Message Boards
Today's Active Topics Today's Active Cases Browse Forum Categories My Recent Activity My Messages Private Groups My Marked Threads My Subscriptions
Today's Active Images Today's Active Polls Most Active Topics Global Townie Map Advanced Message Board Search Message Board Terms of Use

10 Must-Haves for a Powerful Practice Brand by Angie Cannon

Start Discussion

Starting a practice can seem daunting to a new dentist, but with the right game plan, it can be an exciting and rewarding experience. The key is to think of your practice as a brand — a memorable, cohesive identity that tells people exactly what makes your practice right for them before they ever set foot in your office. A successful brand matches your goals with those of your target market, aligning the benefits you offer to the needs of your community. The most effective and enduring brands are also results-driven, with tangible ways of tracking both successes and failures along the way.

Every practice is unique, but the ones that thrive tend to have certain characteristics in common. Keep these tips in mind while you’re building your brand and before you know it, you’ll be running the practice of your dreams.

1. Know your area and your target market
It may seem like a given, but many people underestimate the importance of location. Even the most meticulously designed dental practice can struggle to succeed in an inferior location. Don’t rush to find the right place; a little research will save you a lot of problems down the road.

If you don’t have a location yet, now is the time to find a prime one. The best location is where 1) people want what you have to offer, and 2) you want to serve those people. Demographic research is key when determining whether a location is right for your practice and, if it is, what message will resonate with that community. Do you want to see mainly families or young professionals? Should insurance-friendly or fee-for-service be your model? What is the competition like?

If you already have a location, get to know your area and make it work in your favor. Is your practice vision in line with the actual people who live around it? Are there any details you could easily tweak to make your practice more appealing? You can’t escape reality, so make sure there’s not a disconnect between what your practice offers and what your target market actually wants.

2. Plan a party people want to attend
Starting a business is like throwing a party. You can send out thousands of invitations and assemble the perfect guest list, but if no one’s having fun then your party’s a bust.

When you’re designing your practice, think of it as a party you’re planning for prospective patients. What amenities will they find attractive? What office decor will make them feel comfortable? What services will they be looking for? Establishing marketability in the eyes of your target market is a must, and no detail is too small.

3. Know your audience
Remember, the party is yours, but it’s not for you. Your brand needs to appeal to your target market, not just to you, your colleagues or your friends. That’s not to say their input can’t be helpful, but when it comes to making the final decisions, always go with what best reflects the desires of your ideal patient.

This includes your practice name, which will immediately either align your message with your patients’ needs or fade into the background noise, of which there’s plenty. Don’t underestimate the savvy of today’s consumers. They’re receiving more invitations than ever before, so make sure your invitation stands out and accurately portrays that your party rocks.

4. Plan ahead to get the word out
Just as a barrage of invitations doesn’t guarantee a great party, a great party doesn’t simply announce itself. How will people know what you have to offer if you don’t get the word out?

Once you’ve established a brand image, use it wherever you can. If a potential patient might see it, consider it to be under your brand umbrella. This step requires a well-planned marketing investment, both for development and deployment, because a “whatever is left over” advertising budget won’t cut it in today’s competitive market. Set aside enough to make a viable campaign possible.

5. Build brand equity
One of the most important gauges of a brand’s success is its perceived value, or equity. While you’re getting your name out there, remember to be consistent about the message you’re sending. Are people seeing your logo in places that already hold value to them, like schools, community events and other businesses? You can capitalize on that goodwill by manipulating the frequency of your branding and by diversifying your efforts.

Frequency refers to maintaining a constant presence in your community. One print ad or online pay-per-click campaign a year probably won’t make a big enough ripple to secure your brand as a household name. Studies have shown that repeated exposure (through a variety of channels, not just paid advertising) is a reliable way to build brand equity.

Diversifying your efforts involves expanding your presence into new media. The benefits of diversifying are twofold: you reach new potential patients, and you increase your frequency with the crossover patients you’re already reaching through other methods. Practically any medium is fair game, as long as it fits your budget, schedule and brand image. For example, if you want to build a reputation with young families, participate as a sponsor in local school and community events.

6. Showcase your practice with photos
You’ve invested valuable time and money into creating a beautiful practice that reflects your brand’s philosophy. Show it off in the best possible light with photos! Hire a professional if you need to — it’s more than worth the investment. Great photos enhance your web presence, make your marketing pieces more eye-catching, and are quite often what persuades people to choose you. Give the buzz words a rest and let people see for themselves what sets you apart.

7. Be the easy choice
Plenty of factors keep people from going to the dentist, from budget concerns and scheduling conflicts to dental phobias. While some barriers are out of your control, many can be removed with a few simple strategies. Make it easy for patients to choose you by providing:
  • incentives ( new patient offers and competitive fees)
  • accessibility (an optimized website, visible signage, reliable answering and handling of calls, and prompt follow-up)
  • convenience (extended hours and easy check-in)
  • atmosphere (TV s, beverages, and other amenities that make your office feel less clinical)
  • accommodating financing (insurance and alternatives for patients without it)
Another major potential barrier is timing. You wouldn’t plan a party in the middle of the week when you know your guests are busy with work and school, so why open your practice when people aren’t likely to have dentistry on the mind? Whether it’s your grand opening or just one move in your larger marketing campaign, you’re bound to get lost in the shuffle during historically busy times like Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s.

8. Track your successes, learn from missteps and modify your approach
Even when you take precautions at every step of your brand development, results can be unpredictable. As you go, track the success of your marketing to identify areas that might need improvement. The trick is giving something enough time to work, but not enough time to become a drain on your resources. Don’t pull the plug or make a complete 180 until you’ve compiled enough data to make a fully informed decision. If you do find your efforts aren’t paying off in a given area, redeploy those funds to more fruitful advertising endeavors.

Examples of in-house improvements include better phone training for your front desk, more competitive offers and extended hours. If you need to focus your improvements on external elements, try adjusting various aspects of your advertising approach: changing your message, modifying your method, or adjusting your frequency can help you better connect with your community.

9. Get people talking
You’d be more likely to take a restaurant recommendation from a good friend over an ad in the local paper, wouldn’t you? Use that to your advantage by encouraging patients to review your practice online. Positive patient reviews ( specifically through reputable third-party sources like Google+ , Yelp and Facebook) are powerful brand builders.

10. Keep your momentum by staying up-to-date
It’s important to keep your brand image consistent, but that doesn’t mean it’s set in stone. Refresh your brand as needed, just like you update your hairstyle and wardrobe. This not only prevents your brand from getting dated, but also helps spread out your expenditures and saves you from needing a total rebrand later.

Remember that with the web, time is measured differently. Web years are like dog years — they move quicker. Things are constantly changing and evolving, so it’s a good idea to focus the majority of your brand renovations on your web presence.

N ow that you’re on the road to creating a powerful practice brand, you’ll soon discover that there’s no marketing magic bullet. The reality is that to succeed at marketing your practice and growing your business, you have to build your brand from the ground up with marketability in mind.

Angie Cannon has three babies, two of them human and one of them Practice Cafe. Her family’s dental marketing company provides more challenges, laughter, facepalms and personal fulfillment than she could’ve envisioned in the beginning. When she’s not taking care of clients and the creature that is Practice Cafe, Angie enjoys time with family and friends in the great city of Austin, Texas, with a special appreciation for its food, music and trees.

Dentaltown Magazine
September 2025
Dentaltown Magazine September 2025 Read Current Issue Read Archived Issues
Sponsors
Townie Perks
Townie® Poll
Who or what do you turn to for most financial advice regarding your practice?
  
Site Menu
Message Boards Magazine Continuing Education Podcasts Blogs Classifieds Dental News Events Townie® Poll Ebooks Townie Choice Awards
Company Info
Contact Us Advertise With Us Howard Farran DDS, MBA Policies and Agreements
Site Help
Sally Gross, Member Services Specialist
Phone: +1-480-445-9710
Email: sally@farranmedia.com
©2025 Dentaltown, a division of Farran Media • All Rights Reserved
9633 S. 48th Street Suite 200 • Phoenix, AZ 85044 • Phone:+1-480-598-0001 • Fax:+1-480-598-3450