As dental practitioners, you focus on providing the best patient care and staying up-to-date with the latest in dental science and technology. However, marketing analytics and attribution must be considered in an industry increasingly influenced by digital touchpoints.
CallRail’s Senior Sales Manager, Nick Jackson, joined the Dental Marketing Secrets Podcast to unpack these concepts and share how one customer increased new patients by 17% in just three months with the help of marketing analytics. We break down the key takeaways and strategies from the episode in this blog.
Analytics: The compass of your marketing strategy
Analytics serves as your marketing compass. It's about understanding where you're going, where you've been, and what has been working. Nick Jackson emphasizes the importance of collecting data and analyzing it to make informed decisions. Data analytics allows you to track a patient’s journey from the first click to the final appointment, providing a clear picture of which marketing activities are performing well and which ones need a tune-up.
Attribution: Giving credit where it’s due
Attribution highlights the parts of your marketing campaigns that are working and assigns value to each touchpoint in a patient's journey. Jackson highlights the importance of using attribution to assess marketing initiatives to optimize your marketing spend effectively. For example, are your patients discovering your dental practice through Facebook ads, billboards, or referrals? Do your digital or email campaigns lead to more appointment bookings? These are the types of questions that analytics and attribution can help you answer.
One CallRail customer, Chicago Beautiful Smiles, focused on improving the patient experience during intake calls. They created a feedback loop and asked for reviews. Through this review campaign, they increased new patients by 17% in just three months.
Putting the data into action
Having a wealth of data is one thing, but taking action sets successful practices apart. Nick Jackson emphasizes the need for dental marketers to be agile and responsive. When the data points to a winning strategy, double down on it. When the numbers show a tactic is faltering, be ready to pivot and redirect your resources.
Steps to uncover what's working
Consider these actionable steps to harness the power of analytics and attribution for your dental practice:
- Start with a solid foundation: Ensure you have the right tools in place. Google Analytics, for instance, can be an invaluable resource for tracking website traffic and behavior.
- Set clear goals: Know what you want to achieve with your marketing efforts. This could be increasing new patient inquiries, boosting services per visit, or improving patient retention rates.
- Track conversions: Whether it's appointment requests, newsletter sign-ups, or informational brochure downloads, make sure you're tracking these conversions meticulously. This data is gold when it comes to understanding your return on investment.
- Embrace a culture of testing: Regularly test different marketing messages and channels to see what resonates best with your audience. Use A/B testing to make informed decisions based on performance.
- Keep learning and adapting: The dental marketing industry is ever-changing. Make ongoing education a part of your strategy to stay ahead of the curve.
Key metrics to consider
- Conversion rates: How many patients visiting your website are taking the action you want them to take? This could be making a phone call, filling out a contact form, or signing up for a newsletter.
- Patient acquisition cost: Understanding how much you spend to gain new patients is essential. This helps in evaluating the return on investment for different marketing channels.
- Lifetime value of a patient: This metric forecasts the total revenue a practice can expect from a patient throughout their relationship. Knowing this helps in making informed budgetary decisions for long-term growth.
Final thoughts
Marketing for dental practices is not a guessing game. It’s a strategic, data-driven process that requires attention to detail and a willingness to adapt. By becoming more analytical, dental practices can optimize their marketing efforts, attract more patients, and ultimately grow their business.
If you’re ready to uncover what’s truly working in your dental practice’s marketing strategy, it’s time to dive into analytics and attribution. Listen to the full episode here.
