It’s no secret that marketing is a critical component of any small business. But when it comes to medical practices, the stakes are even higher. For a doctor to attract new patients and maintain a strong referral base, it’s essential to have a well-defined marketing strategy in place.
If you’re looking for top tips on marketing your medical practice effectively, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to understand what it takes to break the wall of digital marketing and strengthen your online presence.
Here are the top five reasons why you should care about marketing your medical practice.
In the past, pamphlets were the norm for the majority of physicians. Patients would visit a medical practice clinic, and doctors would provide them with pamphlets to get the word around their newfound clinic.
Word of mouth is still the go-to marketing strategy. But now, instead of in-person communication, information is being passed through digital platforms like Google, Yahoo, and social media sites.
If your patients want to reach out to ask questions, where can they contact you quickly?
They don’t have to call you whenever they want a simple answer that can take 5 minutes to reply. Sometimes you might be out of your clinic, busy with other patients, or on vacation. In such cases, having a business email is crucial to let them know about your whereabouts.
You can also incorporate a chatbot on your website to offer quick responses to common questions you might get.
When one patient is satisfied with your services, they will recommend your clinic to their family and friends. You can boost your chances of acquiring potential patients by investing in a robust medical marketing strategy.
More positive reviews on your clinic equal more patients rushing to book their appointments with you. Patient reviews are beneficial in building an excellent online reputation for your business.
If you’re a pediatrician whose target audience is children, for example, creating fun, educational videos on your website or social media can attract attention from parents and kids alike.
In contrast, other clinics that might not be as active on social media and have been in business longer than you will not gain new leads. There might be very old-school clinics that have been around for years, but you can stand out from competitors by keeping up with recent trends and updating your medical knowledge.
Not everyone wants to expand their services to increase earnings, but some medical professionals are more ambitious than others. That’s why improving marketing efforts is essential to any doctor who wants to climb the ladder of success and make a name for themselves.
You can set aside a specific budget for marketing and advertising your business per month. Gradually investing in ad campaigns and website creation can give you just what you need to kickstart a profitable business.
A 2013 study found that 59% of US adults turned to the Internet regarding a health problem, with 77% starting with a search engine such as Google, Bing, or Yahoo.
Digital acceleration continues peak, with more people expected to use search engines to search for medical practices. So how can you, as a medical professional, leverage the power of the internet to boost your earnings and expand your medical practice?
The best way to establish your online presence is by following a medical marketing strategy. For instance, healthcare professionals shouldn’t follow the same marketing strategies as restaurant owners since their audiences are different and have different needs.
Here are the 11 main marketing strategies for health professionals to get you started:
Your website is your one-stop shop for all patients’ needs. It can be used to extend any marketing efforts you do, which means more information and a better chance at success! Though it may be an expensive investment up front, keep in mind that this will pay off big time once people see your professional site.
Maintaining updated content on your site daily ensures freshness with every visit from potential new clients or returning ones looking up their options within some geographical regions.
Your medical site needs to be mobile-friendly, or Google will ignore it. The search engine has given warnings for websites that aren’t designed to navigate on smartphones and tablets easily. Choose a responsive design if you want people visiting from their phones, not just computers, because many more users browse mobile devices every day.
Slowing down your website’s page speed can irritate customers and deter them from staying on the site. This is terrible news for any business that relies on generating leads through their online presence; it also means you’ll have less money coming in as a result!
You need to evaluate how fast pages load and what kind of content might slow things down, such as large images. Then, you can implement solutions like compression software or image optimization practices.
Creating quality custom content is one of the best ways to rank high in search engines. It will show that you are knowledgeable and experienced, which improves your chances of people clicking on your site for information about their medical problems on Google or Bing.
Custom-written articles can help practices distinguish themselves from competitors by providing valuable insight into what it takes to be a successful practitioner-especially through informative topics such as how therapy works!
Social media has become a significant player in the way people receive information, and dental practices can take advantage by utilizing its features to their full potential.
Utilize tools like YouTube Analytics for tracking campaign performance and other analytics available on Facebook or Instagram pages that will help you optimize content strategy based on data-driven decisions rather than guesswork alone!
Social media platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, are different from one another, and not every medical practice should be on all of them. Each healthcare marketing platform is different for a specific audience that it targets–take the time to evaluate which ones best fit your demographics before jumping into something without thoroughly considering its target market!
To get a favorable spot within search results today (especially with organic listings), do not forget about following SEO best practices, including avoiding low quality or duplicate content. Avoid black-hat spam tactics such as keyword stuffing & link scheming (backlinks intended to manipulate Google).
An effective SEO strategy should focus on quality content, local listings, and technical optimization. To improve your SEO strategy, it’s best to work with someone who specializes in SEO.
Your local listings are the key to success when it comes time for new patients. People will type “local physicians near me,” and they won’t find you if you’re not listed. Claiming and verifying these should be a top priority if this will help with patient intake in any way possible!
Optimize your listing as much as possible to get that prime placement in map results. Google only shows three listings on the first page of search results, so make sure you fill out all information and include photos for a stronger appeal! Google My Business also constantly rolls out features like user-submitted Q&A functionalities, which enable businesses to stay updated with the latest online marketing tools available.
Writing blogs is a great way to continue adding content about procedures and services to your website.
You can give health tips, talk about innovations in healthcare, or any other relevant topics like building up your immunity to prevent covid infection. It’s essential when blogging to use easy terms that ordinary people can understand while also ensuring your tone is engaging throughout, so it doesn’t seem boring.
A great way to improve your rating and get more patients is by adding reviews from current or former patients. You can also use sites like HealthGrades, RateMDs, and online review services to factor into searches when people do them on Google Maps or other similar apps.
Optimize your medical practice marketing by investing in Google ads. Investing in Google ads can help you increase your visibility and attract new patients. Plus, since the cost of advertising on Google is relatively inexpensive, it’s a great place to start if you’re looking for some marketing pointers.
There’s no cost associated with creating ads on Google. So even if you’re starting from zero, it’s possible to get the ball rolling.
A great way to show prospective patients how many existing patients appreciate you is by sharing patient experiences on your website. You can ask patients for their feedback about their experience and share it online. It will give your practice instant credibility.
When it comes to medical marketing, it’s essential to consider people’s opinions and experience with your medical practice.
Once you establish your presence online, word can travel fast through social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube. As long as you keep people happy throughout their journey, from booking an appointment to future follow-ups, you can expect positive reviews and an increase in patient acquisition.
Besides using emails to send out routine information like appointment reminders, you should also use them as a marketing tool. Send newsletters, upcoming events, or health tips relevant for your patients, and they will subscribe because of the valuable content!
The medical industry is changing and evolving, so doctors should continually update their marketing strategies to ensure their practice stays relevant.
If this list of marketing strategies sounds too daunting for your team, or if you’re ready to invest in advertising but don’t have enough capital on hand, reach out to our lending experts today! They’ll help match your financing needs with the best medical practice business loan options available.