About 66% of American citizens report visiting a dentist or dental clinic in a year.
But how do you make sure they choose your dental practice over everyone else? It’s all about effective marketing and we’re not just talking about the digital variety.
Now, don’t get us wrong, digital marketing is crucial for getting your practice noticed online. However, with the sheer volume of content out there, it’s easy to get lost in the shuffle.
Hold up, because there’s an old-school hero that might just surprise you- direct mail!
While social media and SEO often steal the spotlight, direct mail can make an equally big impact on your marketing by delivering messages straight into the hands of potential patients.
And here’s the best part: direct mail works and it works well. With a 29% ROI, it outperforms paid search (23%) and online display ads (16%).
If you’re new to dental direct mail and unsure where to start, our expert printing services in Reno are here to help you get your promotions headed in the right direction.
Table of Content
Understanding Your Target Audience
Designing Effective Dental Mailers
Types of Dental Mailers
Leveraging Direct Mail for Patient Acquisition
Direct Mail for Patient Retention
Integrating Direct Mail with Digital Marketing
Understanding Your Target Audience
The key to a successful direct mail campaign is knowing exactly who you’re talking to. For this, identify your ideal patient demographic, whether it’s young families, working professionals, seniors, or a mix of them all.
Next, create patient personas or detailed profiles of your ideal patients. What are their needs, concerns, and motivations? For example, a busy patient may prioritize flexible appointment times, while a retiree may seek specialized senior dental care.
Using these personas, you can tailor your mailers to speak directly to these specific needs. The more personalized your mailers, the more likely they’ll connect with your audience and bring them through your doors.
Designing Effective Dental Mailers
Most standout dental print ads have a few important elements in common. Let’s break them down:
Visual Appeal and Design
First impressions matter, especially when it comes to direct mail. Use high-quality images that reflect your practice’s professionalism and warmth. Choose a clean, easy-to-read layout with colors that align with your brand.
Avoid clutter white space makes content easier to digest. Remember, your goal is to catch the eye and make it easy for potential patients to see what you’re offering.
Clear and Compelling Messaging
If your dental direct mail marketing design is meant to attract attention, your messaging is meant to keep it.
Be direct and clear. Do not use dental jargon that might confuse people. Instead, focus on benefits that matter to them, such as a pain-free experience, a welcoming environment, or a special discount for new patients.
Your message should be simple, compelling, and to the point. Think of it as having a quick chat with someone about why they should choose your dental practice.
Strong Calls to Action
Every successful mailer needs a clear call to action (CTA) where you tell the recipient exactly what to do next.
Make sure your CTA is bold and straightforward. Phrases like “Call us today for a free consultation!” or “Visit our website to schedule your appointment!” work well because they leave no room for doubt about the next step.
Types of Dental Mailers
When it comes to dental direct mailers, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Since different types of mailers serve different purposes, it’s essential to choose the right one based on your goals.
Postcards
Dental marketing postcards are popular because they’re simple, cost-effective, and get straight to the point. They’re perfect for quick, impactful messages like special offers, appointment reminders, or announcements of new services.
To create dental postcards with a strong visual appeal, use a bold headline and keep the text brief. A beautiful card offering a “New Patient Special” with a friendly smiley face can be all it takes to motivate someone to pick up the phone.
Flyers
Choose flyers when you need to provide more content than a postcard allows. Ideas could include a breakdown of your services, patient testimonials, or even a “Meet the Team” section.
As for distribution strategies, you can mail flyers directly, hand them out at community gatherings, or place them in local businesses to reach a wider audience.
Newsletters
Looking to build long-term relationships with your patients? Newsletters allow you to stay in touch with your patient base by providing valuable information, such as dental care tips, updates about your practice, or even spotlighting patient success stories.
A monthly or quarterly newsletter can help establish your dental office as a trusted resource, as well as keep your patients engaged and loyal.
Leveraging Direct Mail for Patient Acquisition
Dental direct mailers can be a powerful way to attract new patients to your practice. Here’s how you can use them to have more people walk through your doors:
New Patient Offers and Incentives
One of the most effective ways to grab the attention of potential new patients is through special offers.
People love a good deal, so offering something like a discount on their first visit, a free consultation, or a tooth whitening session can be a big draw. Make sure this offer is front and center on your mailer, and use bold fonts to make it stand out.
For instance, a postcard that says, “New Patient Special: Get $100 Off Your First Visit!” gives people a strong reason to choose your practice over others.
Geographic Targeting
Focus your direct mail efforts on areas where your ideal patients live. You can use geographic data to pinpoint these areas, ensuring your mailers are sent to people who are most likely to need your services.
If your practice is in a family-friendly neighborhood, tailor your mailers to highlight services like pediatric dentistry or family dental plans. On the other hand, if you’re in an area with a high concentration of seniors, emphasize services like denture fittings or senior discounts.
Tracking and Measuring ROI
To know if your direct mail campaign is successful, you need to track its performance. A straightforward way to do this is by incorporating unique codes or dedicated phone numbers on your mailers.
You might use a code like “SMILE2024” that patients can mention when booking an appointment to redeem a special offer. This can help you measure the direct impact of your campaign and pinpoint how many people are engaging with your mailer.
Direct Mail for Patient Retention
Wondering how to keep your existing consumers coming back for more? We’ve got some easy direct mail marketing tips for you to apply:
Patient Appreciation Campaigns
Everyone likes to feel appreciated, and your patients are no different. Mailing a small token of appreciation through the mail can work wonders in making them feel valued.
You could send a personalized note after a patient’s first visit or even a holiday card to show you appreciate their trust in your practice. Simple gestures like these can make a big impact, keeping your practice fresh in their minds.
Loyalty Programs and Rewards
Loyalty programs are another great way to keep patients coming back. According to a study, 7 out of 10 U.S. customers consider loyalty programs a leading factor in sticking with a brand.
Think about creating a program where patients earn points for each visit, a referral, or even for booking their next appointment on time. Encourage your patients to collect as many points as they can and redeem them for discounts on future services, complimentary treatments, or little gifts.
Let’s face it life gets busy, and sometimes clients forget about their appointments. Mailing out dental appointment reminders is a tried-and-true way to make sure they don’t forget their upcoming visits.
Don’t forget about those dental patients who haven’t been in for a while. A friendly “We Miss You” postcard with a little incentive to book a cleaning can nudge them to return.
Appointment Reminders and Recall Campaigns
Let’s face it life gets busy, and sometimes clients forget about their appointments. Mailing out dental appointment reminders is a tried-and-true way to make sure they don’t forget their upcoming visits.
Don’t forget about those dental patients who haven’t been in for a while. A friendly “We Miss You” postcard with a little incentive to book a cleaning can nudge them to return.
Integrating Direct Mail with Digital Marketing
Direct mail doesn’t have to go it alone. At our print shop in Reno, NV, we highly recommend pairing it with your digital marketing efforts to get the best of both worlds.
Email and Social Media
Direct mail can be a great way to drive traffic to your online channels. Include your social media handles in your mailers and encourage recipients to follow you for more tips, updates, or special offers.
You can also send a follow-up email to those who receive your mailer. Reinforce the message and push them to take the next step, like booking an appointment or checking out your latest blog post.
QR Codes
QR codes are a simple yet effective way to link your marketing campaign efforts with your online presence. By adding a QR code to your mailer, you give recipients an easy way to access more information with just a quick scan. The idea is to make it as easy as possible for potential patients to connect with you.
Launch Your Direct Mail Campaign with Digiprint
Direct mail marketing might feel a bit old-school in today’s digital world, but don’t be fooled it’s still one of the most effective ways to grow dental practices.
It’s all about reaching the right people with the right message at just the right time. Hopefully, this post has given you some valuable insights into how dental mailers can help you attract more attention to your clinic.
At Digiprint, we specialize in helping dental practices like yours create direct mail campaigns that stand out and drive results. Our team of direct mail experts will work with you to develop visually appealing, compelling mailers that grab attention and communicate your message.
Get in touch with us today!
