The fact that I’m writing about utilizing direct mail marketing for dental practices might be surprising to some of you. It makes sense: direct mail does have a stigma of being ancient or even spam-like. And, if you’re like most people, those discount letters you find in your mailbox usually just get tossed in the trash.
But think about those letters you’ll find in your mailbox that stick out enough to make you do a double-take. That’s because they’re relevant to you. In all likelihood, the company selling that product or service put you on the mailing list because they had good reason to believe you were a lead.
While direct mail may seem obsolete, it’s actually a very effective marketing approach. You just need to be tactical with it. With the right strategies and the implementation of modern technology, direct mail marketing for dental practices can be an asset when it comes to filling your schedule. So, if having another asset for filling your schedule sounds good to you, then keep reading.
1. Follow up with patients who have pending treatments via patient reactivation through direct mail.
Oftentimes, patients will walk out our doors without rescheduling treatment—even if we explicitly tell them to come back in. They might skip out on something as simple as their annual cleaning or, worse, never come in for that filling we both know they need.
There are so many reasons why a patient might not come back in for treatment. Sometimes it’s just plain laziness or forgetfulness. Other times it’s a more complex matter, like being too busy to be “inconvenienced” or being unable to afford treatment.
Whether they’ve overdue on getting treatment because of more mundane matters or because of more complicated circumstances, patient reactivation through direct mail can help them come back in. I’ve found that you can really light a fire under your overdue patients by directly mailing them letters which specifically detail what they need with intraoral pictures/radiographs.
When the reminder goes so far as to show them what’s going on with their teeth, they seem to feel a greater sense of urgency. It gives them a thorough reminder of why they need to come in, and they feel more obligated to take care of their oral health. They simply tend to trust that sort of reminder more, treat it with more credibility, and so on—they can tell we’re not doing a “money grab.”
The beauty of this approach is that you don’t need to look far to find these patients. Just go back through your list of patients who haven’t come in for smaller treatments—like cleanings or whitenings—and reach out to them about getting back on your books. Then go through a list of patients who have pending treatment for more extensive procedures—fillings, crowns, implants, etc.—and reach out to them as well. I’d hope you have each of their individual charts on file, and it shouldn’t be difficult for your front desk to print them into a letter format. You’d be surprised at how many patients either call back or just walk in to schedule that appointment they’ve been playing hooky with.
2. Send out targeted direct mail campaigns during opportune times.
For those of you who don’t know what a “blast” is in the game of direct mail marketing, it’s exactly what it sounds like. It basically means you take a shotgun approach and send out a bunch of letters all at once at the same time. Unfortunately, “blasts” are what has given direct mail a stigma of getting spam-like. However, with the right technology (see strategy #3) and the right timing, targeted direct mail campaigns can be extremely effective.
It’s very much a subjective matter when it comes to “opportune” timing, but I strongly believe that one of the best times to send out a direct mail blast—and the same goes for email and social media, by the way—is when school vacations start. Sending out targeted direct mail campaigns with discounts, promotions, etc. when kids are on December, February, or April break is a prime opportunity for direct mail marketing. Even if you don’t treat children, their parents likely have free time during these periods. The same goes for college kids who come home from school during winter or spring break.
Why do I think that this is just a great opportunity? Well, for one, people are just sitting around during this period. School isn’t in session, and they’re more likely to be around the house to take a glance at that pile of mail on the counter. Second off, you can create urgency with these demographics by using the right language. I like to encourage them to come in as early as they can by reminding them that the last days of each respective break will likely be full and there won’t be room on the schedule for them unless they book ASAP.
3. Utilize modern technology for modernizing direct mail strategies.
I mentioned how spam-like “blasts” are one of the reasons direct mail marketing gets a bad wrap—and there’s some merit to that stigma. Without the right strategies, a direct mail campaign might conduct nothing but a reckless blitz with mailers being sent to businesses, not leads.
That’s why we need to utilize modern technology when we’re taking the direct mail route. The truth is, data-driven direct mail outreach has entirely changed the game. Geographical insight—or “heat maps”—can help you play to your strengths. There’s software out there—or companies you can hire, like MVP Mailhouse—who can identify hotbeds and pinpoint communities that can be drawn into your practice by direct mail, making it easier than ever for you to pursue leads.
Social media and other more “modern” campaigns might make direct mail seem obsolete. And that perspective is fair enough, especially if practice owners don’t implement modern technology into their tactics when modernizing direct mail strategies. However, the reality is, neglecting direct mail means you’ll neglect an entire audience of prospects.
You can’t expand your pool of patients if they exist in the same circle. If you keep sending ads to the same folks on the same channels, you’ll end up losing out with all your eggs in one basket. By adding the right technology to your direct mail marketing for dental practices, you’ll simply be expanding your reach.
Direct mail marketing for dental practices is a super effective marketing strategy–and it’s far too overlooked.
There’s a number of variables in any marketing campaign, direct mail or not, and the floodgates never automatically open—it’s up to you to lead prospects to your business. Direct mail marketing for dental practices is an unsung hero of sorts, and people overlook how effective it can be at doing just that.
I run a community full of dental professionals just like you. So, join the Nifty Thrifty Dentists Facebook group and reach out! People from all across the globe will be happy to tell you about what marketing strategies they utilize in order to fill their schedules.