By David Meerman Scott, marketing strategist and bestselling author

Today, we're going back to the basics, talking about the integral role of patient personas in crafting a thriving dental practice marketing strategy.

Let's be honest, many dentists and practice managers speculate. They hypothesize about what concerns patients. They formulate marketing website copy and advertising campaigns built on their own interpretations, without directly engaging with the people who will genuinely utilize their dental services. This method isn't just inefficient; it's a squandering of valuable time and resources.

Patient personas, the basics of great dental marketing

We need to discuss the fact that many dentists sell the procedure that they want to do, rather than what the community wants to buy. While you can build a successful practice around a procedure, this thinking will likely limit your potential for serving the broader needs of your community. Instead, start by thinking about your potential patient base and then break that down into distinct demographic subsets or personas. By generating detailed profiles of your ideal patients, you can gain deeper insights into their needs, preferences, and dental health challenges. This understanding then empowers you to create tailored marketing messages and campaigns that engage with your target audience and increase patient numbers.

For example, you might create web content for specific patient demographics like people who fear going to the dentist. You could focus on sedation dentistry as a potential treatment for the nervous patient. Another patient persona could be parents of young children who are ready to take their child to the dentist for the first time. In either of these examples, the key is to understand the challenges from the patient persona perspective, rather than your own. For some inspiration, take a look at the Family Dentistry section of Dr. David Ahearn's dental practice website. Dr. Ahearn is the founder of Design Ergonomics and operates two thriving dental practices in Massachusetts.

But how do you craft a patient persona? The journey begins with research. You need to interview your existing patients as well as potential new patients to understand their needs. You will want to focus on the words and phrases they use to describe their challenges. Try to detect patterns and trends that allow you to create marketing that is in the voice of the patient.

With a precise comprehension of your patient personas, you can utilize this information to create content and campaigns that cater directly to them.

Patient personas are vital for successful marketing that will increase new patient growth. By simply understanding the needs of your patients, you can generate more effective marketing messages and campaigns that yield genuine results.

So, if you haven't already, invest time in creating detailed patient personas for your dental practice. Engage with your patients, analyze data, and understand your audience on a deeper level. It might require some time and effort, but the payoff in terms of your ability to serve your community, and to the growth of your practice, will be well worth it in the end.

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