The future face of UK dental practices
Posted by TeamPC on 3 Apr 2017
Dental practices have dramatically changed over the past 2 decades. They are now like businesses rather than mere service providers dealing with a few oral health issues. Dentists have had to completely reinvent themselves to survive. So how has the dental marketing industry responded?
Customers want more
Think back 5 years, maybe 10? A trip to the dentist was quite different. While the routine of going to the dentist for fillings, tooth extractions, check-ups etc hasn’t changed, the face of modern dentistry has.
From teeth whitening, perfecting your smile, cosmetic surgery and dental implants, right through to enhanced customer care, financial packages and social media updates, the dental practice of 2017 is a thriving and professional business, as well as your local, friendly dentist.
But dentists generally are having to work much harder to retain existing customers, and gain more.
Helping dental practices to bond with customers
The most successful practices have been those that have worked in partnership with an experienced dental marketing agency, particularly those specialising in social marketing campaigns.
So what is social marketing and how can it help today’s ambitious dental practice to compete?
A social marketing campaign is designed to deliver behaviour change – it uses big ideas, the latest marketing techniques and technology, and complex targeting and segmentation approaches.
Social marketing seeks to improve health and to reduce inequalities. In other words, rather than delivering pure commercial benefits, it delivers ‘social good’, addressing short, medium and long term issues – in this case, those relating to dental health and awareness.
Understanding social psychology
Today’s dental client wants to know about different treatments, understand what’s available, how to look after their teeth properly, and to receive exceptional service – they want to feel part of a dental community.
A social marketing agency does all of this and more. How? It attempts to understand customer behaviours, and responds with a framework/campaign that seeks to positively motivate and change attitudes. Many feel that social marketing broadens the traditional concept of marketing, leading to wide-ranging (and positive) social repercussions.
So as dentists become more socially aware, so too do social marketing agencies – and that’s a winning combination.
Who are we? We’re Perfect Circle - an award-winning social marketing agency, (in Manchester and London) delivering positive behavioural change across the UK
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