In 2022, there will be over 178,867 dental businesses in the US, which is a 0.4% increase from 2021. The rising competition means you have to ensure your clinic is doing everything possible to attract new patients. That means using a dental marketing agency to dive into the content world, or you miss out on potential customers.
The most important aspect of dental marketing is incorporating a blog on your website to showcase your expertise. Not only that, but it can also help boost your SEO, which attracts visitors from the search engine. You may still be wondering whether it's worth having a dental blog, so keep reading to learn why you should have one.
1. Market Your Practice
Blogging can educate and spread the word about your business. If you use written material to promote your practice, make sure to have a steady publishing schedule. That way, you are always on your audience's mind.
You want to promote it across all media and consistently deliver material that builds credibility day after day. This aspect of inbound marketing puts you in front of your target audience without requiring you to pay for their attention. If it is sufficiently captivating, people will interact with your content.
2. Increase Your Site's Traffic
Having dental articles lets you publish topics about brushing, flossing, and oral hygiene. These are topics that everyone is searching for on the internet, so they are more likely to stumble onto your page. This will help boost your dental SEO game, bringing in more visitors to your website.
Usually, 15-30 percent of organic visitors will become actual prospects. If you have established your practice on social media, publishing links to your blog entries can also help drive traffic. These visitors can also become new patients for your business.
3. Become an Industry Leader
Publishing a dental clinic blog shows your expertise, establishing yourself as a reliable source. People are more likely to see you as an authority figure when you provide valuable content. This can lead to dental practices referring patients to you and even dentists looking to collaborate.
If a blog post goes viral, it can also put your clinic on the map. Going viral will help increase brand awareness and attract new patients. It may seem like a long shot, but publishing high-quality content gives you a chance at achieving this goal.
4. Builds Relationships
When you publish informative blog posts, patients will get to know you better. They will be more comfortable coming into the office for appointments. Remember, the more you educate your audience, the more they trust you.
83% of consumers state that word-of-mouth from friends or family is a primary factor in choosing healthcare providers. That means if your patients trust you, they are more likely to refer their family and friends to your service.
5. Generate Leads
Your dental blog can help generate leads for your business. You can capture potential patients' names and email addresses by providing valuable content. Once you have this information, you can add them to your marketing funnel and nurture them until they are ready to book an appointment.
You can also use your blog to promote special offers and deals. For example, you can offer a free consultation or a discount on dental services. By providing this incentive, you are more likely to convert these leads into actual patients.
6. Stay Ahead of the Competition
By monitoring your competitors' blogs, you can see what topics they are writing about and find ways to improve upon them. You can also use your blog to keep an eye on industry trends.
This way, you can be the first to write about new developments and be seen as an expert in your field. By being one of the first to write about these topics, you will have a better chance of ranking high in the search engine.
7. Build More Internal links
You can create more internal links to your blog posts when you publish articles. This will help improve your dental SEO and make it easier for patients to find the information they want.
Internal linking is also a great way to promote other services that your practice offers. For example, if you write a blog post about cosmetic dentistry, you can include a link to your page on teeth whitening. This will help increase traffic to that page and convert more leads into patients.
8. Improve Patient Retention Rate
Having a dental blog lets you keep in touch with your patients even after they leave the office. You can stay on their mind by sending them email updates whenever you publish a new blog post.
For example, patients often have trouble remembering their six months dental visit. However, a blog about dental cavities can remind them why they shouldn't skip out on those appointments. Therefore, increasing the patient retention rate.
Blogging Tips for a Dental Practice
The more the better but you want to maintain high-quality content. With that in mind, here are some blogging tips for you:
Define Your Target Audience
The first step is to determine who you are writing for since this will help with the tone, style, and topics. For example, if you are writing for new patients, you will want to make sure your content is easy to understand and informative.
Write Compelling Headlines
The first word readers see is the headline, so it needs to be an attention-grabber. An excellent headline will entice people to stop what they are doing to read your blog. The best advice is to use actionable words and avoid clickbait.
Keep It Short and Sweet
No one wants to read a long, drawn-out blog post. Keep your posts concise and to the point. Use bullet points and short paragraphs to make your content easy to read.
Should You Have a Dental Blog?
The answer is yes; if you don't have one, now is the time to start one. Blog content can help generate leads, increase site traffic, and build trust. Make sure to optimize the articles for dental SEO and write them for your specific audience.
A dental blog can help market your practice, but it can also be time-consuming. You might not move the needles on your ranking if the articles are not done properly. Not to worry, contact us today for more insights on using content to boost your marketing efforts.