3 Print Marketing Pieces Every Dental Practice Needs

Leverage the power of print marketing in your office!

Many dentists think the marketing process ends when the prospective patient shows up for their first appointment. Getting a new patient in your office is undoubtedly a win, but it should never be the end of the marketing story. Once in your office, the new patient becomes a captive audience to learn more about your practice, your reputation, and your services. Having strategic print material in the waiting room, treatment rooms and at check out continually reinforces your strategic marketing message.

The main question is: does print marketing still work in the digital age? And the answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Recent studies continue to prove the power of print marketing among consumers across all industries. According to 2024 research, "Print readers usually spend 20 minutes or more with their publication in hand, while a typical visitor to a digital news site sticks around for less than five minutes." Additionally, 82% of consumers trust print ads the most when making a purchase decision.

So yes, print marketing is effective independent of digital marketing. But the sweet spot in dental marketing is found in a strategic marriage of the two. Research indicates that combining print and digital marketing increases campaign effectivity by 400%. Information shared digitally should also be accessible and visible in print pieces in order to increase engagement with the content and also to communicate the value and longevity of the content being presented.

Do you have a referral or membership program you want to highlight at your checkout desk? The details of the information may also be contained on your website and shared via email marketing while a printed brochure gives tangibility to the information and increases patient confidence in the stability of the offer. What else? How about a table tent with a QR code so patients can easily follow you on social media? These are subtle but powerful ways to combine print and digital marketing to build patient loyalty, increase treatment acceptance rates and improve patient retention.

More ways internal print marketing for dental practices helps achieve growth and business goals

Print products are available in many forms and have a variety of applications and purposes, from business cards to table tents and more.

Recently, I talked with a dental practice whose primary marketing tool is chip clips. That's it. Chip clips! While some may not consider chip clips a strategic dental marketing tactic or even in the category of print marketing, the longevity and quality of this simple "print piece" proves otherwise.

The chip clip story also proves that print doesn't just mean paper. Print marketing can range from t-shirts for pediatric dental patients to infographics during lunch and learn sessions with referring providers. The key to print marketing for dentists is to ensure each piece has strategic purpose and high-value distribution channels. When used properly, print marketing for dentists can achieve substantial marketing goals including:

• Patient Communication
• Brand Visibility
• Advertising and Promotion

3 print pieces to boost internal marketing for dentists

Regardless of your dental specialty, certain print marketing pieces add value to your marketing strategy. Here are three types of print pieces every dental office can use for effective marketing.

Business cards

A business card is an essential and powerful networking and marketing tool. Business cards are great for handing out to new potential patients who haven’t used your services before. Your business card also has basic contact information, which is a helpful reference for patients. In a digital era, business cards should also include a QR code patients can scan in order to automatically save contact information to their phones.

A business card can also double as an appointment card or loyalty program card. You’ll find that these cards can be written on and stamped to hand your patients a personalized reminder of their next appointment as they leave the office.

Business cards are essential for offices that rely on provider referrals, such as orthodontists, periodontists, implant specialists, and endodontists. They allow you to quickly and simply share referral information for these services with your patients.

Brochures

Many clinics hand out brochures or pamphlets to patients before a scheduled procedure to give them an idea of what to expect during the operation. Brochures are meant to be informative, provide insight into the procedure's importance, and provide aftercare tips. Brochures are great for sharing:

• In-house membership plans
• Provider bios and specialties
• New services
• Case studies with before and after photos

In addition to business cards, brochures are helpful print for offices that rely on provider referrals. Brochures are a great way for offices to share their practice information and the benefits of choosing a specialist. This is a significant purpose for offering brochures because when a general dentist refers a patient to a specialist, giving the brochure and business card combo to the patient goes a long way.

Postcards

Postcards are a popular option for direct mail advertising and can also be used internally for quick promos. Why postcards? Postcards are affordable and effective. Some helpful ways postcards can be used in marketing your dental practice include:

• Hand-signed birthday postcards (especially helpful for pediatric dental offices)
• Review request postcards (including a QR code to Yelp, Google, and FB) can be dropped into a post-appointment goody bags or handed directly to a patient at checkout
• New resident direct mail campaigns for existing practices
• Promo postcard sharing “now open” for start-up practices
• Anything else you can think of (promoting contests, b2b marketing for referral-based practices, etc.)

The best print marketing starts with graphic design

To get started with print materials, graphic design for dentists is a must. Custom graphic design gives your practice a professional and personalized touch while achieving strategic marketing goals. It's your classic two-birds, one-stone scenario. If you are looking for graphic design services for dentists in order to begin leveraging the power of print marketing for your dental practice, reach out for a free discovery call today. Edify Dental Marketing provides graphic design and print marketing services for any project your dental practice may have in mind. Choose your own printer or we can help you find a quality printer for your project. Either way, let's talk!