The dental industry stands at an interesting juncture in the current marketing landscape. Now more than ever, patients are discerning, informed, and, above all, skeptical. They’re unimpressed by images of flawless smiles on perfect faces. They scroll right past the blatant product pitches. Today’s dental patients crave realness. As we step into a new year, dental practices have an opportunity to ditch their polished-to-perfection personas for a more authentic marketing strategy that will transform reluctant prospects into loyal advocates.

How to Win Back Trust in the Age of Ad Blindness

Slow and steady wins the race. Sometimes, you need to slow down to speed up. The journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. There are so many sayings that express the idea that slow progress is better than sudden success, yet most businesses don’t operate that way. On the contrary, business owners often feel an intense pressure to achieve instant success and dominate the market.

Don’t Confuse Fast Growth With Real Success. Here’s Why High-Performing Entrepreneurs Choose to Take It Slow.

A well-maintained Google Business Profile (GBP) has become a critical factor in how patients find dental practices online, and it should not be a surprise to anyone. Google has been open about prioritizing user experience and relevance to generate more relevant search results for its users. In competitive local markets, we often see that dental practices with active and complete GBPs are more visible in local search results, which aligns with Google’s stated priorities around relevance and accuracy.

How Google’s Shifting Local Algorithms Are Changing Dental Search

With fee-for-service gaining popularity among privately owned dental practices, many dentists want to know what it takes to succeed. In my experience working with fee-for-service practices, the top-performing dentists know exactly which patients they wish to serve and are committed to providing an exceptional patient experience. Most importantly, their marketing strategy aligns with their goals.

6 Things the Most Successful Fee-for-Service Dental Practices Have in Common

Online reviews are a goldmine of free marketing, yet most dental practices take them for granted. Yes, having a 5-star rating on Google and Facebook is an excellent goal. You want to show your pool of potential patients that your practice is the best. However, as some of the most recent data show, that star rating may not be as important as another factor: responses. Businesses that respond to their customers’ reviews win on all fronts.

Dental Practices Can’t Afford to Ignore Reviews, Literally

It’s true that marketing is essential if you want to grow your dental practice. But here’s the rub: no matter how strong your marketing strategy is, your dental practice will never see sustained growth if your front desk game isn’t just as strong. Think of marketing as the spark that ignites interest, but your front desk is the engine that drives it home.

The Front Desk Matters More Than You Know: Why Marketing Shouldn’t Be Your Only Priority