Direct mail is one of the few offline channels still producing new patients for dental practices, and it produces them for a specific reason. Somebody who has just moved has no dentist, is receiving a pile of unfamiliar post anyway, and is making a batch of supplier decisions at once. A blanket drop to an established neighbourhood reaches people who already have a dentist and are not looking, which is why most practices conclude mail does not work.
New movers are the audience that responds
Lists of recently moved households are available, refresh continuously, and reach people making exactly the decision you want. A practice mailing that list monthly, with a simple offer and a clear map, typically sees response rates that a saturation drop cannot approach. It is a smaller mailing and a much better one, and it is the only version of dental mail most practices should buy.
Give every piece its own trackable number and page
A dedicated phone number and a short web address per campaign, so responses can be counted rather than guessed. Practices that mail without them have no idea whether it worked, which is why the decision to continue or stop is usually made on feeling. It costs almost nothing and it is the difference between a channel and an expense.
The offer decides who responds, so choose deliberately
A deep discount on a first visit attracts people shopping on price who do not return. A new patient examination at a fair price, or a plainly stated membership option for the uninsured, attracts somebody looking for a dentist. Measure by patients retained after a year rather than by appointments booked, and the two offers usually rank in the opposite order to the response rate.
Mail and search work together and should be measured together
A large share of people who receive a mailer will search for the practice rather than call the number on it, which makes the mail look worse and the search look better than either is. Watch branded searches and direct visits in the week after a drop, and count them as mail responses. Practices that do not see mail credited with what it actually produced.
Mailing patient lists is not the same as mailing prospects
Using your own patient records for recall mail is a different activity from buying a prospect list, and it is governed by the rules that apply to patient information, including what may appear on the outside of an envelope. Keep the two processes separate and route the patient one through the practice's own compliance check.
Questions people ask about dental mailers
Do dental mailers still work?
For new movers, yes, and reliably. A blanket drop to an established neighbourhood mostly reaches people who already have a dentist, which is why most practices conclude mail does not work.
How do we know if a mailing worked?
A dedicated phone number and web address per campaign, plus watching branded searches and direct visits in the following week, because many recipients search rather than call.
What offer should we make?
One that attracts somebody looking for a dentist rather than a discount: a fairly priced new patient examination, or a clear membership option for the uninsured. Measure retention at a year, not bookings.
Can we mail our own patients?
Yes, and it is a different activity from buying a prospect list, governed by the rules covering patient information including what appears on the envelope. Keep the two processes separate.