Have a happy holiday with these successful seasonal marketing strategies
The holiday season is notoriously important to retailers, and many stores plan for it months in advance. However, they are not the only ones who can benefit from seasonal spending. With careful planning, you can turn the holidays from stressful to successful for your dental practice.
- Create themed newsletters and blogs. For example, remind patients to take time for oral hygiene during this busy time, discuss the best or worst foods for oral health, or suggest a commitment to dental care as a New Year’s resolution.
- Highlight convenient procedures. For many people, this is the busiest time of the year, with social events to attend and special foods to sample. They might hesitate to begin a treatment that requires multiple appointments, or major treatment that will leave them sore and swollen. Instead, promote procedures such as teeth whitening, tooth bonding, or one-day crowns.
- Send your patients well-wishes. Traditional greeting cards or e-cards are a nice touch to show patients that you care, and keep your practice name in their minds. Post season’s greetings on social media. Pair a creative image with a festive message for a sharable post.
- Participate in a charity drive. The holiday season is the time for giving, and it is when charitable events and organizations attract the most attention. Consider a holiday promotion, such as donating a percentage of sales for the first two weeks of November to the local food bank. It will boost your reputation for community involvement, and encourage patients to schedule.
- Ask for smiling selfies. The holidays are the season of photos, from family reunions to kids meeting Santa. That means you have an opportunity to build your social following and increase engagement. It’s a great time to hold photo contests, or even ask people to share their holiday smiles.
- Show patient appreciation with a holiday gift. Design a holiday promotion for current patients, such as 20 percent off teeth whitening in December. Create an attractive and personalized gift certificate, which you can send along with a note of appreciation for the person’s patronage.
- Remind patients to use up insurance benefits. This may not be holiday-related, but it can certainly fill your office at the end of the year. Since annual insurance plans expire on December 31st, many people have unused benefits. Use your newsletter and social posts to remind people to make the most of their coverage, while there is still time.
About the Author
Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete internet marketing company that focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education, and the online reputations of dentists. With a team of 140+ full time marketers, www.ekwa.com helps dentists who know where they want to go, get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call 855-598-3320 to speak one-on-one with Naren.
