Dental patient referrals are a great way to increase your business. Finding new patients can be difficult and time-consuming, and not all of them will be the perfect fit for you. Referrals are an excellent way to reach out to people who have already been in contact with you, know what they want from dental care, and are likely to return. The following article discusses six ways that you can get more dental referrals.
1. Use Optimized Digital Marketing that Supports Dental Patient Referrals
Your website is probably one of the first places that people look when they are looking for a new dental practice. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure that you have an optimized site that shows all of your relevant contact details and contains precise information about what your practice offers.
Also, when it comes to Marketing for Dental services online, being clear about what you can provide and showing that people invest in your services is a great way to encourage referrals. Use images of happy patients smiling with bright white teeth on your website. Also, show testimonials from satisfied customers and share stories about how dental care has transformed somebody’s life.
2. Create your Loyal Fans
Word of mouth is, of course, an effective way to get a business going, and dental care is no exception. Creating a sense of community at your dental practice by offering discounts for coming back or arranging competitions with local businesses can encourage people to keep referring their friends and family members.
You could even try going one step further and creating an online community where people can share their experiences with the dental care industry.
3. Connect with Other Business Owners nearby
Dental patient referrals can also come from other businesses. You probably deal with local people who have contact with various companies, and they might know somebody suitable for your practice.
Therefore, it’s a good idea to connect with these kinds of people and find out their needs. If you offer them any referral incentive, such as covering the cost of their meal when they come in for a checkup, you can create positive interactions and bring in more business.
4. Host an Event in your Shared Medical Building
It can be difficult to get referrals directly from other businesses if you’re located in a shared medical building. However, you may still benefit by hosting your event where people can meet up and enjoy some free drinks or tasty snacks.
You could also try teaming up with another business so that you both offer the same service. For example, an accountant and a financial adviser could host free seminars for people interested in making investments. This would give you more opportunities to talk about your dental practice in a relaxed environment.
5. Entice your Existing Patients to Spread the World
Your existing patients are probably the ones who know the most about your dental practice, as they have been with you from the beginning. You can encourage them to speak up by offering exclusive discounts and promotions for those who return and tell their friends how great it is.
Alternatively, you could ask your people what kind of new clients they know and then encourage them to spread the word.
6. Send a Monthly Newsletter to Everyone in your Database
If you keep an up-to-date list of your contacts, you can send them a monthly newsletter with articles and advice related to dental care. This is an excellent way to encourage referring, as it reminds people that they know someone who could benefit from the services you offer.
When sending out newsletters, don’t just send a load of marketing material, but use it as an opportunity to share your knowledge and make your practice look even more impressive.
Final Thoughts
Referral marketing is a proven way to boost your dental practice, and with the right approach, you can encourage more people to refer their friends. However, it would help ensure that all of your details are correct online and offer an innovative referral program that incentivizes sharing your business information.
Be sure also to use social media networks like Facebook, Instagram, and G+ and mention them on your website. Perhaps you can think of something more innovative than simply asking for referrals.
