Twenty Marketing ideas

1. We Welcome New Patients: You know referrals are important, but watch the words you use when asking for them.  Never tell any patient that you are not busy and that you are looking for new patients.
2. Branding:  Always put your name, practice address, phone number, fax, email, and web site on every piece of promotion you produce. This makes it easy for potential new patients to reach you.
3. Be recognized as an expert:  Get published. Write a book, even a clinical article. It positions you as an expert.
4. Circulate your work: When you write your article, try to have it published in more than one publication.
5. Mail regularly:  Mail reprints of your articles to your potential patients. Attach a note or short cover letter to personalize the mailing to them.
6. Advertise your services: Place ads and publicity pieces in local newspapers and magazines aimed at your target audiences. Try a variety of newspapers, magazines, and journals as well as different ads until you find which medium and which ads give the best results. Also, try both classified and display formats, especially if you never had tried them.
7. Use direct mail: It is a good source for generating new patient leads. A successful mailing of only a 1,000 mailers or letters can often yield ten, twenty, or more new patient leads.  It is much more costly than internal programs to current patients, but may prove to be a valuable part of your marketing mix.
8. New Patient Folders: Create a package of literature (not just a brochure) describing yourself, your staff and your services. Mail the package to potential patients who request more information in response to your ads and mailings. Highlight your web site in it as a source of expanded information beyond what is feasible in a standard printed piece.
9. Self-publish a Patient Newsletter: Many doctors have had great success using self-published newsletters to promote their practices. Newsletters help build recognition and establish credibility with a select audience of current and even potential patients, as well as associates.
10. Go stock: If you feel you can't self-publish a custom newsletter investigate the stock newsletter manufacturers, such as Patient News Publishing.  You will find they are very well done and very cost-effective...especially for full color pieces. 
11. Budget for a quality Identity package: This includes logo design, letterhead, envelopes, and business cards. The letterhead design and paper quality can convey an image of quality and successful achievement.  Provide business cards for everyone in the practice and motivate them to distribute them freely.  They are your most cost effective form of advertising.
12. Lecture: Offer to speak and give seminars before community and professional groups. Make sure potential patients will be among those in attendance.  If you don't feel you can, perhaps your hygienist or patient coordinator can participate.
13. Network.  Attend meetings, seminars, and luncheons. Volunteer to work on a committee. Become visible in the community. Join one of the many "referral groups."
14. Recycle your material. A lecture can become the basis for an article or series of articles. The articles can be turned into a book. Using your basic material over and over makes it possible to get broad exposure.
15. Be selective. Budget your time efficiently.  Not every opportunity to speak, lecture, write or participate is worthwhile. Focus on those promotional activities, which will give you the most return on your time and effort.
16. Chatzkas Work: Keep your name in front of current and potential patients with a "premium." Most will appreciate your thoughtfulness, and the right premium – one that is kept for years – serves as a daily reminder of you and your practice's services. Stay away from limited life disposable products.
17. Communicate: Let patients know about your recent successes. If your latest article was a rousing success, or if you've been featured in the newspaper, get extra copies and send them to potential patients and associates. Include a cover note.
18. Testimonials: Save any letters of praise you receive from patients and build a "testimonial" file. Selected quotations from these letters – or even reprints of the letters themselves – can dramatically add to your credibility. (Be sure to get permission first before you quote a patient in print!)
19. Keep written records: Measure the results of your past promotions.  Only by measuring the success or failure of promotional programs can we learn which promotions work, which don't, and which should be kept or deleted.
20. If you can't do it alone: If you agree with the above ideas, but feel you don't have time to accomplish them try developing a Marketing Coordinator.  This is a person that works 5 to 10 hours per week on your marketing projects.  They could be a current employee or a contracted marketing person.  For more information see the A+ Download on "Marketing Coordinators."

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