Rethinking “Influencer” Marketing for Dental Practices

Most of us have heard the term “influencer” by now. Typically this evokes a vision of someone with thousands or millions of followers telling us about the newest product we just have to buy. And you wouldn’t be wrong. There are influencers like that on all social media platforms, but today… we want you to think about influencing in a different way.

We’ve all likely been influenced by people in our lives in some way. Whether this is trying a new restaurant, listening to a different podcast on our commute, or choosing a dentist for our family; if someone we trust gives something the green light, we’re more likely to try it out.

In the same way, your patients are walking, talking brand ambassadors for your practice. You are missing out on valuable marketing potential if you don’t see them as everyday influencers for your practice.

Here’s the difference between social media influencers and authentic brand ambassadors:

Influencer

• People with a large following who typically have expertise or knowledge in a niche area
• Their position of authority may be used to affect purchasing decisions or opinions of their followers
• They typically make a living from working with brands and posting sponsored content

Brand Ambassador

• These people know and love your brand and recommend it to people in their lives and networks
• They may or may not have a large following, name recognition or standing within your specific community
• Another name for them can be “everyday influencers”, but ultimately they embrace the new age of “word-of-mouth”

So, how can you leverage those who already love you and your practice to spread the word to their network of friends, families, coworkers, neighbors and community members?

Highlight Positive Reviews

Your Google and Facebook reviews are vital. Potential patients will want social proof before they think about visiting your practice. Take advantage of the reviews that are already out there by highlighting them on your social media.

There are a few different ways you can do this.

If you aren’t encouraging patients to leave reviews after their visits or don’t have the team capacity to prioritize this ask, consider signing up for a service like Yapi or Birdeye, which help to bridge and strengthen communication with your patients.

Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Chances are, some of your patients are already talking about you and you just may not be aware. If you aren’t asking patients where they heard about you, this may be a great question to add to your intake forms. Give them options like: Google search, social media, or personal recommendation and leave a blank for them to fill in who referred them to you.

You can also plant a seed with your patients during their visits. When you are wrapping up and asking them how everything went, let them know that you’d love it if they shared you with their friends and family who are looking for a dentist.

“We’d love more patients like you!”

It’s important to remember that your best bet is to talk to those who fit your target patient demographic.

Are you looking to attract more parents who schedule care for their entire family?

Do you want more established patients who may be interested in cosmetic procedures?

Keep this at the top of your mind when selecting patients to approach.

Look for Influencers in Your Community

This can be done in a few different ways. First, you can approach established patients who have shared you with family or friends, like we mentioned earlier. If they are already talking about you with people in their lives, ask if they wouldn’t mind filming a quick snippet on what they appreciate about your practice.

And when we say quick, we mean quick! If you can keep it under 30 seconds, it’ll work well on many social media platforms.

Next, think about those patients of yours who have a large impact in the community, like realtors, community leaders, business owners, and the like. These local influencers are generally used to being in front of others and may feel more comfortable recording a video for you to post. Maybe they’d even be willing to share about their visit with you on their own social media channels – it never hurts to ask!

It’s best to reach out to those who are already patients first, because they already know and love you, but you can always consider doing a joint giveaway with a local business or approaching community influencers who aren’t patients, as well.

If It Doesn’t Feel Authentic, Don’t Do It

This is an important one! It’s easy for others to tell if these types of interactions feel forced. Those patients who you have genuine connections with are your best option for brand ambassadors. Some may be hesitant to be on camera, but if it helps, they can write up their thoughts ahead of time so they feel more comfortable.

And remember, there is a difference between building confidence in marketing this way and forcing interactions that do not feel authentic. This may be a tool that does not come naturally to you and your team, but it is an exceptional way to market your practice.

Social proof is HUGE!

But if you approach someone who truly isn’t interested or doesn’t feel like a good fit, it’s okay to let it go.

Hopefully we’ve been able to shed some light on how influencer marketing can work for your practice, even without thousands of followers. Every day influencers are where it’s at!

If you’re considering additional opportunities, you can look into working with higher profile creators through professional influencer services.

Most importantly, keep ethical and legal guidelines and laws in mind when crafting influencer campaigns.

Still unsure on how to approach this topic with patients? Struggling to commit enough time to your social media marketing for a consistent presence? We are here to help! Get in touch with us here.