We tend to get distracted by the latest marketing "toys", such as the websites, SEO and social media marketing of the past decade, hoping to find some sort of panac
ea or magic bullet to our ongoing marketing woes, trials and errors. But they are all only tools you can have available, part of a much larger arsenal that allows you to communicate consistently and repetitively who you are, what you're about, and why others should care. That's all marketing is - consistently and repetitively sending your message to your marketplace, and we're all already doing it all the time, whether we're conscious and in control of it or not (think about going to the grocery store in your sweats vs. your Sunday best - the result of that typically unconscious decision automatically gives others a clear message about who you are in this world and what matters to you.)
Websites and SEO are always important, but small towns function by a different set of rules, ie one on one communication and real relationships (Internal Marketing). Combine that with a finite population, a good portion of which seems to need to travel elsewhere for work, and you're actually doing quite well with a 2-5% annual growth. I'd have expected much worse...
Two thoughts:
- Continue to focus all your attention on Internal Marketing rather than paying for external methods, since a small town is all about relationships and who you know and everyone already knows you're there and available to them - incorporating a lot of external marketing could very well backfire on your current standing in the community. Meanwhile, also make sure your website is an accurate representation of the patient experience and your vision and mission as their dentist.
- Change your hours to accommodate out of town workers: late evenings, early mornings, Saturdays, in order to attract those few locals who aren't already able to be part of the practice, then begin a concerted internal marketing effort to spread the word and make it as easy and convenient for them as possible to switch.
Websites and SEO are always important, but small towns function by a different set of rules, ie one on one communication and real relationships (Internal Marketing). Combine that with a finite population, a good portion of which seems to need to travel elsewhere for work, and you're actually doing quite well with a 2-5% annual growth. I'd have expected much worse...
Two thoughts:
- Continue to focus all your attention on Internal Marketing rather than paying for external methods, since a small town is all about relationships and who you know and everyone already knows you're there and available to them - incorporating a lot of external marketing could very well backfire on your current standing in the community. Meanwhile, also make sure your website is an accurate representation of the patient experience and your vision and mission as their dentist.
- Change your hours to accommodate out of town workers: late evenings, early mornings, Saturdays, in order to attract those few locals who aren't already able to be part of the practice, then begin a concerted internal marketing effort to spread the word and make it as easy and convenient for them as possible to switch.
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