Q&A: Tips and Proven Strategies to Grow Your DSO

 

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Growing a dental support organization (DSO) or dental practice isn’t just about providing exceptional care—it’s also about consistently attracting new patients. But in a competitive market, how can dental professionals stand out? In today’s landscape, dental patient prospecting requires a mix of creativity, strategy, and adaptability.

To help you navigate this challenge, we sat down with Ryan Hartman, a seasoned dental marketing expert at Darwill, to discuss actionable tips and proven strategies for growing your DSO or practice.

In this Q&A, we’ll explore:

• The biggest challenges in dental patient prospecting.
• Digital and direct mail strategies for DSOs and practices.
• How to effectively combine direct mail and digital for maximum impact.

Let’s dive in!

1. What Are the Biggest Challenges in Dental Patient Prospecting Today?

Hartman: Honestly, one of the toughest parts of growing a dental practice is just standing out. Think about it—how many dental offices are in your area? Probably quite a few. And a lot of them are offering similar services, so it can feel like you’re just another option in a sea of choices.

On top of that, winning over new patients isn’t just about getting them in the door—it’s about building trust. People are naturally cautious when it comes to their health, and switching to a new dentist can feel like a big decision. They want to know they’re in good hands, and that’s not always easy to communicate.

But the good news is that marketing can help tackle these challenges. For example, a strong online presence with positive patient reviews can help build trust. And by highlighting what makes your practice unique—whether it’s your updated technology or your friendly team—you can start to stand out from the crowd. It’s all about showing potential patients why they should choose you over the practice down the street.

2. What Digital Strategies Can Help DSOs and Dental Practices Acquire More Patients?

Hartman: There are several digital strategies that I’m really excited about for DSOs and dental practices. The key is to mix and match these strategies to align with your practice’s goals.

1. First, you want to leverage SEO and local search optimization. This helps to make sure that your website pops up when someone searches for a local dentist.
2. Paid ads on Google and social media are great for targeting specific groups of people who look like your current patients.
3. Sending a good email, whether it’s a newsletter, special promotion, or a reminder about incomplete treatment, helps to keep patients coming back.
4. Organic social media is a great way to show patients and prospects your personality and a behind-the-scenes look into your practice.
5. Managing online reviews and even responding to negative ones shows that you care, and it builds trust.
6. And lastly, but importantly, keeping your business listings up to date. You want to make sure you’re not only listed on Google but that all your information is up to date. This is often the first place people look, making it crucial to be right!

3. How Can Direct Mail Be Used Effectively for Dental Marketing? 

Hartman: I often hear the question, “Is direct mail still relevant today?” And I’m always happy to answer that YES, it absolutely is! Direct mail can be incredibly effective when done right. Data and consistency are key to this!

At Darwill, we start with your data. Data fuels the success of performance-based direct mail campaigns. When mail is data-driven, we can ensure we’re targeting the right patients and build predictive models to start reaching out to your best prospects.

Consistency is also key to the success of direct mail. Most dental prospects need an average of 7 direct mail touchpoints before responding. Mailing isn’t just a one and done strategy. It needs to be consistent to improve response rates. If you aren’t mailing regularly, competing dental practices and professionals can swoop in. Keep in touch with them in the mailbox to stay top of mind.

Mail is also making a strong comeback because there’s a new generation that loves the excitement of checking their mailbox. There’s a sense of anticipation in opening it and discovering something unexpected—an experience we can truly capitalize on. By using eye-catching postcards, personalization, and interactive elements like QR codes, we can turn that excitement into action and drive engagement straight from the mailbox.

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4. What Is the Best Way to Combine Digital & Direct Mail Strategies?

Hartman: The best way for one practice may not necessarily be the best for another. So, what’s most important is that you get started and try different strategies to see what resonates with your local audience.

The first step to any marketing strategy is going to be to have a good website. Think about how you find out information. You probably go to Google to ask a question. It’s the same thing with potential patients. They’re going to go online, so you need to have a website. Not only that, but you have to show up in search results, which goes back to my earlier mention of SEO and local search. Then, we can look at layering in other channels like direct mail, paid advertising, email, and more to make sure you’re reaching patients and prospects across all the channels they frequent.

The key to integrating direct mail and digital marketing is having the same branding, message, and offer across all channels. Your mail should have the same look and feel as a display ad or paid social ad. Doing this helps with brand recognition, brand image, and building trust with dental prospects. Plus, if your landing page looks significantly different from your mail, prospects may lose trust and abandon the page, unsure if it’s the same offer they intended to visit after scanning the QR code.

But the first step is getting a website up and running so we can point back to it for direct mail and digital advertising call-to-actions.

5. How Can Data Models Help Find Top Dental Prospects?

Hartman: Data is a game-changer when it comes to finding the right patients for your practice. At Darwill, we make sure your direct mail and digital marketing campaigns are backed by data. We use a smart tool that analyzes your current patient data—where they live, the type of care they receive, and trends in their behavior.

From there, we build a model to pinpoint prospects who match your ideal patient profile. That means we’re not just sending out mail or running digital ads randomly—we’re targeting the people most likely to need your services. By leveraging this smart data model, we ensure your marketing efforts are reaching the right audience across multiple channels. A data-driven approach not only maximizes your marketing dollars but also improves patient acquisition rates by focusing on prospects most likely to convert.

6. How Can a Dental Practice Track the Success of Prospecting Efforts?

Hartman: Tracking the right KPIs is crucial. Again, this could differ depending on the DSO or dental practice’s specific goals, but some things to pay attention to are

• New Patient Acquisition Rate: How many new patients can we match back to the campaign efforts?
• Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): How much is spent in the campaign to acquire each new patient?
• Website Traffic and Conversions: Are your digital efforts driving traffic and booking appointments online?
• Call Tracking: Measure how many calls are coming from specific campaigns.

7. What Are Common Mistakes Practices Make When Trying to Attract More Patients?

Hartman: One common mistake is focusing solely on one channel. An omnichannel approach is far more effective in catching people as they jump around devices. Another mistake is neglecting your online presence—having an outdated website, a website that’s hard to navigate, or a website that doesn’t work on mobile and tablet can deter potential patients.

Finally, many practices fail to follow up with leads. Follow-up is essential for converting inquiries into appointments. It’s also important to nurture prospects that are in the middle of the funnel. Keeping prospects engaged with your practice ensures there are no leaks with your touchpoints. We can easily help you do this through automated marketing to keep your brand and message in front of them at each step of the decision-making process. Automated trigger mail takes the pressure off front staff by launching best in practice regeneration and churn programs.

8. What’s One Piece of Advice You’d Give to DSOs Looking to Scale? 

Hartman: My best piece of advice is to diversify your marketing efforts. Don’t rely on just one strategy—combine digital marketing and direct mail to reach a broader audience. Consistency is also key. Regularly engage with your audience, track your results, and refine your approach based on what works. Lastly, partner with marketing experts who know what they’re doing. Darwill has over 30 years in the industry, working with more than 1,300 dental practices with a special focus on DSO groups. It’s our passion to help you succeed.

Take the Next Step to Grow Your DSO or Dental Practice

Growing your dental practice requires a strategic approach to patient prospecting. By implementing these tips and strategies, you’ll be well on your way to growing your DSO and achieving long-term success!

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