The evolving technological advancements are changing the marketing landscape at a fast pace. Emerging technologies do not only provide new ways to attract and engage patients, but also create a new set of rules, which demand timely changes.

In general, the dental sector is perceptive to innovations in technologies and equipment. But when it comes to dental marketing, things are quite different. Digital marketing technologies, which have been around for quite some time, are not pervasively adopted by dental practices yet. For this reason, our list of 2020 dental marketing trends includes not only the latest innovations.

So, let’s take a look at what you should consider to market your dental practice more successfully in 2020:

Video/ live-streaming

Video has become one of the most powerful formats to catch and retain the attention of potential patients. On social media, posts with video can be more effective in reaching the audience because social platforms like Facebook tend to prioritize video content.

The numbers reveal a thriving popularity of video content:

63% of people closely pay attention to videos ( Hubspot )

53% of people want to see more videos from the businesses they follow ( Hubspot )

96% of people have watched an explainer video about a product or service ( Wizowl ).

When people watch a video, they take in 95% of a message compared to 10% in a text ( Wizowl ).

In the past, video format was associated with high production costs. However, nowadays you can create a good quality video with your smartphone without expensive equipment and production teams.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

Go live on Facebook from your dental office.

Daily tip from the dentist.

Explainer video on flossing/ brushing techniques, the proper usage of inter-dental brushes, etc.

How it works? Tell patients more about a certain treatment type.

Boomerang videos for Instagram – although they are no novelty, boomerang videos are eye-catching and fun for viewers.

Blockchain technology

Blockchain may sound like a complicated technology but in fact you don’t need to know the technical details to make use of it.

For instance, Dentacoin has developed a set of tools for the dentistry sector based on blockchain. Patients are incentivized to use the tools e.g. to participate in surveys on dental topics, to submit online reviews, follow oral health routines, by rewards in Dentacoin cryptocurrency (DCN). Dentists part of the Dentacoin partners network are promoted to a vast community of potential patients who use the tools. Also, dentists can use Dentacoin apps to engage their own patients and to improve patient loyalty. A case study of a dental clinic in London shows significant increase of patient retention and referral rates,

DOWNLOAD CASE STUDY

Chatbots

Chat-bots have evolved considerably since the early days of introduction. They present a convenient way to keep 24-hour communication with patients without staff on duty. It is very common that people have more time outside the working hours. With a chatbot on your website or Facebook page you can cover common queries, provide appointment booking or simply to point to a link with additional information on your webpage. Some platforms have ready-to-use templates for dental bots with useful examples and ideas.

Voice Search

27% of the global online population is already using voice search on their mobile (Google). This share is expected to keep growing in the near future. According to research by PWC, 32% of people use voice search daily and 57% are utilizing it monthly.

How ready is your dental website ready to meet this trend?

Using natural language is one of the key factors for ranking in voice-enabled searches. The technology itself is adapted to reflect how people speak in real life. Avoid using a lot of complicated terms and replace them with everyday spoken language.

Another aspect to consider is that typically voice search phrases are longer than typed searches. They are similar to how you will ask a question in real life. Optimizing your website content for longer key phrases will give a better chance for your dental website to show and rank higher in voice search.

While there are numerous other innovations in digital marketing, it may be overwhelming to try and implement everything at once. Our list here aims to provide a fresh perspective for you dental marketing in the new year.

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