According to Markets and Markets, cosmetic dentistry is forecasted to rise by 6.6% annually and reach $30.1 billion by 2026.
And it’s no surprise, considering the rise of influencer culture that has (thankfully) shone a spotlight on cosmetic dentistry. Everywhere you scroll, you’ll find testimonials from big names promoting the latest at-home teeth whitening kits or beauty gurus flashing their pearly white veneers.
So why does it feel like your competitors are cashing in on this booming industry while you’re still lagging behind? How can you effectively market cosmetic dentistry to your current (and new!) patients to grow this area of your business?
If you’re looking for the answers to these questions and want to explore ways to improve your cosmetic dentistry marketing game, you’re in the right place. Let’s get into it!
What’s holding your practice back from success?
If you want to increase your revenue from cosmetic dentistry, it’s a good idea to pinpoint what areas you need to focus on first. This puts you in the right frame of mind for prioritizing what issues you need to address to boost cosmetic dentistry uptake in your practice.
Some common issues with marketing cosmetic dentistry include:
- Lack of awareness
Do your patients tell you they didn’t know you offered cosmetic dentistry services? This indicates a lack of awareness within your target patient market and signals the need for a greater marketing effort for your cosmetic dentistry services.
- Ineffective marketing
Running ads but not getting many cosmetic inquiries in return? There are many reasons why your cosmetic dentistry marketing isn’t working. For example, maybe you’re not targeting the right audiences or have poorly designed landing pages. If ads aren’t working, it’s time for a marketing strategy overhaul.
- Poor sales tactics
Do you pitch cosmetic dentistry to your current patients? If you do, how do they respond? If you’re not pitching cosmetic options to your patients, or your selling skills leave a lot to be desired, you could be missing out on countless cosmetic dentistry sales.
Now you’ve identified what areas might be letting you down, let’s get into ways to improve your cosmetic dentistry marketing to drive more sales and enjoy a healthy piece of that cosmetic dentistry market.
1. Know who you’re selling to
How well do you really know your patient base? The first step to successful cosmetic dentistry marketing is getting to grips with who you’re selling to. What are their key pain points, motivations, income, and demographics?
Knowing how your target audience thinks, behaves, and feels will help you craft targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with them.
For example, you might consider showing older patients ads that feature implants as they’re more likely to have missing or fractured teeth. For a younger market, you could show them ads for invisible braces, something people are more likely to invest in at a younger age.
So, do the research. Analyze your web analytics, send your patients surveys, and see what people engage with competitors. Use what you learn to market your cosmetic dentistry services more effectively.
2. Upsell to your existing client base
As we all know, it’s much easier to get current patients to invest in another procedure than it is to convince new patients to choose you. Existing patients already trust you, know your service quality, and have a relationship with you, so they’re already far along in your sales funnel.
According to Invesp, the success rate of selling to an existing customer is 60-70%, while selling to a new customer is 5-20%. An unsurprising statistic, but an important one.
Are you spending too much of your marketing resources on targeting new audiences and not enough on engaging with your current patients about cosmetic dentistry?
While it’s a good idea to reserve some budget for targeting new patients, your best chance of getting buy-in is by marketing to your existing patients online and with casual (but persuasive) chats about cosmetic options while they’re in your chair.
3. Upgrade the look your dental practice
Humans are very perceptive creatures. We find connections between even the smallest of details, and when it comes to your patient’s impression of your cosmetic dentistry skills, practice aesthetics matter more than you’d think.
Like with any cosmetic treatment, you want to experience a comfortable and clean environment from the moment you walk through the door. If you think about it, you wouldn’t want to get your nails done in a beauty salon that looks like something from the 80s or has uncomfortable chairs – the same goes for cosmetic dentistry procedures.
So, use your practice as a marketing tool and invest in nice lighting, comfortable seating, modern decór, and plants for an elevated, fresh feel – these design aspects can go a long way in securing more cosmetic dentistry sales.
4. Showcase your cosmetic dentistry results
If you want more cosmetic dentistry uptake, take every opportunity to market it, especially on your website and in your practice.
Images of Hollywood smiles, before and after shots, teeth whitening ads, testimonials, and videos of smile transformations should feature prominently wherever possible, but especially:
- Your website’s homepage as the main banner
- On a dedicated landing page for cosmetic dentistry
- Your social media channels and email campaigns
- In your practice using flyers, TVs, and posters
Promotional materials not only make your current patients more aware of these services, but it should also get them inquiring.
5. Give patients financing options for cosmetic dentistry
Getting that pretty Julia Roberts smile often comes with a pretty price tag, and patients know this. One of the most common objections patients have when investing in cosmetic dentistry is the price – or at least their perception of it.
So, whether you’re promoting veneers, cosmetic bonding, teeth whitening, or implants – make it more financially viable by allowing your patients to spread the cost over a couple of months or even years.
Nowadays, it’s easier than ever to give financing options by partnering with financing companies, which makes the financing process straightforward for both you and your patients. Don’t keep it hush either – make sure you’re marketing this selling point across all your cosmetic dentistry campaigns.
6. Ask new patients to fill out a survey
When you’re onboarding new patients, a simple but highly effective tool for marketing cosmetic dentistry is to ask them to fill out a survey. In this survey, you can ask them about their cosmetic concerns and what their dream smile looks like.
This gives you the information you need to gently guide your patients in the right direction, educate them on their cosmetic options, and avoid upselling to patients who’ve indicated they have no interest in it.
Even after their first visit with you, ask them to fill in the survey every few months as their goals, needs, and desires may have changed. Make sure you’ve practiced outlining the key benefits and processes for every cosmetic procedure, so when your patients inquire, you’re able to sell your service naturally and confidently.
Make this your best year for cosmetic dentistry
The thing is, everyone wants a beautiful smile, whether they communicate this to you or not. It’s all about how you communicate to them why they should invest in cosmetic procedures.
Let’s face it: marketing cosmetic dentistry isn’t exactly something they teach you in dental school, but becoming comfortable with marketing this service is one of the best ways you can grow your dental practice.
We hope this blog has helped you understand how to market cosmetic dentistry to your current and potential customers and inspired you to work on your new marketing strategy and business plan to increase cosmetic dentistry sales.
Like most of our clients, you’re probably too busy to look at the bigger picture of your dental practice to find new ways to grow, increase revenue, and reach new levels of success. You know you need more robust marketing in place and better processes to run your business more efficiently, but it’s too time-consuming. That’s where we come in.
Let our dental marketing and business consultants take growing your dental practice off your plate. If you’re looking for guidance, why not book a commitment-free 15 minute consultation with one of our experts, and we’ll point you in the right direction.
