As a dentist, you deserve more. You deserve more than overpriced services and the confusion, frustration, even fear that can come with any marketing agency’s pitch. There are a lot of fancy words floating around out there like SEO, PPC, keywords, ranking, etc. I’ve heard them all as I am sure you have, too. The truth is, SEO is important. However, it should not cost you an arm and a leg.

Many dental practices are struggling in the same areas of SEO, so I put together a new e-book all about the 5 most common SEO mistakes that dental practices make. You can pick up a free copy here, but first, I want to talk about your brand. You see, SEO and PPC and a website that costs thousands aren’t the Pandora’s box that unlocks the riches of modern dentistry for you. It’s all important, but the fact is, your patient is buying you. Most consumers don’t care to know the details of a procedure, how expensive your tech is, how much granite you’ve had installed or the number of flat screen TVs you’ve got. Those aspects tie into an awesome patient experience no-doubt, but in the end, they are buying you. People want a dentist they like, know, and trust. Think about it, how many of you have that office in town that’s been there forever, they do little to no marketing, and they are still killing it in the production department? No matter what promo or discounts you run or what you give away, the majority of those patients will not leave. Ringing any bells?

The fact is, you can spend a ton of money on marketing. I have been in dental marketing for years and I have seen no fiscal investment outweigh a dentist who is willing to invest time in their community and social media. Referrals will always be your strongest marketing pipeline. When I say strongest, I mean those patients that stay with you for years, that make their recall appointments, that accept treatment and that pay their debts. Quality patients. That is the bread and butter of profitable dentistry.

Will quality patients walk-in off the street, too? Absolutely. But, delighting your existing patient base will work wonders for your bottom line versus trying to win over cold leads. Invest in your practice, in your team, and in your patients. Connect with the community. Start a blog. Branding is where I’ve seen dental practices really take their marketing to the next level, and I have tried it all.

In the coming months, I’m going to be sharing a lot of content that I hope you enjoy and that can help you and your colleagues see real growth. I look forward to the journey together.