Talks about the recession can make any average, reasonable dentist worry. With mass layoffs, the spending power of the general public has significantly weakened. With this, the ability of individuals to opt for various dental procedures can be compromised. The natural reaction of most people is to cut costs. However, just because you are spending less does not mean you’re going to weather this financial storm. If you want to keep your practice running throughout a recession, the best recourse is to continue with your dental marketing campaign. Here are a few marketing tips that can help you recession-proof your practice.

1. Keep your newsletter going.

One of the first things that dentists, when faced with financial troubles, stop is their patient newsletter. It might allow you to pinch a few dollars but you do not know how much you’re compromising your marketing campaign.

Consistent communication is essential in any marketing campaign. But when the lines of communication are stop, then you’re giving out a huge signal that your practice might be in big trouble. At the same time, your existing, loyal patients should be your priority because they are the ones who will most likely stick with you throughout the entire recession. You can show them how much you value them, even when times are rough, with the help of your patient newsletter.

2. Reactivate patients and finish non-completed treatments.

It can be extremely difficult to reel in new patients during these troubling times. For this reason, it’s time to get in touch with those patients who haven’t been to your clinic for some time. You can come up with a special offer just for these patients. For instance, a practice once offered a 30% discount for procedures that cost up to $300 reactivated patients. In just a matter of 30 days, the offer managed to generate $30,000 in just 30 days.

To prevent your practice from having inactive patients, make sure that you follow up after a maximum of six months to try and get them to schedule an appointment with you. Communication is essential. Failing to communicate with your patients within a specified period of time will only make them more likely to never return.

3. Advertise.

Just because people are losing their jobs does not mean they no longer need dentists. Toothaches and gum problems will hit regardless of whether one has a job or not. So make sure that you continue to advertise. One other reason for why you should advertise during a recession is the fact that most practices are pulling the plug on their marketing campaigns. With that, you no longer have much competition to think about.

Elliot writes for Dentist Identity who provides dental marketing strategies and seo for dental websites