The Importance of Community Events for Orthodontists

Being an active participant in your community increases your brand awareness as a business, while also showing local support. Orthodontists should utilize the advantages of community involvement to increase word-of-mouth marketing and to showcase service and a commitment to your community as one of your core values.

Building Brand Identity

According to Forbes research, an average of 82% of U.S. consumers actually consider corporate social responsibility when deciding what services and products to buy and from where. For orthodontics specifically, the basic services offered do not vary from practice to practice; therefore, branding plays a large role in your success. Your values and community participation, both core components of brand identity, could be the tipping point that leads new prospects your way.

Orthodontists should look to their patient personas when building their own brand. Seeing as a majority of orthodontists’ patients are children or teens, it’s safe to assume the values of those making the decisions and paying the bills (i.e. parents, grandparents, etc.) are family-oriented. Therefore, orthodontists should brand themselves with similar ideals. Being an active participant in the community is a great way to demonstrate your mission of supporting others and giving back.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Word-of-mouth marketing is an extremely valuable channel for attracting new consumers in any business. For example, 92% of consumers believe recommendations from friends and family over all forms of advertising. Being an active member of your community will give you the platform to increase awareness for your practice, build relationships with current patients and create new ones with prospects.

With all this being said, it is important for your motives behind community service to be genuine.

Even though participating has promotional perks, the community event itself is not the place for you to be sharing your social networks or handing out flyers. The word-of-mouth marketing will come as a result of increased exposure and interaction with community members. Community service is a chance to form personal connections, which will lead to long-term advantages for your business.

Stay Connected

Actively participating in your community is a great opportunity to relate to people outside of the office on a more personal level than through marketing alone. Your community service will allow you to form deeper connections and stay up-to-date on local news or events. Look for events like charity walks or 5ks that your staff can participate in, whether it’s by running or simply volunteering at the water station. Another way to stay connected is by sponsoring charity events or even a local youth sports team. Sponsorships result in gaining more exposure; your office’s name is often printed on event signs or team uniforms.

It’s important to note that you can showcase community support without a large, organized event. For example, you can hold book drives in the office that patients can participate in, or set up a collection jar for a local organization your team supports. Then be sure to post photos from your own community engagement on your social media platforms to encourage others to get involved as well.

Being involved is a consistent way to stay in the public eye, while also giving you a chance to give back to your community. If you want to learn more about how community involvement can benefit your practice, contact Ortho Sales Engine.