PART 1 : Building a compelling brand for your ideal patients
practice marketing
How to Take On the Corporate Dental Machine – and WIN
PART 1 : Building a compelling brand for your ideal patients
by Marc Fowler
Corporate dentistry is a bigger threat than ever to the local independant dentist . They ’ re big , flashy , and have large marketing budgets . And they are innetwork with everyone and typically offer lower-priced procedures . How can the single-location dentist hope to compete ?
The good news is that there is a proven way to fight back and win . Over the next three articles , we ’ ll show you how , step by step .
Consumers ( and dental patients ) are more committed than ever to support local businesses . In fact , 90 % of Americans choose small businesses at least once a week . Why ? Personalized service . And people feel good about supporting their community over big box stores and large , corporate brands .
The weakness of corporate dentistry is the same as big box retailers – they lack personality and they ’ re impersonal . Often their only real selling point is price . Since doctor turnover at corporate dental practices is high , they can ’ t build trust or loyalty . That ’ s why they focus on low price . They don ’ t have the ability to build relationships and get referrals .
Put simply , they don ’ t have you and your team . To beat them , you need to build your brand on something they can not provide . For most patients , the brand is the dentist and the dentist is the brand . That ’ s why , after the home page , the most visited page on a dental website is the “ Meet the Doctor ” page .
If you want to thrive and win , you need to build a brand . It isn ’ t overly complicated and doesn ’ t take a super-sized marketing budget . You just need to work through three simple marketing strategy concepts : Brand Positioning , Ideal Patient Persona , and Reasons to Believe .
Step 1 BRAND POSITIONING
What makes you stand out ?
The first step in creating a brand to crush your corporate competitor is to clearly define your key differentiators . You need to identify and communicate why you are better / different from them . Remember , the key is to focus on what your practice is that they are not .
Know your strengths and focus . Don ’ t try to be a “ jack of all trades .” There is little appeal to a potential patient in a practice that claims to “ do it all .”
Savvy brand marketers know that a brand can only stand for one thing in a consumer ’ s mind . Imagine if Chick-fil-A started selling hamburgers .
Have you seen a dentist trying to be the best cosmetic dentist in town , and an implant “ specialist ”, and a sleep apnea solution center ? Yes , it ’ s probably true they can perform all kinds of dental procedures , but it makes for very confusing mixed messages and messy marketing .
Try to stand for everything and you will stand out for nothing . Patients want the best – an expert . And it is difficult ( if not impossible ) to authentically be the best at all things for everyone .
What does your brand stand for ?
What is the first thing that people think about when they think about you ? What makes you different ? That is your brand positioning . And it needs to carry through to all you do .
Are you now racking your brain trying to decide what your practice ’ s biggest strength is ? It doesn ’ t have to be difficult . Your patients ( and maybe your staff ) can probably tell you .
Some common options are being an expert at a certain type of procedure or appealing to a certain ideal patient group . Other options to consider include : quality ( do you have a higher level of care , facility and expertise ), service ( do you have an amazing staff and the best service in town ), and convenience ( do you have longer hours , Saturday appointments , a convenient location ).
One important caveat is that you need to pick a positioning that appeals to a broad enough group to support your practice . Ideally , it is the most meaningful thing to
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