Have you cut back on marketing due to the COVID-19 pandemic? You’re not alone. A lot of dental practice owners are trying to save money by reducing their spending.
Cutting back is understandable and may be necessary, but marketing isn’t a luxury for your practice. It’s a necessity, an investment in the growth of your practice. And it’s possible to keep things going even if you need to reduce your spending. Here are 11 ideas to help you stay in the marketing flow.
#1: Focus On Social Media
According to Statista, Americans are spending more time on social media now than they did before the pandemic. That translates to an opportunity for dental practices that need low-cost ways to engage their target clients.
It’s a good time to share the ways your practice is coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and highlight the ways your team can help people cope with social distancing and stay-at-home orders. You may also want to consider boosting your ads or running a page promotion to get your practice in front of potential new patients.
#2: Take Advantage Of Cheap Advertising
Speaking of running ads, one of the biggest potential upsides to the pandemic is that advertising costs are lower than usual.
If you’re wondering how low prices are, the answer might surprise you. There’s no hard data, but anecdotally, marketing agencies are reporting costs that are between 50% and 75% lower than they were before the pandemic. That includes pay-per-click advertising and social media advertising, where you’ll mostly pay based on impressions.
You may want to investigate the costs for your target clientele and rethink your budget to take advantage of the savings while they last.
#3: Don’t Lose Sight Of SEO
Search Engine Optimization is easy to neglect when money is tight. There’s a tendency among dental practice owners to invest in SEO only when it becomes a problem.
The issue with that mindset is that SEO is the longest game in digital marketing. If you don’t stay on top of it now, you could find yourself facing an uphill battle to regain your coveted page-one rank on Google. You don’t need to spend a lot of money, but you should stay on top of keyword research and maintain your local SEO to ensure you don’t slip.
#4: Create And Promote Special Offers
It comes as no surprise that consumer spending has taken a hit since the beginning of the pandemic. A lot of Americans have lost their jobs and as a result, they’re being more careful with their money than they were before.
However, consumers are still spending money, especially on caring for themselves. People are looking for convenience and entertainment – anything that can make staying at home more palatable. That means this is a great time to create special offers that are tailored to your audience. Think about what your clientele wants and needs and give it to them – and then promote it.
#5: Take Care Of Internal Housekeeping
One thing that every dental practice has in common is a lack of time to handle the kind of tasks that can easily be put off. I’m talking about things like solidifying and documenting internal processes, working through your email backlog, or taking inventory.
If things are slow, this is a good time to tackle that backlog. Set aside some time each day to handle the things that have been put on the back burner. That way, you’ll be in good shape to capitalize on the return to normalcy – whenever it happens.
#6: Take A Proactive Approach To Marketing
In times of crisis, some of us panic. It’s understandable – but it’s not productive. Just when we think we’ve discovered a new normal, things shift under our feet. It can be stressful at best.
The important thing during this time is not to panic. Don’t make any sudden changes to your marketing strategy. Instead, take a deep breath and look at your analytics and metrics. See what’s working and what isn’t – and adjust based on what you find. A fact-based approach will always serve you better than reacting in fear.
#7: Tackle Your Digital To-Do List
There are a lot of little online tasks that can get delayed when you’re in the daily grind with your practice. In addition to the internal housekeeping we already mentioned, this is an excellent time to check some things off your digital marketing to-do list.
For example, you might use this time to claim your review pages and update your information there. You might respond to existing reviews. You could revamp your social media pages with updated photos and descriptions, standardize your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) listings, or create a regular blogging schedule.
#8: Solidify Your Message
Another type of housekeeping you can do now is brand building. You already know that people are spending more time on social media than usual. That means they’re also paying more attention to their favorite companies and brands.
Due to the pandemic-related uncertainty and stress, it’s a good idea to focus on showing the compassionate, human side of your dental practice. People want to support brands that care about them. By showing that you want to help people, you’ll increase their desire to patronize you. That’s a win-win.
#9: Seek Connection
We’re all craving connection. Being mostly stuck at home for months on end has highlighted our need for social interaction. And while in-person gatherings are still not safe, that doesn’t mean you can’t find alternatives.
You may want to organize a Zoom event or promotion for your loyal clients. You could host an online fundraiser for a local charity. Your regular patients want to hear from you, and you may even attract some new followers by making your practice part of the solution to pandemic-related loneliness and isolation.
#10: Make Client Retention A Priority
This is may be a tough time to attract new patients (although our clients are attracting tons). And, as you know, it always costs more to acquire a new patient than it takes to retain an existing one. If your marketing budget is reduced, then it simply makes sense to focus on patient retention.
Make sure to email the clients on your list regularly with updates about your practice and special offers. You’ll be surprised at how effective this is. You may also want to offer exclusive coupons or bonus offers to entice people to schedule appointments again. Think about what your loyal patients want and give it to them – and they’ll thank you with their business (and referrals!)
#11: Spread Some Joy And Kindness of Heart 

Finally, think about what you can do to lift people’s spirits. All of us are in the same boat as we cope with a seemingly endless string of bad news. People are sick and the economy is suffering – but that doesn’t mean your marketing game needs to be all doom and gloom.
Get creative! Share some humorous videos and memes and don’t be afraid to get personal by telling your clients what you’re doing to stay entertained and healthy. You could even host a social media contest where you ask your followers to share clever ways to beat boredom or connect with distant loved ones.
The bottom line is that this is undeniably a stressful time, but marketing should still be a priority for all practices. A thoughtful, data-based approach can help you get the maximum bang for your buck – and you’ll be in good shape to rebound when the pandemic is over.
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