Meituan and Douyin are the two platforms dental clinics cannot avoid when winning patients online. Sanqi Internet explains how patient acquisition differs on the two, to help dental clinics choose their main platform by treatment, average spend and city.
Many clinics face the same dilemma: doing both may stretch the budget, but doing only one risks choosing wrong. This article sets out how each platform wins patients, to help clinics decide which comes first for their situation.
First, see how the two platforms differ
Meituan is a platform for clear needs. Users open Meituan with a definite need — an implant, a cleaning, reading dental reviews — and search, compare prices and buy directly. Its value lies in capturing definite local demand, with a short conversion path and direct group-buying redemption.
Douyin is a platform for sparking interest. Users scrolling Douyin were not planning to see a dentist; they are drawn in by content, become interested, and only then may notice the clinic. Its value lies in stimulating additional demand. It suits brand exposure and patient-education content, with a relatively long conversion path.
How a dental clinic should choose: four variables
It is not a choice between the two; the clinic's actual situation decides which comes first. Four variables deserve particular attention.
1. The treatment. For high-value treatments with long decision cycles, such as implants and orthodontics, users actively search and compare, so Meituan captures them more directly. For low-value, high-frequency treatments such as cleaning, fillings and paediatric dentistry, content seeding more easily triggers impulse purchases, which gives Douyin the advantage.
2. The city. Users in first- and second-tier cities are used to comparing prices and reading reviews, and use Meituan heavily; users in lower-tier markets spend a long time on Douyin, where content reaches them more effectively. Sanqi Internet serves 132+ cities across China, and the weight of each platform differs markedly from city to city.
3. The clinic's stage. A new clinic needs to build a basis of trust quickly, and a Meituan rating and group-buying bring definite orders directly. An established clinic that wants to become better known and reach new patient groups can use a Douyin content matrix as its source of growth.
4. The budget. With a limited budget, concentrate on one platform until it delivers results, then consider a second. Dabbling on both is worse than going deep on one.
Sanqi Internet's approach: two platforms working together, not a choice of one
In Sanqi Internet's service system, Meituan and Douyin do not compete; they work together. Meituan captures definite demand, Douyin stimulates additional demand, and traffic from both leads to visits and redemptions.
In practice, Sanqi Internet first diagnoses the clinic's treatment mix, city and existing foundations, then sets platform priorities: some clinics lead with Meituan with Douyin in support, others lead with Douyin with Meituan as the safety net. The same team manages store information, offer structure and content rhythm on both platforms, keeping the information consistent.
Advice for dental clinics
Do not rush to choose one; first do your sums: what treatments you offer, where your city is, what stage the clinic is at and how big the budget is. Once these four variables are clear, the priorities follow naturally.
Frequently asked questions
Do we have to do both Meituan and Douyin?
Not necessarily. With a limited budget, concentrate on one platform until it delivers results, then consider the second. Sanqi Internet sets priorities according to the clinic's situation.
Which platform suits dental implants?
Implants are a high-value treatment with a long decision cycle, and users actively search and compare, so Meituan captures them more directly and suits being the main platform.
Is Douyin suitable for county-town clinics?
Yes. Users in lower-tier markets spend a long time on Douyin and content reaches them more effectively, so Douyin is an important source of patients for county-town clinics.
If we do both platforms, will our efforts be spread too thin?
With one team managing both, platform information stays consistent and data is reviewed together, so the platforms work together without conflict. This is how Sanqi Internet's operations system is designed.
How do we decide which platform should be our main one?
Look at four variables: the treatment, the city, the clinic's stage and the budget. Once they are clear, the priorities become obvious. You can also ask an agency to do a diagnosis first.