Some of you may remember the Yellow Pages and all pre-internet marketing like advertising in newspapers. Much has changed in the last 50 years. Now, post-corona, it will change yet again.
This is because Marketing is actually a dynamic process. By definition, then, it has to evolve and acclimatise to the constantly changing environment in which people find themselves.
This can be a social, political or economic change. It can also be a local, national or global adaptation.
And all great marketing does evolve to meet the newer age!
If your marketing doesn’t change over time, then your business is probably declining somewhat.
This will be because your marketing plan has not adapted to the subtle nuances of the environment in which your target market has found itself in.
Marketing is the bloodline of your business. If your business does not adapt to the change in your market experiences, then you will eventually become non-important and thus obsolete.
How Marketing changed over the years:
It is important to note that currently, your marketing should be all about the building of customer relationships.
This statement was very true pre-pandemic, but it has never been more true than now. Your patients are now “looking” for a relationship with those that care for their health. This develops trust in a time of much uncertainty.
You see pre-pandemic, your marketing was based on features and benefits of your services. For example, if you have missing teeth; implants are a great solution, or if you have crooked teeth, orthodontics is a great solution.
Now, it should be more about the health benefits of implants and orthodontics, such as you will be better able to function or clean your teeth or keep them longer.
But not only this, you need to first educate and inform your patients of the various safety measures you are now putting into place that will help them to receive dentistry in a safe and deeply thought out manner.
This helps to reassure your patients that YOU are THE expert of choice.
It is essential for you to understand that your sales process starts well before the patient even steps foot in your practice.
Now post-corona or even post-recession, it is all about reassuring your patient, the safety you provide and the maintenance of health for your patients.
Marketing starts with a “feeling” a person has when exposed to external marketing. These days that would be predominantly online marketing or social media engagement.
If they feel good when they see something about you, then they think more about the topic. If they feel inadequate, they dismiss it immediately (or worse, act out by giving a negative review). Either way, all this happens within a split second.
Hence, since feelings are emotional, appealing to a consumer’s emotional intelligence in your marketing can help pre-empt consumer purchasing behaviour. This is a newer concept that needs to be built into your Marketing Strategies.
So, when creating your marketing message and sending it out, how emotional is your customer engagement?
How much of a connection are you making?
Does your marketing imply that you understand what your patient is going through?
Re-Think Marketing to conform to today’s covid-19 global situation.
Talk to us about how we can help improve your marketing skills to create a successful dental practice. Get in touch with us today.
