AADOM LIVEcast – The Chosen Approach: Storytelling in Dentistry
Approved for 1 CE towards AADOM Designations when viewed in AADOM’s Learning Management System.
AADOM Members log in HERE to watch the recording and accrue CE.
Video Description:
This course explores the fundamental shift needed in dental marketing to stay competitive: adopting story-based marketing. Traditional dental marketing often focuses on services and features but lacks the emotional connection necessary to build trust and patient loyalty.
Through this presentation, attendees will learn why storytelling is the key to resonating with patients and standing out in a crowded marketplace. By leveraging story-based marketing, dental practices can address patient fears, create meaningful connections, and ultimately drive growth.
Most dental marketing efforts focus on getting your practice “seen” by potential patients. However, without a story-based strategy, there’s no guarantee that your practice will be “chosen.” Participants will leave with a deep understanding of the principles of story-based marketing and why it is essential for the future success of their practices.
Course Learning Objectives:
- Understand the Key Differences Between Traditional and Story-Based Marketing
- Recognize why traditional dental marketing methods, focused on services and features, fail to create lasting patient connections.
Learn How Storytelling Engages and Builds Trust with Patients - Grasp the psychological power of storytelling in building emotional connections that foster trust and loyalty in dental practices.
Identify the Role of Story-Based Marketing in Addressing Patient Fears - Discover how addressing common patient fears through storytelling can reduce anxiety and encourage more patients to choose your practice.
Develop a Strategy for Getting Your Practice ‘Chosen,’ Not Just ‘Seen’ - Understand how to differentiate your practice from competitors by using storytelling to attract and retain patients, ensuring your practice is not only noticed but also selected.
Recognize the Long-Term Impact of Story-Based Marketing on Practice Growth - Learn how implementing story-based marketing leads to stronger patient relationships, higher conversion rates, and sustained growth for dental practices.
Sponsored by: Art of Dental Marketing
The Chosen Approach: Storytelling in Dentistry
If you want your practice marketing to lead to profitability, being visible with your marketing isn’t enough.
What do I mean by that?
Well, most of your marketing AND the marketing you’re being offered by most dental marketing providers is solely focused on spending your practice’s money on visibility activities. Things that get your practice in front of eyeballs. SEO, paid ads, mailers, print ads, etc.
Sadly, that’s only half the battle! Yes, you need to be seen. YOU ALSO need to be chosen, otherwise the marketing will underperform.
And for many of you reading this, your marketing is suffering from a lack of creativity, customization, and conversion strategy. It’s not a “seen” problem. It’s a “chosen” problem!
Consumers are constantly bombarded with advertising. That’s the first reason many practices struggle to stand out. Chances are, a typical dental marketing agency isn’t going to be a lot of help here either.
Traditional marketing tends to focus on features—services offered and technology used—yet this approach misses a crucial element: the human connection.
That is what you’re ultimately selling. A patient experience. That experience is your main selling point, your market differentiator, and your lead driver of referrals. Not the clinical aspects of dentistry.
The Problem with Traditional Marketing
Most dental marketing feels purely transactional—ads shouting the same messages, mailers and print ads blurring together, and digital ads lacking strategy or customization.
While you may get “seen,” visibility doesn’t equate to being chosen.
Being chosen is how your practice makes money. Patients seek a connection and a story that relates to their fears and desires. They want to know that their provider understands their needs, both emotionally and practically, and that their experience will be exceptional. That’s how they judge the quality of care you provide.
When your marketing only lists what you offer, uses templated, generic content, and ignores the patient experience, you become just another option in a sea of sameness. Patients are increasingly discerning, searching for providers who resonate with their lives, not just their dental needs.
The Transformative Power of Storytelling
Storytelling is more than investing in expensive photography or videography. Those are simply mediums through which we communicate story.
Story based marketing is the communication of why and how you do what you do, and how the end user will reach their desired outcomes with your guidance.
Story is powerful stuff! Our lives are shaped by the stories we hear and tell, influencing our beliefs and choices. When dental practices embrace storytelling, they transform their marketing from a flat message into a rich narrative that resonates with patients on a deeper level. People often fear dental visits. They may not know if your practice is the most skilled, but they do know how you treat them and how you make them feel. That’s where stories become powerful.
Emotion is key. Think of the last time you cried during a movie or read a book that captivated you. Those memories and emotions are your marketing currency
The Shift from ‘Seen’ to ‘Chosen’
The goal is clear. To make money, your practice must be chosen rather than merely seen. This shift in perspective is transformative. When potential patients view your practice as a compassionate solution to their fears and needs, and understand who your doctor is and why they should choose your practice, you elevate your position above the competition. Generic marketing leads to no differentiation, no connection, and flat results—exactly the typical dental marketing experience for many practices.
Differentiation in a Crowded Market
In a marketplace saturated with choices, differentiation is critical.
What is your practice’s unique story? Why do you exist? What makes your patient experience unique? How do you tackle patient fears head-on?
Sharing your narrative establishes a distinct identity that resonates with prospective patients, fostering loyalty and encouraging referrals.
Values, transparency, and humanizing your doctor are the true pearls of practice marketing success. When your campaigns are generic and templated, you must rely on gimmicks and discounts or, worse, luck to grow your business—neither is an effective strategy.
Every practice and office manager has a story and a unique perspective to offer their community. Find it. Focus your marketing efforts on it. Showcase how you help your patients reach their desired outcomes. Be their guide, and watch your marketing revolutionize before your eyes!
Conclusion
As social media continues to expand, consumers are expecting to connect and identify with their product and service choices on a deep level. Social media grants access and information like never before.
You must tell compelling stories to stay memorable, relevant, and to stand out.
Story based marketing transforms how you engage with potential patients, moving the focus from merely being seen to being chosen. The narratives you craft should reflect authenticity and relatability, resonating deeply with your audience.
In this competitive landscape, those who embrace story-based marketing will not only attract new patients but also foster enduring relationships. By becoming a beacon of trust and care, your dental practice can shine brightly in your community.
Your patients are waiting to hear your story—so don’t hold back. Commit to the power of storytelling and watch your marketing shift from mundane to masterful!
Sean Hamel, founder and CEO of Art of Dental Marketing (ADM), brings over nine years of dedicated expertise in pioneering story-based dental marketing strategies. Under Sean’s leadership, ADM has become synonymous with excellence in crafting narratives that not only attract but deeply resonate with patients. Sean’s profound understanding of storytelling’s impact has empowered countless dental practices to connect authentically with their communities, fostering enduring patient loyalty and practice growth. His commitment to innovation and personalized marketing approaches continues to drive ADM’s reputation as a trusted partner in the dental industry, ensuring each practice achieves its unique marketing goals effectively.
