How should a dental practice approach marketing in a medium-sized market?
With a combination of two traditional media channels plus several nontraditional channels, calibrated through testing to find the right mix. Medium-sized markets sit between the easier conditions of small markets and the harder conditions of large ones. The cost of using all three traditional channels, newsprint, radio, television, simultaneously usually exceeds what a single practice’s marketing budget can support effectively. The right approach is to pick two of the three traditional channels that fit the practice’s target demographic, then layer in nontraditional channels: internet pay-per-click, direct mail, internet content marketing, and selective yellow pages where it still works. Internet plays a meaningfully larger role in medium markets than in small ones because the demographic uses online search more for service decisions. The vacuum that exists in small markets has typically been partially filled in medium markets, so testing matters more before scaling any single channel. The good news is that medium markets still allow real testing without the catastrophic cost exposure of major-market mistakes. A disciplined practice can build a strong position in a medium market within a year or two of focused DRM application.
If the answers you are finding here resonate with you, my team and I work with a small group of clients each year. The next step is a complimentary Discovery Consultation and Practice Review with Dr. McAnally.
