• by Ray Schultz , March 2, 2022

Dentists are increasingly turning to digital channels to market their practices. But they have a learning curve when it comes to email, judging by the State Of Dental Practice Marketing, a study by ProSites.  

Of the dental offices polled, only 12% deem email one of their most important techniques. And 34% say it is among the least important. 

The leading channels are word of mouth (80%), online reviews & reputation (59%), search engine optimization (46%) and social media postings (26%).  

In addition, 24% say text messaging key and 15% social media advertising. 

However, 16% of top-performing practices see email as important.  

Apparently, the study refers to promotional emails, as opposed to appointment notifications, reminders and other messages. 

At the same time, 20% plan to increase their marketing spend in 2022, with budgets having hit an all-time high in 2021. 

“Strong website usage, coupled with a surge in demand for additional online services such as online bill pay, electronic forms, and digital procedure information indicate that the dental market recognizes the value of digital marketing and is poised for continued expansion,” says Kelli Bock, brand marketing manager at ProSites.

The study also determined the following: 

• 31% had annual practice revenue of over $1,000,000 in 2021.
• 33% saw an increase in revenue  despite COVID-19.

ProSites surveyed 110 dental practices across the U.S.