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Is your practice involved in the local community?

There are many things that need to be done to optimize your marketing dollar and make sure that your practice grows year by year. Community involvement should be a huge piece of your practices overall marketing strategy. Community involvement is not the same thing as community advertising. Each successful practice should find a balance and be using a combination of both.

Being involved in your community can be a fun and rewarding way to not only build your practice, but also to develop team comradery at your office.

Need help getting started? No problem! Start off by deciding who your want to help. Do you want to support a specific charity or do you want to have several charities? Once you have decided on your focus it's important to figure out what you are able to do for them and how you are going to give back.  Once you're involved…stay involved. This is not a quick fix; this is a long term marketing strategy. The key is to have your practice name affiliated with the charity or charities you are supporting. Next, try joining your local chamber of commerce. Many chambers hold a "business after hours" or the equivalent of, allowing its member to network and build key relationships with other businesses in the area. See if you can host the next business after hours or open house at your office. This will give you the opportunity to show key people in the community all you have to offer.

Stay up to date on upcoming community events. Use these events to your advantage by sponsoring, participating and/or advertising your practice on the events websites and marketing materials. Think outside the box in order to broaden the potential client base. Try organizing an annual coat drive to benefit your chosen charity or set up a candy buyback program at Halloween.  Have a community parade? Get involved. Build a float. Have your staff hand out toothbrushes and dental floss with your practice name and logo on it.

Being widely known and recognized in your community will insure that your practice is on the top of potential customers list when they are in need of your services. Start small so that you can manage things without getting overwhelmed. Make it fun and don't be afraid to try something different. Your goal is to stand out.

For more community involvement ideas specific for dental practices visit  The Dental Auxiliary Learning and Education Foundation (the DALE Foundation) .