The struggle to find the right marketing mix is never-ending in a profit-oriented small business. However, great marketing strategies share a common characteristic.
Top performers habitually integrate sound marketing concepts with market demands.
Encourage Word of Mouth Referrals
Word of mouth advertising is a marketing principle that has never gone out of style. It's no surprise that dental practices rely on a certain amount of word of mouth marketing buzz to communicate brand values and product messaging.
As a rule, your marketing strategy should include mechanisms that encourage meaningful brand conversations and spread the good word about your business. Mind you, there's a difference between word of mouth marketing and viral marketing -- if word of mouth marketing is a new concept for you, you might want to hire a marketing consultant.
Marketing Collateral
Brochures, business cards, folders, direct mail pieces, and other types of promotional materials are called marketing collateral. For dental practices, it's important to make sure every piece of marketing collateral generate reinforces your brand and value proposition. You'll also want to make sure you're making the most effective use of your marketing collateral by getting it into the hands of the right people. For direct mail campaigns, premium mailing lists from established vendors can protect the value of your investment. If you're like most business owners, you invest substantial resources in the creation of quality collateral. If you don't invest similar resources in mailing lists and other distribution channels, your dental practice's investment in collateral will be pointless.
Marketing Consultants
As a small business owner, it's tempting to think that you have what it takes to market your brand effectively. Maybe you do. But in our experience, there is no substitute for enlisting the services of a qualified marketing consultant. The best consultants possess a range of skills, including the ability to accurately communicate your dental practice' most important brand characteristics. More importantly, it will provide the expertise you need to identify the most productive marketing channels and raise your brand profile within the industry. As we continue to experience changes in the dental practice marketplace, a professional marketing firm can deliver a competitive advantage by giving your business access to today's most innovative marketing solutions.
Given your interest in marketing and in dental practices, you might find these additional resources to be of interest.
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