Advertising for Dentists & Cosmetic Dentistry: 4 Tips to Build Up Local Clientele

07.22.2021 Sara Brasfield5 min

Consumer confidence in the economy is high. So are the amounts of discretionary spending many consumers are carrying after more than a year of limited spending during the pandemic. As consumers look for opportunities to spend their money and finance big purchases and expenses they’ve been considering for some time, cosmetic dentistry is poised to cash in on this expected wave of spending.

Demand for cosmetic dentistry services has been steadily climbing for years. Industry research suggests that overall spending on cosmetic dentistry has more than doubled in the past five years, with certain cosmetic services experiencing growth that far outpaces this sector as a whole.

The demand for cosmetic dentistry services is being driven by everyone from aging baby boomers to younger Gen Z consumers—and it’s creating a prime business opportunity for dental offices able to connect with these clients. The key to capitalizing on this consumer demand is building brand visibility and driving referrals from both new and existing patients.

Looking for ways to help your business stand out in your community? Here are some tips to leverage advertising and marketing to grow your client list.

1. Reach Patients at Their Home Address

Proximity plays a huge role in where clients choose to have their dental work done. Unless any red flags or roadblocks are evident—such as unfavorable online reviews, bad word-of-mouth experiences, and/or a lack of insurance coverage at a specific dentistry—many prospective patients are eager to find a dentist close to their home.

While direct mail is a well-established channel for dentistry offices to generate positive marketing ROI, your business can also make use of addressable advertising through cable TV, video on demand and other ad-supported video content. You can even use addressable ads to target ads by demographic based on the services you provide. For dentures and other cosmetic work popular among aging individuals, for example, you can deliver addressable advertising according to the viewer’s age.

Similarly, geofencing, ZIP code targeting and other geo-targeting can help your business concentrate its advertising dollars on local addresses and communities where the majority of your clientele are likely to reside. This location-based targeting can be leveraged across a wide range of advertising channels, including cable TV, mobile, display, social media, and other ad options.

One caveat to targeting by home address: if your dental office is close to office buildings or other heavily trafficked commercial properties, it might be worth your marketing dollars to geotarget digital ads to online users at those addresses. This can help you capture business from working professionals who want to squeeze a quick dentist visit into their work day.

2. Claim Prime Search Real Estate

It’s not just dentists connecting with clients via online search: Across all industries, more than 70 percent of customer journeys start with an online search query.

But dentists are uniquely positioned to leverage some of the long-tail SEO and paid keyword targeting available through organic and paid search marketing. For example, dentists can increase their SEO rank by publishing content that is localized and targeted to long-tail keywords relevant to their areas of specialty.

Paid search marketing can take a similar approach, bidding on long-tail search terms that offer the right balance of search volume and value. This can be a great method for reaching potential dentistry clients looking for specialized cosmetic services that your business wants to prioritize. It can also help your brand break through in a saturated market.

3. Promote Cosmetic Work to Relevant Social Users

Cosmetic services are a prime social media marketing opportunity, thanks in large part to the vast data social networks offer regarding each users’ interest in cosmetics, beauty, and other topics related to dentistry and elective dental procedures.

With this insightful data at your disposal, your dentist office can build targeted social campaigns to promote its cosmetic dentistry services to local prospects that may be interested in teeth whitening, veneers, and other cosmetic work.

4. Emphasize Safety in Your Dental Office

While (some) COVID restrictions are relaxing, hygiene and general safety protocols are still a top concern for many prospective customers. Given the potential exposure that can come with undergoing dental work and being unmasked in close proximity to healthcare workers, your office might be able to win over certain clients by appealing to their cautious side.

Emphasizing your use of masks, your spacious waiting room, and other safety measures can be a simple but effective tool to increase engagement and conversions across all of your marketing and advertising campaigns.

Whether you’re an established dentistry or a new office looking to build up its clientele, advertising and marketing can be a cost-effective strategy for building up your client list and growing your business.

A digital advertising partner can help you create campaigns and an overall strategy that is aligned with business goals and focused on maximizing ROI. Contact Cox Media today to learn more.

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About the Author

Sara Brasfield

Sara is a Marketing Manager on Cox Media’s corporate team in Atlanta, with a passion for writing and delivering relevant insights for advertisers. With more than nine years of experience in B2B marketing, Sara aims to help Cox Media’s current and future clients connect with their customers find new and unique ways to grow their business. Outside of the office, Sara loves spending time running, reading, and supporting her favorite sports teams (Go Braves & Gamecocks!).

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