Social Media Case Study: Bellingham Smiles

Company Profile

Bellingham Smiles is a dental practice owned by Dr. Jeffrey Prager, based in Bellingham, Washington, US

The Challenge

Primarily relying on word-of-mouth referrals from existing patients, Dr Prager’s dental practice is looking to increase current marketing tactics and decided on Google Places as a way to build an online presence for the practice.

The Solution

By setting up a Place page for the business, the listing for the dental practice’ appears for free when potential clients search on Google.com or Google Maps for services like “dentist in Bellingham,” As the business evolves, the dentist Dr. Prager updates the page with new treatments and promotional offers. “It’s best to stay on top of it and modify it as you add new services and any new emphasis in your practice,” he says.

In many cases, patients come to the practice via the Bellingham Smiles Place page in hopes that Dr Prager can save a tooth that has been targeted for extraction by another dentist. It also helps him publicise his niche expertise in laser procedures that help patients avoid painful gum surgery.

The Results

With the realisation that customers want information about a business before they call or visit, the dental practice has built a strong online presence to help target potential clients.

The free business listing and Place page has delivered the highest return on investment (ROI) of any marketing that the practice has previously implemented. Dr Prager says “Google Places has been very helpful in getting people who want to save their natural teeth to find me. The thing that counts in marketing isn’t what you spend, it’s the ROI.”

Source: Google Small Business Blog