and measurement of online traffic
There are also a lot of online advertising programs being developed by companies trying to take advantage of this new phenomenon. I have examined quite a few of them and I don’t see the benefit to using most of them.
Beware of the sales model disguised as an online marketing program. Where they use an army of telemarketers to get you to buy their online marketing services. They don’t even practice what they preach; Otherwise they wouldn’t’ need to call you. They should be able to get sales by the same program they are trying to sell you to use.
Which marketing service or combination of services makes the most sense for your dental practice? It depends on who your target patient is, how your practice is different than other practices, and what message you develop to resonate with that target patient.
To find out which dental marketing services may be good for your practice, go to redstarmarketing.com and take your no cost “Dental Practice Marketing Audit.” (See button on bottom of right column)
