[vc_row][vc_column][gem_youtube height=”350px” video_id=”rUmlBQnu4Ds”][vc_column_text]In a landscape where consumers are spending more time online than ever before, dental practices must make it a priority to leverage the versatility of the internet and all the platforms therein. Gone are the days when a practice can rely solely on a mailer or a billboard – or even a small Google ad campaign – to drive traffic. It’s important that practices pursue multiple options and platforms both in terms of serving and marketing to patients. Analytics innovators SAS define multichannel marketing in the following terms:
“…the practice of interacting with customers using a combination of indirect and direct communication channels – websites, retail stores, mail order catalogs, direct mail, email, mobile, etc.– and enabling customers to take action in response – preferably to buy your product or service –  using the channel of their choice. In the most simplistic terms, multichannel marketing is all about choice.” 
This sounds like an appealing approach, right? Healthcare is increasingly consumer driven with each passing day – doesn’t the multichannel approach give patients freedom of choice while putting your offerings in front of more sets of eyes?
Yes!
However, presenting the options simply isn’t enough. This is where omnichannel marketing comes into play.
The omnichannel approach also makes use of multiple channels and platforms, all while unifying the channels to create a seamless consumer experience. This means examining where and when individual channels are most effective and employing them accordingly. It’s more than a simple selection from a pool of choices as offered by the multichannel approach, but rather a brand ecosystem that encompasses the entire consumer journey.
In order to achieve an omnichannel experience, you must take a holistic view of the buyer’s journey. A potential patient may scroll by your Facebook ads and think nothing of them, and later see your practice atop the search results on Google thanks to your remarketing campaign. Since they’re already familiar with your practice from your ads, they decide to request an appointment with you. Or, someone who filled out a form on your website to receive more information may receive a reengagement email months later with sub­ject matter specified to their needs (based on programmatic advertising) and decide to give you a call after all.
You may also generate leads by devising a follow-up strategy wherein you send existing patients a short message on their preferred channel of communication. The message simply asks them to rate their experience on a scale of 5 stars. Patients who rate you 3 or below are sent to a form asking how their experience could have been better. Patients who rate you 4 or 5 are provided a link to your Google Reviews page with a message to the effect of “We’re glad we could provide satisfactory service, please feel free to share more about your positive experience.” The patient fills out a pub­lic-facing review and helps strengthen your brand and SEO, all with a simple automated message.
Want to learn more about harnessing the power of the omnichannel experience for your practice? Download the full whitepaper here.
 

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