Is direct mail for dentists dead? No, it’s the missing component you need to bring your dental marketing back to life. We are aware of the dreaded SUCKTEMBER. Don’t let that mindset push you into the grave! Let dental mailers keep you above ground.
We know this time of the year can be slow for dentists. Very few people are actively seeking dental care at this time. School has started, and families have already settled into their new routines. It’s a low activity month that requires a highly proactive approach. So why dental mailers? We’ve got the top 4 reasons why dental postcards are a must for September and how their proactivity can increase your number of new patients.
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RELIABLY GET NEW PATIENTS QUICKLY
Direct mail is a great way to get new patients quickly and reliably! Mail can drive your online traffic rapidly because it’s reaching large pools of potential patients all at once and grabbing their attention. Dental postcards also offer convenience and security that digital marketing cannot. The convenience and security are why statistics show consumers prefer and trust tangible marketing compared to digital marketing. With cybersecurity and spamming becoming more prevalent, receiving something non-digital seems like a no-brainer. The National Mortgage Professional Magazine reported that direct mail influences the buying decision of 92% of millennials. (PostGrid) Another statistic shows that 73% of American consumers prefer being contacted by brands via direct mail because they can read mail at their convenience. (Small Biz Genius)
These reasons are just a fraction of why you should consider dental postcards this month, and honestly, consider them a permanent part of your marketing strategy. Direct mail proves to be alive and well; as we said before, it’s the key to keeping you above ground! Let’s keep going.
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PROVABILITY FOR YOUR ROI
One of the coolest things about direct mail is that it’s 100% trackable, which allows us to prove the ROI (return of investment) for every dollar spent! With dental mailers, every batch you send out will enable you to track how many were delivered and, in turn, how many leads, sales, or queries were produced from that batch. By comparing the data with previous strategies, or a separate batch from your mail marketing efforts, you can determine what is performing and what is not. When you need to find a bunch of new patients fast, direct mail gives you unmatched control and scalability within your local market.
The trackability that mailers offer is amazing. Call tracking numbers and QR codes make it easy to see how your postcards are doing. You can see who’s calling directly from your mail campaign when you utilize call tracking phone numbers. QR codes are great for leading potential patients to a landing page on your website, where they can fill out their information and most likely browse your site.
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DRIVES ONLINE TRAFFIC
When a potential quality patient holds your postcard in their hand, they immediately go to Google to check your credibility, then to your website to see your staff, and finally, check your social media presence, which begs the connection that postcards and online go hand in hand. Combining both is like Halloween and candy; you can have one without the other, but it won’t be as fun. According to PostGrid’s direct mail statistics, reports suggest that combined direct and digital marketing can increase the response rate by 63%. That’s a big deal and a sure way to keep your marketing efforts alive and well.
Below is a chart representing one of our clients. Prince Dental Group has seen fantastic success with their direct mail postcards this year. The numbers to the left represent the website visitor sessions (web traffic) our client received while sending a dental mail campaign– just for August alone. Each date marked is the days we delivered the postcards, increasing traffic and, in turn, increasing potential new patient numbers. The lasting effects of the postcards being delivered are excellent as well. You can still see increased activity days after the mail was delivered. This activity proves the staying power of direct mail marketing – another component to get patients fast and consistently.
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LESS COMPETITION
As online marketing grows exponentially, many dentists have shifted more of their budget online. This shift means that each potential patient gets less direct mail and has a much greater chance to see and appreciate your postcard offer. If you’ve ever heard of “digital fatigue,” it’s currently plaguing the world. As we said before, more and more people are trusting digital less and turning back to tangible interactions. According to PostGrid, “When it comes to privacy, millennials fear digital methods more and find direct mail more safe and secure.” And with the USPS report that “…print advertisements are considered worthy of trust by a whopping 82% of millennials.”
According to a consumer study by USPS, millennials say that physical ads are more effective than digital campaigns in leaving a lasting impression. With direct mail being less common, you don’t have to fight for attention. All you need to do is implement the right marketing tools to get the message across and grab the target audience’s attention. It’s important you work with someone who understands what it takes to grab your readers attention, and keep it! Lucky for you, we have the tools you’ll need. Our direct mail marketing partner, Dental Marketing, can get you those new patients you’re looking for. As we said before, start your proactive approach to get out from underneath the hold of SUCKTEMBER! Learn more, and click below!
Written and originally published by Keslie Ta’afua in September 2022.