Dental Industry Trends

Getting new customers has always been a challenge for many businesses across all industries. The COVID-19 outbreak has made it especially difficult for dental health professionals to attract new patients.  

Many individuals have put off getting their kids braces or replacing their missing teeth with dentures because they need to wait for things to get financially better, while some are concerned about their health and safety in a dental setting.  

The pandemic has indeed impacted consumer behaviors and changed the dental landscape, giving birth to new dental industry trends.  

Being able to recognize these trends ahead of time and respond to them is crucial for the survival of your business today and its success tomorrow.  

To help make sure that your dental practice doesn’t get left behind, we’re sharing the top five dental industry trends of 2021 you need to know about.

What Are the Top 5 Dental Industry Trends of 2021?

Adapting to trends is the best way for you to cope with the changes the pandemic has created and start growing your business like you originally planned.

filming video dental industry trends

1. Omnichannel Marketing

In this digital age, consumers are on every app, platform, and social channel you can think of.  According to the Pedowits Group, 98% of Americans switch to different devices on the same day, and 86% of shoppers move across at least two channels when shopping online.  This means people no longer rely on a single channel to make a final purchase decision. You must meet potential clients wherever they may be.

But before anything else, what is an omnichannel approach? The omnichannel approach refers to the process of integrating channels with each other to provide a seamless and consistent experience. It aims to make it easier for patients to navigate and switch between channels and convert. Aspect Software found that businesses that started using the omnichannel approach reported to achieve 91% greater customer retention year after year.  

This 2021, you should consider using an omnichannel approach to continue to engage and meet your prospects as they travel through every stage of the buyer’s journey. It’s the best way for you to stay relevant and strong in a highly competitive market.

Tips on Creating a Successful Omnichannel Campaign

  • Use CRM Software to view data from different channels in one place.
  • Create detailed customer profiles and decide which marketing communication channel is the most suitable for each customer.
  • Set SMART objectives for acquiring and retaining patients.
  • Use content marketing to attract patients.
  • Monitor your campaign, measure for effectiveness, and apply the necessary changes.

2. Excellent Patient Experience

Over the years, we have seen the dentistry landscape evolve, and it reached its peak during the COVID-19 outbreak.  Patients are no longer just numbers, they have the power to make or break your business in a single review. It takes more than just running ads to convince them to do business with you.  

Today, to convert potential patients into loyal clients, you need to establish trust first by providing them an excellent patient experience that goes beyond the four walls of the dental clinic.  This means being able to provide the following:  

  • Online appointment availability and scheduling
  • Contactless payment options
  • Information about the latest COVID-19 updates
  • New safety procedures and requirements
  • Accommodation of non-elective procedures  

It’s also essential to optimize the digital experiences you provide with patient experience in mind.  In other words, engage with them, provide valuable content, meet them at every stage of the sales funnel, and create a consistent experience across all touchpoints.

How to Provide Excellent Patient Experience Across All Touchpoints  

  • Update your Website
    Update your website navigation and content to feature COVID-19 and telehealth information on top of your page. It should contain all the essential information about COVID-19, from FAQS and appointment scheduling, to additional resources.
  • Automate Your Phone System
    Update your phone system and call routing to provide COVID-related updates - including procedures, policies, and contact information for patients who are calling to ask about this information. Automating will allow you to accommodate as many calls as you can without putting people on hold and filter inquiries from patients who seek immediate dental care.
  • Personalize Emails and Text Notifications
    The average email open rate across all industries is between 15%-25%. But, email is proven to generate the highest ROI compared to other channels, which is why you need to make your email marketing campaigns as efficient as possible.  One of the most effective ways to get your patients to click on your email notification and interact with them is to personalize its content and include COVID-19 messaging.  
  • Update Your Business Listings
    When a potential patient searches for a dental clinic near them, you want your business to appear and provide them all the essential information they need to convince them to contact you, like contact information, opening hours, address, and COVID-19 safety and health updates. Give them the assurance that your dental clinic is on top of the situation and is taking precautions to keep everyone safe.  
  • Create a Mobile App
    If possible, create a mobile app to provide a faster and more convenient way for your patients to book an appointment and stay up-to-date with the latest happenings in your clinic. At the same time, it will be easier for you to notify your patients.  

3. Empathetic Communication

Communication is very important for businesses, especially during these uncertain times.  To stand out among your competitors, you need to be empathetic when it comes to communicating with your patients.

Research from Edelman revealed that 71% of people are more likely to lose trust in a brand that tends to put profit first over people during this pandemic. An article by Forrester stated that 52% of US adults who buy online prefer companies that show how they’re keeping their customers safe from the virus.  This suggests that showing empathy plays a role in building trust and nurturing your relationship with your patients and prospects during a time when dental care isn’t a priority.  

To communicate empathy to your patients, you can create various forms of content showing how your dental clinic is taking precautions and keeping everyone safe during the pandemic.  Make videos on how patients will be greeted when they walk into the clinic, the safety measures that should be followed, the sanitation and equipment sterilization before the procedure, and the post-op protocols.  

Another idea is to walk your audience through the changes in your clinic, so they know what to expect when they get there. These will allow you to demonstrate that you’re on top of the COVID-19 situation, putting assurance and security first.  

Showing empathy is also a wonderful opportunity to boost your brand reputation and position your dental practice uniquely in the minds of people.  

How to Boost Your Brand Reputation

Be sure to include the following in your content, communication, and other marketing strategies:

  • Transparency  
    Let your patients know what happens behind the scenes, such as how you handle each procedure with utmost care and precaution. This will allow your audience to appreciate and value your work more and make you relatable.
  • Authority
    Dental health professionals are in the position to provide credible information regarding the pandemic and assure the safety of their patients. Take this opportunity to provide your patients dentist-vetted information regularly.  
  • Online Reputation
    Reviews, feedback, and rating can greatly help build your online reputation. Encourage your patients to leave a review. Feature patient testimonials on your website and social media as a way to build trust with your target audience.  
  • Offline Reputation
    Aside from your online reputation, it’s also a good idea to showcase what you’re doing for your community and the causes you support. You’ll be able to exhibit your values and beliefs as a brand.

4. Optimize Your SEO, PPC, and Content Marketing Strategies

The need to invest in SEO, PPC, and content marketing strategies is now more important than ever, especially since the majority rely on the internet to research products and services, find local businesses, and relevant information before making a final purchase decision.  Because of the changes in consumer behavior and the dental industry trends, you must optimize these three strategies to accommodate such developments.  

cerec milling machine dental industry trends

How to Optimize Your SEO, PPC, and Content Marketing Strategies

Localize Your SEO Strategy

When people are searching for a dental clinic, they always prefer a practice that’s located nearby.  Many don’t want to travel hours and hours just to see a dentist. So, you want to take advantage of this by using local SEO to boost your visibility for local search. Here’s what you should do:

  • Claim your business on Google My Business
  • Enlist your business on other trusted web directories for local businesses
  • Make sure you fill out all the necessary information in your listings and that they’re consistent, from your company name, contact information, website, address, photos, social media, business hours.
    Add your location in your keywords and use them in the description of your listings
  • Enlist your business on review sites
  • Focus on local link building

Provide High-Quality, Targeted Content

Providing high-quality, targeted content is a great way to highlight your expertise and authority in your field, as well as to build trust among your audience. It also helps you attract, convince, and drive potential patients straight to your door. During this pandemic, people love reading anything that allows them to look after their health and the wellbeing of their loved ones. That’s why we suggest you create more content that revolves around the importance of staying healthy and seeking dental care despite the pandemic.  Furthermore, you can optimize your content using these tips:

  • Publish various forms of content
  • Make sure that your blogs and articles are scannable
  • Use visuals and graphics in your content
  • Include keywords you want to rank for and add your location to your keywords to boost your visibility for local search

Invest in Paid Social and Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Now that people are spending more time online, you must take advantage of this by investing in paid social and PPC advertising. Here’s how:  

  • Layer your targeting  
  • Create effective ad copies  
  • Make sure to retarget
  • Update your keyword lists routinely

5. Use Automation

Automation is becoming increasingly important, with 90% of consumers demanding a unified experience across all touchpoints.  Below are the three ways you can utilize automation:

  • Teledentistry
    Teledentistry is now a thing. Patients prefer to do consultations over the phone or through Zoom.  
  • Healthcare Chatbots
    Many patients visit a website to look for information. By using a healthcare chatbot on your website, you can provide immediate answers to inquires which can help boost conversions and increase patient satisfaction
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI)
    You can use artificial intelligence to remind your patients about their booking appointments, predict possible lesions and diseases, recommend suitable dental care services to patients, respond through voice command, and so many more.  

telemedince appointment dental industry trends

Is Your Practice Ready to Accommodate These New Dental Industry Trends?

It’s critical to respond and adapt to these new dental industry trends to help your business thrive post-COVID.  

At Digital Resource, our digital marketing experts can help you develop and create a marketing plan that is tailored to help you achieve business goals and respond to your patient’s needs. We will help you pivot and enforce the necessary changes to help your business succeed! Contact us to know more!