Attracting new patients is essential for every dental practice - whether it is a new practice that wants to establish itselfor an existing one that wants to grow further. But how do you convince potential patients to choose this particular practice? At a time when more and more people are finding out about services online, it is more important than ever to have a Build a strong presence and create trust.
Why is targeted patient recruitment so important?
Dentists are in competition with other practices in their region. Those who do not manage to continuously attract new patients risk losing business in the long term. Loss of sales and fluctuating capacity utilisation. Particularly in urban centres, dental practices have to assert themselves against a large number of competitors. At the same time, there is often less choice in rural areas, which requires a different strategy.
The aim is not only to attract new patients for a one-off treatment, but to keep them in the company through a to retain excellent experience in the long term.
Success factors for successful patient acquisition
1. increase local visibility
Most patients search online for a dentist in their area. One optimised Google My Business pagethat ranks well under "dentist in [city]" is therefore a must. These include:
- A fully completed profile with current opening hours
- Positive patient reviews with professional answers
- High-quality images of the practice, the team and the treatment rooms
- Regular posts on offers, services and news from the field
2. professional website with easy appointment booking
A modern website is a practice's digital business card. It should not only be informative, but above all simple appointment booking make it possible. Clear navigation, short loading times and mobile optimisation are essential. Important elements:
- Online appointment booking system
- Clear presentation of the services
- Presentation of the team with photos for more confidence
- Patient reviews and success stories
- Search engine optimisation (SEO) for relevant terms
3. targeted use of social media marketing
Facebook, Instagram and YouTube are ideal channels for presenting yourself as a competent and trustworthy practice. High-quality content that offers added value increases interaction and reaches new patients.
- Practice presentations and team insights create proximity
- Patient reviews and testimonials strengthen trust
- Educational videos on treatments make the practice approachable
- Adverts (Facebook Ads) for targeted patient acquisition in the region
4. actively promote referral marketing
Word-of-mouth advertising is still one of the most powerful methods of patient acquisition. Dentists can actively work towards this by:
- Ask existing patients for reviews (Google, Jameda, Facebook)
- Introduce referral programmes with small incentives (e.g. "Recommend us and receive a free dental cleaning")
- Establish collaborations with other healthcare providers
5. use online advertising for targeted approaches
Targeted Google Ads and Facebook Ads help to address precisely those people who are actively looking for a dental service. It is important to focus on local search queries and adapt adverts to the needs of the target group.
- Place adverts for "Dental cleaning in [city]" or "Emergency dentist in [city]"
- Retargeting campaigns to address interested parties again
- Social media adverts to target specific age groups or interests
Conclusion
Successful patient acquisition is based on a combination of local visibility, digital offers, social media and referral marketing. Dentists who Focus on a strong online presence, actively involve patients and use targeted digital advertisinghave a decisive advantage in the long term. A full diary is no coincidence, but the result of a well thought-out strategy.