How to Grow an In-House Membership Plan

In this guest post, the founder of BoomCloud App, Jordon Comstock, explains how to grow an in-house membership program and generate recurring revenue.‍

Boasting an in-house dental membership program is an excellent way to boost a practice’s income. It's also a way to become less dependent on insurance companies. Best of all, membership programs are an attractive alternative for uninsured patients.

In-house membership programs help dentists generate predictable recurring revenue that boosts their practice’s overall value.

However, while they can significantly boost revenues, it’s crucial that dentists properly market their membership programs.

A plan is only as good as the marketing, which helps to generate interest and increase the number of patients that sign up.

Dentists who want a return on investment (ROI) need to focus on developing a modern-day marketing plan that grows the practice in tandem with their membership plan.

Create a simple dental membership plan

A dental membership plan needs to be simple. If you can't describe the plan to patients in one sentence, then it’s too complicated.

Having a straightforward, simple plan makes it easier to explain and talk to patients. If the team doesn’t understand the program, the patients won’t either.

Additionally, patients do not want to feel as though they’re buying a car; they want to know that the plan is simple and straightforward. Most importantly, they want to know that it benefits their health.

Train team properly

Training the team and front desk about the membership plan is essential.

Whether patients have dental insurance or are uninsured, make sure they receive an informative flyer about the benefits of in-house membership programs.

Even if they are insured, they likely have friends and family that are not, which can translate into word of mouth referrals for practices.

Point out the benefits of joining an in-house plan and give examples of how much money it can save them.

Make sure that in-house dental membership plans options are highly visible to patients.

Remember that being an expert and having authority is essential when speaking to patients.

Direct mail marketing

Whether it’s sending flyers or “Welcome to the Neighborhood” greeting cards, direct mail marketing can tap into a practice’s existing patient database. It can also aid in attracting new patients.

In fact, companies can generate valuable leads via direct mail marketing, increasing their monthly recurring revenues.

Mailers are easy and simple, which makes them a cost-effective option for dental practices.

Social media engagement

Many Millennials don’t have dental insurance, which means that routine dental care and work costs them a substantial amount out-of-pocket. Market to this demographic by becoming active on social media channels.

Just make sure to mix straightforward, informative marketing with fun quotes and humor.

Facebook retargeting, in particular, can also help drive people directly to a website to learn more, sign up, or book an appointment.

SEO focused websites

Every dentist needs a website.

Having an online presence is no longer optional, and it is an essential component for any successful in-house dental membership program.

A practice needs to focus on an SEO-friendly website, which will help list it higher in search engines.

Mobile-friendly websites

Additionally, it’s vital that websites are mobile-friendly.

Today’s generation conducts most of its searches for medical professionals on mobile devices, which means that if the site is not optimized for mobile searches, dentists could be losing potential patients.

‍Websites need to be optimized so they are easy to access on a variety of devices, whether it’s a traditional desktop or mobile device.

Patient testimonials and reviews

Reviews can make or break a practice.

Reviews are one of the most important decision-making factors that patients use to find new dentists.

Ask patients to write reviews on the website, Facebook, Google, and Yelp, as this will help establish more authority and creates a great online presence when advertising in-house membership plans.

Market results, not services

No one wants to hear about the technical details about filling cavities.

Instead of focusing on the specific services, dentists need to market the results, such as a healthy mouth, beautiful smile, or white teeth.

The right messaging will help ensure more patients sign up for in-house membership plans.

Call to action

A practice can have a great marketing plan, but without a call to action, this plan can fall flat.

Every piece of marketing — whether it’s a website, social media, flyer, or direct mailing — needs to have a call to action to tell patients what they need to do.

For example, “Call us for more information,” or “See how an in-house dental membership plan can help you.” Always include a contact phone number for easy reference.

Dentists need to remember that starting a membership plan is the first step, but talking about it is critical for success.

If practices don’t advertise or discuss the in-house plan, patients won’t know what the program is or the benefits it offers them.

‍Jordon Comstock is the founder of BoomCloud Apps, a software company that enables dental offices to easily create, organize, track, and automate an in-house membership program.

Learn more about how RevenueWell improves case acceptance and creates more close-knit relationships between dentists and their patients.