Tips for Starting Your New Practice Marketing on the Right Foot

Congratulations on starting your new orthodontic practice! We know you’ve put in a lot of work to get to this point, but now the work of growing a successful orthodontic office begins. One of the many pitfalls new practices can succumb to is neglecting their marketing strategy. By focusing on the following steps, you can hit the ground running with your orthodontic marketing.

Set a Marketing Budget for Your Orthodontic Practice

It’s a costly venture getting a business up and running, and an orthodontic practice is no different. That being said, it will be crucial to set aside enough money to effectively market your orthodontic practice. Focus on the things you will definitely need to get started. For instance, your branding is something you most likely won’t want to do on your own, or do for as cheaply as possible. Your branding is your business identity and is worth investing in.

Similarly, you’ll want to invest in a quality website for your practice. So much of your business hinges on a website that functions well and looks great.

Take Advantage of Free Marketing Opportunities

Look for opportunities for free marketing to start your growing your practice without reducing your budget. One powerful digital tool you can use that comes at zero cost to you is Google My Business (GMB). Using GMB, you can boost the SEO for your orthodontic practice while allowing your online reputation to grow. Using the profile for your orthodontic practice, you can create a keyword-rich description for your company, add attractive photos, and even streamline the appointment process by creating an appointment scheduling function.

Social media is another free mode of advertising you can’t afford to miss out on. While there are advertising functions you can pay for, the simple act of having a social media profile users can interact with will go a long way in building your exposure. As you engage with your social media following and gain page likes, you will get to watch your patient list grow without having to spend a dime.

In-person marketing is also extremely powerful, especially when you’re just getting started. Join your local chamber of commerce and begin networking with business leaders, or look for ways to get involved in the community. You’ll also likely meet members of local media outlets here, which is particularly helpful when submitting press releases about your accomplishments you want shared.

Make Your Practice Stand Out

Before you build your website, create your logo, or make your social media accounts, you should know how your orthodontic practice stands out. Perhaps you specialize in a particular type of treatment. Or maybe you want market yourself as veteran-friendly. You should also come up with a mission statement that determines your values and how you want to benefit your community.

Once you know exactly how you want to make your practice stand out, put those aspects into your marketing at the very forefront. When you have a strong identity as an orthodontic office, have a realistic budget in mind, and take advantage of free marketing opportunities, you’ll be well on your way to success.