Often neglected by smaller businesses, marketing research is a standard in the marketing mix for larger companies.
First of all, what does marketing research consist of?
The first step is usually secondary, or desktop, research. Here, the market researcher examines what is happening in the market. He gathers statistics, examines trends, and conducts analyses, including competitive studies, sales analyses, and keyword research. He’ll learn more about the target audience.
This step helps the dentist in a few ways: he can get a clear picture of his target audience (e.g., women 35-55) for a specific product (e.g., cosmetic dentistry), and how to reach them.
A competitive analysis will give the dentist a good idea of what his competition is doing in his local area. How good are their websites? What sort of special offers do they have? What sort of services do they offer? This gives the marketer information on how to market the dentist best to stand out from the competition.
Good marketing research also includes surveys.
In dental marketing, you find out directly from the target audience what they are looking for in a dentist and dental care, what they are trying to achieve with their teeth and smile, what is important to them when choosing a dentist, and why they chose the dentist they did, etc. If the dentist wants to market specific procedures, like dental implants, you can learn more about them.
If 85% of the people surveyed say they want the dentist to be gentle, that would be a “hot button” marketing tactic to elicit interest in visiting that dentist.
Good marketing relies on marketing research to provide the intelligence needed to create a sound marketing strategy and marketing that really works.
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