5 modern methods for reaching moms in your market

July 12, 2016

Naomi Cooper Hochman

Article

Much has been written about marketing to moms, and for good reason. Moms are a powerful demographic, with many dentists considering women with kids their key target. How well prepared is your practice to reach the Millennial Moms in your community?

Much has been written about marketing to moms, and for good reason. Moms are a powerful demographic, with many dentists considering women with kids their key target. But in recent years, a subset of moms has started to form-the Millennial Mom-and this group is only going to explode in the coming years. How well prepared is your practice to reach the Millennial Moms in your community?

Understanding the Millennial Mom mindset

Millennial moms are incredibly tech savvy. They are 38 percent more likely than the average population to own a smartphone, spend an average of three to four hours per day on their phone, and report their phone is rarely, if ever, out of arms reach.

They group grew up playing video games, graduated high school in the 2000s and don’t think twice about using iPads or sending text messages. Millennial Moms use YouTube as a search engine. 76 percent are on social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, and 81 percent of Millennial Moms form an opinion of a company based on social media presence.

And while the Millennial Mom demographic is guaranteed to only get more powerful in time, it’s important to remember not to completely ignore other subsets of moms: Boomer moms. Single moms. New moms. There’s an infinite number of labels but what remains constant across moms of all ages and at all stages in their lives is this: They’re smart. They’re educated. They want what’s best for their families and will settle for nothing less. And they’re the primary decision health care decision makers of their households, so it’s in a dentist’s best interest to tailor his/her marketing accordingly.

Modern moms are plugged in, which means dentists need to be too. For dentists looking to attract more moms, it’s a worthy investment to focus the marketing dollars on digital strategies. Here are three of the most crucial online elements for any dentist’s marketing plan (as well as a couple of offline strategies that should not be ignored!).

Continue to the next page to see the top five methods for reaching moms...

Website

If a dentist’s website isn’t mobile-friendly, updating it should be the absolute top priority. Given the significant amount of time moms spend on their smartphones, and with tablet device usage on the rise, if a website doesn’t load and function properly across all devices, it could mean countless missed opportunities and wasted marketing dollars.

Work with a trusted designer to ensure the website incorporates responsive design so that it will perform as well on smartphones as it does on laptops and desktop computers. The website should also be optimized for SEO so that it’s easy for moms to find the practice among local search listings.

Social media profiles

While there are countless social media sites to choose from (Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, to name a few), there is one that is a must: Facebook. The original social networking site remains a powerhouse among moms. It’s an online community where they can share and get information, so it’s good to post content that may not be dentistry related but is of interest to moms. When a mom follows you, follow her back. When she asks a question or comments on your page, respond. Social media is an excellent opportunity for ongoing two-way conversations with all patients, and moms in particular.

Online testimonials

Remember the Chewbacca mom video that spread like wildfire across the Internet earlier this summer? One innocent mom’s account of a “simple joy” she found while shopping at Kohl’s crushed all online records, making it the most watched video on Facebook Live – ever. It was undeniably one of the most effective customer testimonials any business could hope to receive, and it illustrates the power of online testimonials.

For dentists, online reviews are paramount. 92 percent of consumers read online reviews, and reviews for dentists are second only to restaurants in terms of most commonly read reviews. And moms love to share positive experiences online. Encourage them to post reviews on the website, but don’t forget about third party sites like Yelp, Google and Healthgrades. Savvy consumers and moms tend trust reviews on external sites more than on a dentist’s own website.

Optimizing offline strategies

While a dentist’s online presence is important, there are key traditional tactics that will never go out of date.

Convenient communication

Moms today are busier than ever, balancing between work and home, running carpools and managing the household. In order to reach them, real time text messaging is one of the most effective ways for dental teams to connect with patients. It’s more convenient for both patients and the front office staff, it’s more effective in getting actual responses, and the bottom line is that texting is what patients prefer. Dentists who use modern communication tactics are helping make dental care easier for moms, and that’s a benefit that moms will truly appreciate.

In-office features

Dental anxiety affects moms just as it does their children, so when it’s time for an appointment, it helps to keep the overall patient experience in mind. And it’s often the little things that can make huge differences. Offering free WiFi in the waiting room makes it easier to access the Internet while waiting, as does having a few age-appropriate books, games and activities to keep kids busy.

And it’s the mom who will be listening to the treatment recommendations and making the decision whether or not to move forward, all while keeping the family budget in mind the entire time. Discuss the reasons for treatment in both factual terms (why the course of treatment is necessary) as well as in emotional terms (the benefits of such treatment). Give her ways to afford care by offering alternative ways to pay for dental care, such as in-house patient savings plans or in-house financing options. Keep appointments short and running on time to show appreciation for their busy schedules. Dentists who build authentic relationships with the moms on their practices now are guaranteed to have loyal, long-term patients for life.