You already know that local marketing is the name of the game if you want to grow your practice. The challenge is choosing practical local marketing tactics that can help you without breaking the bank.
We hear you. So, without further ado, here are 10 of the most practical and affordable local marketing ideas to try.
10 Best Local Marketing Ideas To Try
#1: Fine-Tune Your Google Categories
Google is the gold standard of crowd review sites for a reason. When your patients search for reviews in your area, Google Business Profile pages are likely to appear at or near the top of the SERP.
The best way to make sure your practice makes an appearance is to check out your Google categories and make sure they’re an accurate reflection of what your practice offers. For example, if you own a dental practice that specializes in cosmetic dentistry, then you should add Cosmetic Dentistry as a secondary category to your GBP page. You can find a full list of Google Business Profile categories here.
#2: Reach Out To Patients For Reviews
There is a right way and a wrong way to ask for reviews, and you want to do it properly to get the best possible outcome. When to ask, where to reach out to your patients, and the words you use all matter. Here are some tips on how to do it correctly.
#3: Remarket To Existing Patients To Generate Reviews
Google isn’t the only place that your patients leave reviews. You can always email patients to ask for reviews, but a more hands-off approach is to use remarketing to remind them that they haven’t reviewed your practice yet.
The easiest way to accomplish this task is to get a remarketing code for the URL you think should trigger reviews. Or Google can even create a remarketing ad for you.
If you decide to try this option, keep the text of your ad simple. Something like, “Love us? Leave a review on Facebook, Google, or Yelp!”
#4: Promote Your Testimonials On Social Media
Speaking of reviews, you want your positive feedback to be something that potential patients see. That’s why you should be highlighting your testimonials on Facebook.
We recommend asking your patients for video testimonials. They take only a few minutes to record and video content gets much higher engagement on Facebook than written content. You don’t need to spend much, either – you should only be promoting to people in your service area.
#5: Target Your Local Audience On Facebook
Facebook’s algorithms prioritize personal connections over business content. That means if you want your most important content to be seen by your target audience, you’ll need to promote that content.
Our suggestion is to choose one of two Ad Objectives:
- Brand awareness
- Clicks
Promote your most compelling and relevant content. Make sure to target people who live near your practice for the best results.
#6: Build Separate Landing Pages For Each Marketing Campaign
Every marketing campaign you run should have its own landing page. The pages don’t need to be complicated, but each should include:
- A hero image
- Relevant content that answers your patients’ most common questions
- A clear call to action
- A clickable contact number
The bottom line is that you shouldn’t be sending people to a generic page when you can create a more specific one in just a few minutes.
#7: Use Facebook For Local Brand Awareness
If people in your area don’t know about you, they’re not going to think of your practice when they have a need for your products or services. It’s that simple.
To run a brand awareness campaign, choose “Brand Awareness” from Facebook’s list of ad objectives. Then, target a local audience. You don’t need to spend much – just a few dollars a day may be enough to build awareness.
#8: Create Guides For Local Activities
A lot of people make it a priority to patronize local businesses. One way to emphasize that your practice is local is to create guides for local events and activities.
Of course, the guides you create should also be relevant to your business. For example, if you own a sporting goods store, you could highlight local hiking trails or beaches for swimming. Once you’ve created the guide, you can promote it on Facebook.
#9: Use Call-Only Ads
If your practice relies heavily on phone calls to get leads, then one of the best tools in your arsenal is the call-only ads. These ads highlight your phone number, making it easy for people to get in touch.
You should know that call-only ads generally apply only to mobile advertising. You’ll need compelling ad copy, and your phone number will be clickable, so that people who see your ad can dial you with the touch of a finger.
#10: Create Local Service Area Hubs
Do you have more than one service area or practice location? One of the easiest ways to improve your local SEO and get more patients is to create local service area hubs on your website.
An easy way to do it is to use your site’s architecture. Set up a general location page. Then, create content about each location. If you’ve got multiple locations in some areas, you can set it up like this:
- Province
- City
- Neighbourhood
Each location should have its own page that uses local keywords and images. That way, people will know where they can find you.
Local marketing doesn’t need to be expensive. The 10 local marketing ideas we’ve listed here will help you make the most of your local marketing budget and grow your practice.
For a deeper dive with an expert into marketing for dental practices, book a no-obligation call with Ian here!
