Prospective dental patients are using the internet more than ever to research dental specialists. When they search your name or that of your dental practice what do they see?

Successful business owners know that a marketing plan is of utmost importance—in good times and in bad. Without a marketing plan, you may find your dental practice is lost, adrift, waiting for a stiff wind to take it somewhere. While many dental specialists work hard to build their clinical skills, they often fail to develop effective marketing skills. As a result, many practitioners have no marketing plan in place. Isn’t it time that you formulated an approach to market your practice to new dental patients? Here are some integral parts of an effective plan:

When a new patient comes to your dental practice, you are given a precious opportunity to build a relationship of trust that can result in significant advantages for your practice: Not only can you help ensure that your new patient returns again and again for continued treatment but you can also help “train” them to bring new patients to you.

Like any other service-based business, a dental practice depends on an influx of new patients to grow in both size and revenue. While an established dental patient base is vital, over time patients may move, pass away, or choose a different dentist based on their own needs, location or wants. As a result, even though you may be content with your current patient base, to continue to operate a thriving, lucrative practice, actively attracting new dental patients is essential.

As the founder of the Lanmark Group, the first full-service advertising agency dedicated to the needs of dental professionals, Joe Lancelotti has watched the evolution of dental marketing from its nascent stages in the 1970s to the advent of the worldwide web. Today as the owner of Camelot Marketing Services and DoctorsMarketing.com, Lancelotti uses techniques he and his team have developed over decades of experience to fulfill the marketing needs of dental professionals across the country.

You may not have the time or resources to roll out the red carpet for each new patient that walks through the door, but if you are looking to keep them coming back there are many things you and your dental staff can do to make first time patients feel welcome.

No dental practice should be without a new patient orientation kit. They are easy to assemble, inexpensive to use and most importantly, make new dental patients feel comfortable with your practice by letting them know what to expect.