There was a time when simply being a good dentist was enough to build your practice. Word of mouth was key to expanding your patient base. Advertising was unheard of for dentists or doctors. Websites and social media didn’t exist.
Then a few practices started giving away promotional toothbrushes and personalized toothbrushes to their patients after their appointment. Floss was a natural next step. Eventually came advertising and now websites and social media engagement.
So, the question is — are dental promotional products still worth the investment? Will your patients use the items they receive and, more important, remember your practice? Will their friends see your name and ask about your practice? Or does this free stuff simply go in the back of a drawer or, worse, the bottom of the garbage can?
Are promotional products worth it? The answer is…Yes. It’s very hard to directly quantify a return on investment for these items, but they have become a must for every practice. In a way, it could be better to think of them both as a way to remind patients about your practice, but also as a thank you gift for being a patient.
Tips from Fellow Dentists
Dr. Silver – Macleod Trail Dental
If you’re just starting out, I’d recommend not ordering too much of the same thing. Instead, start slow and see which branded products offer the best results…Think about the largest population you serve – what is something useful you can give them that other people are likely to see? Toothbrushes are a common hand out, but more people see a box of mints you carry around all day compared to a toothbrush tucked away in your bathroom. Start making a point to ask new patients how they heard about you to see where your referrals are coming from. Armed with this information, you can customize a marketing budget based on where your best results come from.
Dr. Vadivel – Implants Gum Care
Don’t hold out hope for a silver bullet. There’s no such thing in marketing…Think of your budget as a starting point. It’s an investment. The first thing you need to do is establish the method you’ll use to set your budget. The most popular and most successful for small businesses is making your marketing budget a percentage of your gross revenue. Rule of Thumb: Practice should spend a minimum of 7-10% of their gross income on marketing.
- Always get three quotes
- Print permanent stickers
- A/B Test
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