Branding is a trending digital marketing buzzword, but what does it really mean in practical terms for your dental practice? If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. Many medical practices make the mistake of thinking strategic marketing initiatives, like branding, don’t apply to them because they provide services instead of goods. And they couldn’t be more wrong.
Every business, from high-end couture retailers to art museums to your dental practice, has a brand. And that brand—with or without your intentional input—is sending messages to your current patients, prospective patients, and competition.
Chances are, if you aren’t making a concerted effort to mold your brand, you have little, if any, concept of your existing brand identity. Here are a few tips on understanding your dental practice’s current brand and how to purposefully build your dental brand into a powerful marketing asset that attracts your ideal patient.
Consider Your Dental Practice Culture
When you’re getting ready to build your dental brand, start simple. Answering a few questions will help you discover and form a brand identity for your practice:
- What makes your dental practice different from others?
- What are your practice’s core values?
- What does your office do to make patients comfortable?
- Why is dentistry important to you?
You may need some time to really think about how each question applies to your dental practice. But the answers to these questions will reveal your practice’s values and serve as the foundation for your brand. Your culture is part of your brand, and the better you understand that the more effective your branding will be.
Showcase Your Dental Practice Brand
Once you know what your brand is, show it off! Whether you’re talking about a website, PPC ad, or even a TV spot, every piece of your digital marketing should demonstrate why your dental practice different from your competition. Your brand is what builds trust with patients, and that’s critical to retaining your current patients and attracting new ones. Recent studies show that 81% of consumers need to trust a brand1 before they’ll consider becoming a customer.
Another reason you need to showcase a strong brand is recognition. There’s plenty of competition out there, and solid branding helps potential patients identify and choose your dental practice over the competition. The keys to growing brand recognition in your target market is consistency and repetition. Your marketing and messaging should look and feel consistent everywhere your potential patients might see it. Creating brand guidelines for your dental practice, including a signature color palette, encourages visual consistency. The use of color can increase your brand recognition by as much as 80%.2
Consistent branding can increase your revenues up to 33%,3 because the more constant you are, the more people will recognize, and eventually trust, your dental practice brand.
Make Your Office a Judgement-Free Zone
More than a third of Americans4 are embarrassed by their oral health. When choosing a new dentist, prospective patients are looking for a clean atmosphere that values patient comfort and doesn’t judge.
Highlight how your dental practice welcomes all patients, no matter their current oral health. Include language that addresses the last time they were at the dentist. Something along the lines of, “We value every patient and provide caring, gentle dental examinations no matter how long it’s been since they’ve visited a dentist” will ease the minds of many hesitant patients. And it may be the deciding factor in staying with your practice long-term.
Show Your Human Side
People want to see the real, human side of your dental practice. We’ve already talked about how important trust is, and showing your humanity is a huge part of building a rapport with your patients. But humanity equates to authenticity, which is a key factor to 86% of people when deciding which brands to support.5
When prospective patients see real photos and bios of your staff on your website and social media, they start forming personal connections, whether they’re trying to or not. They also appreciate your willingness to put that information out there, because so many dentists don’t. This level of transparency bodes well for business, as 66% of people think transparency is one of the most attractive qualities in a brand.6
Effective branding sets your dental practice apart from the competition and will help attract your ideal patient. If you need help understanding your current brand identity or are interested in learning how to take your branding strategy to the next level, Dreamscape Marketing can help. Contact us today at 888.307.7304 to get started.
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