Using Multi-Channel Marketing for Your Practice

In today’s world, consumers are exposed to an ever-increasing volume of content. Between traditional mediums of marketing and all the photos, videos, and podcasts found in each person’s pocket, consumers are inundated with messaging from all types of businesses clamoring for their dollars. In the modern market, your orthodontic practice needs to leverage multiple channels of exposure to stand out and gain new patients.

Importance of Multi-Channel Marketing

One aspect of marketing that remains true, even as the world of marketing evolves, is the importance of following the rule of seven. This simple, yet widely supported theory states potential consumers need to be exposed to a brand or product seven times before they will convert. While this concept remains true, the actual act of reaching potential consumers enough times to get them to choose your practice will be much harder without multi-channel marketing.

More content consumption means more competition. And while only one or two channels of marketing may have been adequate for small businesses a couple decades ago, modern orthodontic practices need a presence on multiple channels to get their messaging to consumers at a rate that will lead to conversions.

Social Media

If there is one way the landscape of marketing has shifted the most in recent years, it is the advent of social media. Between the sheer volume of users and the unique ways it connects users to businesses, social media is an opportunity for marketing you shouldn’t miss. Each platform lets you reach your audience in different ways. Facebook is ideal for creating organic interactions with potential patients, Instagram lets you get creative with attention-grabbing content, and Youtube is extremely helpful in building trust through educational vlogs. Each platform is another opportunity to build awareness of your practice and to strengthen your brand.

Inbound Marketing

Given that consumers are more skeptical than ever, attracting potential patients with ads that are clearly ads doesn’t work as well as it used to. A great way to connect with prospects without blatant advertising is to get them to find you on their own. Establishing a blog and posting quality, keyword-rich content regularly helps boost your search rankings, allowing users to easily find you when they search for topics they care about. The fact that they will land on your website and get the answers they are looking for also builds trust in your practice.

Advertising

While inbound marketing is a trending solution for younger audiences, you certainly shouldn’t abandon other forms of advertising, especially when you consider that a lot of your business will come from parents of teenagers. Good advertising still works, so look for opportunities to advertise your orthodontic practice on the radio, in your local newspaper, and with attention-grabbing signs. An underrated form of advertising that gains lots of exposure is using a car wrap on a company vehicle. This strategy lets you take your marketing on the road.

Find new channels to promote your orthodontic practice and reach your target audience in different ways, and you will see your new patient numbers increase!