Now that you’ve made the decision to implement a membership program into your dental practice it’s time to start adding patients. Cool, great, no problem…… how the heck do you do that? Don’t worry, your partner is here to help! Here are 5 ways to effectively grow your dental membership plan.
1. Staff Incentives
Your staff is your biggest tool in your dental office. They are the ones that see and speak to the patients regularly. I am not sure how it works in your dental office but when I am sitting in the operatory chair, I am a captive audience. Literally anything they want to tell me I am going to hear because honestly, where else am I going to go!? Take this opportunity to have your staff mention the membership program.
“But how do I make sure my staff talks about the program?”, you might ask. Great question! Incentivize them of course. Yes talking about the membership program is considered their job but we all work better when there is a tangible reward and everyone likes stuff!
2. Email
Email is still one of the top reaching marketing strategies out today. If you aren’t collecting your patients email addresses, why the heck not? This is a great way to communicate so many things to them and most people are more open to an email than a call or snail mail.
Once a month or quarterly, email your patients about the membership program. Make sure you talk about THEIR benefits and not yours. Remember that life events have no impact on a membership plan like insurance. What about those kids that are getting ready to age off their parents insurance? They are already used to receiving regular dental care, make sure they know their options.
3. Website
Most dental offices have a website, but many aren’t mentioning their dental membership plan anywhere on it! Make sure it’s easy to find AND easy to understand. Can you animate it to draw more attention to it? Are the pricing and services breakdown for each plan (adult, child, perio) on your website? Can a patient sign up for your membership program online or do they have to come into the office? Can you put it on there in multiple places? Heck yeah you can!
4. Social Media
Hopefully you all have at least a Facebook page to connect with your patients. This can be a great tool in addition or instead of a website. Facebook allows you to add so much great information and they lay it out in an easy to find manner. Think about your cover image like a billboard! Don’t forget about the services and offers tab. The more places you have for your patients (and potential new patients) to find your membership program the better.
Instagram is surprisingly popular for dentistry as well! Utilize Insta to access the millennials and younger twenty somethings. They are the ones that will connect with you, check-in when they are in your office and post a picture of themselves looking adorbs all while tagging your practice. You love them. Let them market for you but also, market to them!! They are the ones aging off their parents insurance. They are used to regular dental care, make them a member.
5. Blog
The thought of blogging can be scary right? We know, we get it. But it really doesn’t have to be. When we write blogs at Plan Forward we try to think about what we would say to a friend. Keep it casual and conversational.
– Bullet points
– are a great way
– to break up information.
Most blogs are 250 – 500 words at the most. There’s plenty to write about your dental membership plan and when in doubt, ask a patient that’s on the plan what they like most about it. Honestly, 3-4 quotes from happy members is a blog that basically writes itself!
And you can always fall back on the 5 W’s – What is a dental membership plan? Who should be on it? Why should they care about your dental membership program? When will they make payments and use the services? Where can they get more information or sign up?
Don’t forget to post it to your social media channels as well.
Building a profitable membership is crucial to its success. The more members, the more successful and profitable your plan is.
