How To Encourage More Patients Without Having To Sell Your Services Cheap
Businesses will go to various lengths just to keep the customers coming. But that’s because they have to. Otherwise, worse comes to worst, the business will go under just trying to keep up with overhead costs. This is especially true for start-up businesses that are not affiliated with big names whatsoever. The challenge is twice as hard for them as they have to keep their heads above water while also having to spend more for the purpose of marketing and branding. It’s like trying to stay afloat an ocean with an anchor on your right leg.
First of all, marketing may either become a driving force for business or a total waste of money. It helps companies reach out to various markets and eventually increase the profits the company makes each year – well, that is, if executed flawlessly. But who are we kidding here? There is one too many cases wherein marketing campaigns have failed businesses, in spite of all the costs invested. After all, there is no telling how a marketing theory will actually perform in real life. You can prepare yourself as much as you can, conduct feasibility studies as elaborately as you can, but when it comes to market movement, there’s really no telling what comes next.
One way businesses can reach out to their target markets is through traditional marketing methods like sending out flyers, putting up billboards, airing radio and TV commercials, etc. There’s also product testing activities like giving out food samples or putting up “free taste” stalls. Of course, activities like this can cost a lot of money and more often than not, the benefits are short-lived. Unless you have a winning product that you know can win over people’s hearts as soon as they get to try it, actual product testing may not be the best idea – especially for products that are not always up to everyone’s tastes.
Also, there are companies that launch promotional events like discount sales or voucher codes. This type of marketing strategy may be better than giving out samples for free because you’re actually getting paid back with a portion of the total cost of the product but it can still be pretty costly. Some companies launch irresistible and jaw-dropping sales which are too good to be true – and that’s because they are. Businesses can lose money from promotional campaigns like this but many still give it a shot saying that it’s worth a try. Well, let me tell you something: Sometimes it pays off, sometimes it doesn’t. Unfortunately, not all types of businesses can just “wing it” like that.
Dental clinics, for instance, have a harder time promoting their business through traditional means. Sure, you can give out flyers and pamphlets but dental needs are not always immediate. Even if you give a flyer to a certain person, there’s no telling whether that person is in need of a dental appointment or not at the moment. Unlike food businesses, this type of approach is not really advisable for service-oriented companies like dental clinics.
As for promotions and freebies, dental services are far too expensive to administer for free. Also, we’re talking about time and effort here so it’s really not something you can mass-produce and just give away for nothing. You can offer discounted rates and bundled plans but it’s still not something people can afford on the get-go. For a start-up dental clinic, earning people’s trust and actually getting regular clients to sign up is a lot more challenging than it seems.
So instead of wasting precious time, energy, and effort into cost-adding traditional marketing techniques, why not focus more of your efforts online? There are many benefits to internet marketing and for your type of business, it is one of the most effective and practical choices out there. Here’s why:
It’s Cheaper
While you may think otherwise, internet marketing really is way cheaper than traditional methods if you think long-term. As I mentioned earlier, the effects of traditional techniques are often short-lived. This means that when the hype is over, a lot of those people you’ve tapped could care less about your services. So it’s either you come up with another, totally different plan or rile the people up again by doing the same thing. In the end, there are no permanent effects. Compare this to online advertising and you’ll realize that focusing your marketing efforts online is a 100 times better.
While it may be a little expensive in the get-go, the costs are pretty reasonable when you think long-term. After all, when you increase the authority of your website which in turn increases its visibility and exposure to the online market (which is particularly huge, by the way), that authority will remain intact for a long time. It won’t disappear or dwindle down in a matter of days. You just have to work on increasing it. So if you really think about it, the “marketing costs” you’ve spent did not go to nothing. It became an investment for the long term. Remember, a high-authority site gets more traffic online and more traffic would mean more clients!
If you want to know more about this, check out the services we have for companies like yours after you read this article!
Reach Bigger Crowds
Of course, it’s important to market your services locally since you can’t perform services to people who live far from your clinic’s area. However, the exposure you will eventually earn online will definitely create a lasting impact on people and, in turn, you get the opportunity to reach out to a larger audience. The more people who support your company online, the more trust you build with immediate clients.
Also, it’s a chance to expand your influence in proximate areas that are not exactly exposed to your side of town. There are patients who wouldn’t mind a 30 or 45-minute drive if it means they can get quality services! Also, when you become a reputable dental clinic online, you wouldn’t need to rely on cheap tricks like selling your services for lower prices, people will pay for services they trust. This way, you get long-term benefits as well as save yourself from doing work that don’t get you paid enough for your efforts.