The Hollywood Marketing Myth Dentists Need to Stop Believing

Marketing can be a jungle, especially in the dental industry. While Hollywood has given us some great inspiration on romance and adventure, it’s also responsible for one of the biggest marketing myths that could be holding your dental practice back.

Ever wonder why some practices thrive while others just survive? Spoiler alert—it’s not because they followed a script straight out of Hollywood. Today, I'm debunking the biggest marketing myth that ever was, and replacing it with practical, actionable advice tailored for dental professionals like yourself. 

The Hollywood Marketing Myth and Its Impact on Dental Practices

You've probably heard the saying "build it and they will come." But do you know where this saying actually comes from?

If you're of a certain age, much like myself, you'll identify the potential source of the quote, which has undergone a little distortion over the years. In the 1989 film Field of Dreams, Kevin Costner starts hearing a voice whisper "build it and he will come."

Now, I'm not one for spoilers so I won't give the movie away, however over the years, back in the real world, it has morphed into "build it and they will come".

You can be forgiven for thinking it was some successful celeb business guru, or maybe even a clever marketer that spun the phrase, however this is the commonly accepted source.

Field of Dreams has a deeper meaning than just "build it and he will come," just like many other Hollywood films that weave life lessons into their storyline. However, many have taken it to mean that if they just set up business, or dental practice, then patients will start registering with them. Job done. Thank you very much.

Although this could be partially true, depending on your location, it's a surefire way to go out of business as quickly as you started if you don't get the word out.

Debunking the Myth

For those of us in the real world, build it and they (patients) will come, simply doesn't work. If you don't tell anyone about what you have to offer, be that your physical premises, or even the variety of treatments you offer to patients, you'll miss out.

So many times, I see dental practices offering clear aligners or implants, yet you wouldn't know by looking at their website or social media.

If someone is searching for those particular treatments, and you don't mention that you offer them, they'll go elsewhere. Simples!

A Word of Warning – Don't Fall For It

Whether you're a new practice owner with a shiny new squat, an established dental practice owner, ambitious associate or Practice Manager, wearing all the hats - going back to basics is a smart move.

Over the years, we have been spoilt with Facebook advertising, where you could throw money at Facebook, tell them the type of person you wanted to show your ads to, then have a decent return on your investment within a month, or even a couple of weeks.

This is no longer the case, for reasons too involved for this particular blog post.

Tried and true marketing methods are not flash in the pan, "this is what's working now" gimmicks. The goalposts, and rules, have a tendency to change very quickly, especially with digital marketing. What worked yesterday might be dead in the water tomorrow.

First and foremost, it's important to understand that good marketing takes time, as does building your business, and your brand. You will not see decent results overnight, no matter what a marketing guru or agency tells you.

Could you get 100 leads for clear aligners tomorrow? Sure, people can do that for you, and for what seems like a reasonable price. What these shady marketers and agencies don't tell you though, is that they've either bought the leads, which could be anywhere in the world, or getting hold of the potential patient to schedule their consultation will be a nightmare and a complete waste of your team's time—and your money. Because don't forget, you've already paid the ad platform before you've even spoken to the patient.

Marketing isn’t magic. And it’s definitely not instant. Good marketing is a long game—and that’s a good thing. Done well, it builds momentum. And resilience. So you're not always chasing the next flash-in-the-pan tactic.

Practical Tips for Dental Businesses

Good marketing is a marathon, not a sprint, so don't get sucked into the hype.

There are tried and true marketing principals that are evergreen, and don't fail you if there's an algorithm change or hot new social media platform that's just come onto the scene.

Notice I said tried and true marketing principals, and not tactics.

If you're ready to break free from the Hollywood myth, here are some actionable tips to help you tailor your marketing strategies to your specific needs:

Get Clear on Your Business Goals

Going all guns blazing on social is the fast lane to burnout and frustration. Stand back and consider some high-level strategy. Look at exactly what you're trying to achieve and why. Set some really clear business goals to give you and your team direction.

This will help you identify what you can do, and most importantly what to say no to.

Set some meaningful marketing goals to help you achieve your newly created business goals.

If an activity doesn't move you closer to your goals, why bother?

A Related Read: Meaningful Marketing Goals - Moving Beyond Vanity Metrics Towards True Achievement 

Define Your Perfect Patient Personas

Who is the type of patient you want to attract to your practice? If I had to count how many times dentists have told me "anyone," or the slightly more specific "anyone missing a tooth," when telling me the type of patient they want to attract for implants - I'd have run out of fingers and toes a long time ago.

It's an easy trap to fall into. We all want to help everyone we can. That's why were are all working in service-based businesses. I get it and you can be forgiven if you thought of an answer the same, or similar, to the above.

But do you really? Let's think about it together.

Are you a family friendly practice, or more high-end luxury experience? Two types of patient, both respond to different marketing. Both hang out in different places - online and in person.

Are you after someone who has lost just the one tooth and is working in a corporate job, or maybe even the retired edentulous patient? Both have very different reasons for looking into dental implants. Again, both respond to marketing differently, and both need different marketing messages and offers to entice them.

A patient for your practice membership may have different needs to someone who is looking for a smile makeover.

Go back to your goals.

Just be clear on who you are trying to attract to your practice. Narrowing your focus on a particular patient sounds counter intuitive, but trust me, speaking to the one patient supercharges your marketing and makes it more powerful. You can have a more meaningful conversation and not spread yourself too thin.

Speak to one person. Speak to them clearly. Your marketing will get stronger, not weaker.

Pick One Social Media Channel and Stick To It

Now, hear me out.

You may have heard you have to be everywhere, all of the time. I'm here to give you permission to not stress to be everywhere, or even on one platform all of the time. Give yourself a break. Even someone who works in marketing full-time may struggle with those expectations.

Go back to who you are trying to attract to your practice, and for what treatment. Where do they hang out? Be there.

There's no point being a petrol station in the desert - that's a total waste of time and resources, and potentially a fire hazard.

Once you think you've mastered one social platform and you really want to branch out to another, go for it. Just don't overdo it when you first start. Consistency is what helps move the needle, not being everywhere with weak marketing you knocked up in 5 mins.

Measure Results

You're in full swing now.

You know what you're trying to achieve.

You know who you're trying to attract.

You're posting regularly on social media platform.

Now what?

Measure what matters.

How many enquiries are you getting?

How many turn into consults?

How many accept move forward with treatment?

As the famous business saying goes, "what gets measured, gets managed."

Try and find out what is working and double down on that, then you're off to the races.

Keep Going!

Getting into a routine with marketing your practice can be hard work, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Sure, there's some things can be done to help lighten the load like batching and scheduling your content in advance, but sometimes you'll have days where you just can't be bothered with it all. That's normal. We all experience it.

You will hit walls. We all do.

Some days you’ll feel on fire. Other days? You’ll want to chuck your phone into the sea - even if you have to drive 50 miles beforehand.

That's normal. Well, the part about teaching your phone to fly at least. 

If you miss your regular posting rhythm or get into a rut, hey, go easy on yourself. It's ok. Just post something when you can and don't be so hard on yourself. Don't forget that someone scoping you out on social will be able to look at your previous posts too.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving you a license to 'post and ghost'. You should be posting regularly, but everyone's version of regular looks slightly different.

I also struggle with this. I am an army of one. I have to do the day job, client delivery and market my business too. It's hard work. So I get it.

Just aim for one foot in front of the other - just don't move backwards or stand still.

If you're struggling with the motivation, think of this. Will Smith said it best when he recalls his story of when his father instructed him to build a brick wall;

"You don’t set out to build a wall. You don’t start by saying, ‘I’m going to build the biggest, baddest wall that’s ever been built.’ You don’t start there. You say, ‘I’m going to lay this brick as perfectly as a brick can be laid.’ If you do that every single day, soon you will have a wall."

I love that quote. Because that’s what good marketing is. It’s bricks, not fireworks. Everything builds on top of one another to build something meaningful.

Remember, all of your marketing will compound over time, which means it will require less effort in the future. If it's been more than 3 months since you posted a specific post on social, repost it and add a new twist. Things move so fast on social, people either won't notice, or will be grateful for the reminder.

Final Thoughts

The Hollywood marketing myth may be captivating on screen, but it’s not the best strategy for dental practices. Don’t be swayed by flashy marketing tactics or fall victim to flash-in-the-pan fads. Instead, tailor your strategies to meet the unique needs of your practice and your patients. Bringing together your practice and your patients in a way that mutually benefits will produce a better outcome than any Hollywood movie ever could. Then perhaps, you'll live happily ever after.

Were you aware this marketing myth came from Hollywood?