2020 has been a roller coaster year for most businesses, but perhaps especially so for dental health care providers. Navigating new requirements for safe care, a growing list of patient concerns, and a complex media and dental marketing environment have presented many dental practices with a series of unprecedented challenges. While you and your practice have successfully weathered the proverbial storm, now it’s time to start looking forward to the next calendar year and what it may bring. So what will dental marketing in 2021 look like? What should you be doing to get prepared?
Just as 2020 was unprecedented, most dental practices will likewise be facing a series of new challenges in 2021. Let’s walk through those and outline some steps you might take in order to deal with them.
Energize group your practice and marketing strategies to adapt to the evolving landscape of dental healthcare in 2021. Embrace digital marketing trends, enhance patient communication, and leverage technology to stay ahead in the competitive dental market.
First, COVID-19 will remain a primary concern in 2021. There’s no easy way to say it: this pandemic isn’t going away. This means that the economy will remain rocky and that unemployment will remain high and may continue to grow. That places new demands on all businesses, including dental practices. Making and keeping dental appointments may be the last thing on the minds of both your established patients and potential new patients. You’ll need to reconsider your marketing and growth strategies in that light, as everything from lead generation to growth channels to marketing and outreach will have to adapt. The strategies you ultimately choose will depend on your individual practice and its patients, but you should start planning now.
As a result of COVID and related concerns, patient communication will be key in 2021 and beyond. While patient communication for dental practices should always deliver a positive experience to the patient, 2020 has caused a great deal of stress for a great many people. As such, when possible communications from your practice should be empathetic, supportive, and positive. You’ll want to make use of all available channels–conventional print, email, and social media–in order to reach both established and new patients and keep them engaged with your practice and services. Dental marketing in 2021 will put a heavy emphasis on care.
Speaking of delivering a positive experience, moving into the next year you’ll want to ensure that you’re projecting and delivering positive in-office experiences for your patients. The folks relying upon you for their care need reassurance that your office is a safe place, both in terms of sanitation and social distancing and in terms of comfort and care. Every aspect of your visit should reflect the current best practices around the pandemic while offering a warm and welcoming environment. It can be tricky to find that balance, but it’s possible with a bit of planning and effort.
As a final thought, this may be the year to re-energize your marketing. Dental marketing is moving in new directions and working to meet new demands, and now may be the time to adopt a new approach by engaging some professional help. Our Dental Systems Optimization program makes the most of our experience, married with the best technologies and approaches available, in order to maximize your marketing investment and help your practice succeed. You’re working to deliver the best possible care to your patients, so let us get to work building the best possible marketing and outreach for you. Get in touch today, and we’ll create the success you need in 2021 and beyond.
