The Brush Up: 3 Ways Dentists Can Connect With Their Community
For any dental practice, building a strong connection with your local community is an important way to build your business. Whether you’re sponsoring community events, partnering with local businesses, or just engaging with the broader dental community, all of these activities create stronger relationships with your patients and local community.
Now more than ever, consumers want to know they are giving their business to institutions that support the community and share their values. A recent study revealed that 87 percent of consumers would purchase a product because a company advocated for an issue they cared about. That mentality extends to just about everything - from buying shoes to choosing dentists! And the benefits go beyond helping the community and your bottom line. Nearly 60% of employees who say they are proud of their company’s social responsibility are more engaged at their jobs.
If your dental practice is looking for ways to get more involved in your local community, there are many ways to do that. Considering that April is National Volunteer Month, now is a perfect time to start!
Sponsor A Local Youth Team Or Event
Does your town or neighborhood have a youth sports league, town fair, farmers market, road race, or other types of community events? These are great opportunities to get to know more of the local businesses and families in your area - people who may be current and future patients. It lets them know that your practice is invested in its community, while increasing visibility, name recognition, and loyalty toward your practice.
Volunteer as a Dental Practice
There are so many ways you can volunteer and give back to your community. Organizations like Dentists for Humanity are a good resource and offer opportunities for dentists to use their skills in a volunteer capacity as well as mentoring and networking with other dentists.
There are also countless non-dental volunteer opportunities that can get you and your staff out of the office and into your community. Spring is a great time to participate in a local park or playground cleanup or do a charity walk as a team. And any day is a good day to volunteer at your local food bank or food pantry.
Delta Dental often sponsors and partners with local community events. Here are a few places you can join us!
- On May 3, the Team Smile pop-up dental clinic for at-risk kids is coming back to Fenway Park and is still looking for volunteer dentists and clinical teams. To get involved, click here.
- Delta Dental is also a sponsor of the March of Dimes Walk for Babies in Worcester on April 27 and in Springfield on May 18. Stop by and say hi!
- We’ll be at the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure (bike ride or walk) in Topsfield on May 19. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by and say hello to our team.
- On September 22, we’ll be participating in the Jimmy Fund Walk, joining the Miles and Smiles team from the Massachusetts Dental Society. The team would love your support too as a donor or walker! To support the team, click here.
Whenever you’re out in the community for a service project, be sure to show off your brand by wearing your office colors or t-shirt (see our recent Pearls of Wisdom video for branding how-tos). And don’t forget to share the experience by taking photos for your website or social media. This inspires others to get involved and lets your community know that you care.
Join Your Local Business Association
While volunteering is important and valuable for your community, building stronger connections with local businesses can have direct benefits to your own business and bottom line. Joining your local small business association will connect you with opportunities and resources in your area, whether it’s learning about great sponsorship opportunity or knowing exactly who to call when you need some extra help with the non-dental related aspects of your job, whether that’s accounting, marketing, real estate, or other areas of your business.
Ultimately, becoming more connected in your community will have lasting benefits for your dental practice, your patients, and your employees. And it will make you feel great, too!