All health care providers benefit from word-of-mouth advertising. Whether someone needs to set up a specialist visit or is looking for a primary care provider, they want to know that the professional they’re choosing is trustworthy. If they get a recommendation from someone they trust, they’ll be more likely to choose that practice.

Setting up a patient referral program can be a great way to encourage this. Referral programs generally offer a reward as encouragement to refer patients. If someone sets up an appointment and says who they were referred by, then the individual who referred them will get the reward.

Your dental practice can really benefit from an effective referral program. At Dental Intelligence, we can help you set up a Patient Loyalty Program and grow your practice. Explore these tips and get started creating your program!

1. Create Solid Rewards

Before you actually set up your program, you want to think about what sort of rewards you’ll offer. You need something that will actually incentivize patients to talk to their friends and family. Simply offering a new toothbrush or a tube of toothpaste likely won’t cut it.

Some excellent choices for rewards include:

• Gift cards, whether to places like Amazon or to local businesses
• Discounts, such as 10% off your next visit or even something like a free cleaning
• Unique branded items, like hoodies or water bottles

You can even expand on the reward system by creating a new patient special. Offering discounts, free consultations, or other incentives are great ways to encourage people to actually take advantage of referrals. Plus, people are more likely to recommend something that offers their loved ones immediate benefits.

2. Make Sure Your Patients Know About Your Program

A patient referral program is only effective if your patients actually know about it. You’ll need to make sure to spread the word and encourage patients to reach out.

Consider doing the following:

• Create Referral Cards: Referral cards are just what the name implies: cards that talk about your referral program. Create them and give them to your receptionists to hand out when a patient leaves. This can be an easy way to spread the word. Plus, they act as physical reminders about the program.
• ‍Use Social Media: Social media is an incredibly powerful marketing tool. Requesting referrals through it can be an excellent way to attract attention. Leave a message in an easy-to-spot place and make regular posts to encourage your patients.
• ‍Send Out Emails: If you have an email list, then consider using it to ask about referrals! Advertise your referral program and encourage others to tell their friends and family.

3. Thank Your Patients

People generally like to feel appreciated for what they do. A “thank you” can go a long way to encouraging people to repeat an action.

Thanking anyone who offers referrals can be a great way to encourage them to continue reaching out to others. Sending a thank you note is probably the most perennially popular option. Take note of anyone who says they’re a referral. Ask who referred them, then send the individual a personalized thank you note.

Thank you notes aren’t the only way to thank your clients, however. You could also send them a text, put personal thank you messages on a board in your office and more! Think about what would work best for your practice and get it set up.

4. Make Your Program Easy to Take Advantage Of

A referral program isn’t very useful if it isn’t easy for your patients to take advantage of. The easier a program is to use, the more likely it is to be successful.

Keep these tips in mind:

• Make sure that information about your referral program is easy to find. Giving out cards and leaving information on social media is good, but don’t stop there. Put information on your website — likely on the homepage or the menu bar.
• ‍Offer helpful information. Not everyone feels comfortable giving referrals. Offering information on how best to do it — and what the incentives are — can make things easier.
• ‍Make it easy to sign up for. When you get a new client, give them the option to mention if they’re a referral — and who referred them. This way, you can make sure any rewards get to the right people.

Set Up Your Referral Program

A patient referral program can help you build your practice. Optimizing your program has never been easier with help from Dental Intelligence! Schedule a demo today to see our Patient Loyalty Program and more in action.

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