Dental Marketing Tip: Patient Acquisition and Retention through Newsletters

It’s a fact: People love to get mail that does not require sending money. Admit it.

When you receive a handwritten letter or a postcard or a newsletter in the mail, you either tear into it first, or else you save it for after the boring bills and junk mail are taken care of. Chatty mail is something to read that gives you a bit of insight into the sender’s thoughts.

Another fact: People want a dentist with whom they feel comfortable. Many are afraid of the dentist, and a professional who helps them feel comfortable and safe is one who is more likely to see his or her patients regularly.

As you know, patients who visit the dentist regularly have fewer problems with dental cavities, periodontal disease and other issues associated with dental neglect.

Use your knowledge of these two issues to make your patients feel safe and comfortable by sending out dental marketing in the form of a newsletter. Send these to all of your current patients, as well as to each home in your immediate vicinity.

Check the newspaper listings to find out which people have recently moved into town, and add those families to your list as well. Have several in the waiting room so patients can share them with their loved ones.

What to put in your newsletters? A small section about your experience and expertise is appropriate for each monthly issue. Perhaps write up a small article on one staff member or client per month, and answer frequently asked questions as well.

Timely posts on current topics and studies will also be appreciated by your clients. Make the tone friendly and conversational, and be sure that the spelling and grammar is perfect; errors in usage or typographical errors can make you look unprofessional.

Take advantage of this effective facet of dental marketing to reach a large number of potential clients for a relatively small expense of time and money.

Remember, the more your patients are introduced to your name, and the more friendly they perceive you as being, the more likely they will stop in for their regular, routine and emergency dental care.