Owing to the constant rise in the number of people using the internet to find a medical professional, healthcare digital marketing has become a core industry component.
From expanded patient reach to better industrial relations, there are innumerable benefits of building a robust online presence in today’s consumer-centric healthcare industry,
However, doctors and medical practitioners often find it challenging to figure out the proper marketing techniques with no’ one-size-fits-all’ strategy and the constantly evolving healthcare marketing trends.
If you are willing to embrace medical practice marketing but aren’t sure where to start, you are at the right place.
In this guide, the experts of Practice Bloom have laid out some of the most effective marketing strategies to survive and thrive in the healthcare industry in 2022. Follow along to get started on your health marketing journey.
10 Amazing Marketing Ideas For Effective Practice Growth
1. Get Started With Google My Business
Studies conclude that Google accounts for nearly 85% of the total online searches, making it evident that it dominates search engine usage. Therefore, if you are new at marketing, Google is the perfect place to start.
The first and foremost step towards optimizing your Google ranking is creating and maintaining a proper GMB(Google my business profile). An optimized GMB page will help you appear amongst the top results for your geographical area and make your business visible on Google maps.
When combined with other Local SEO practices, this marketing action will significantly improve your local visibility and gradually increase the number of online bookings.
2. Build An Online Community With Social Media
Patients today want a trusting and comfortable relationship with their healthcare providers, and it is a no-brainer that social media is the best place for doctors to build that. With relevant social content, you can educate your patient and market your practice by portraying your medical expertise.
Some medical experts have gained massive popularity on social platforms and have turned into influencers. While this may now be possible for everyone, even a small social community can play a crucial role in building brand loyalty, expanding the patient reach, and humanizing your medical practice marketing strategies.
3. Build Authority With Content Marketing
Doctors possess in-depth knowledge and immense information about their area of expertise. Utilizing that knowledge to create informative content for their target audience is a powerful marketing strategy.
We’re not talking about a promotional content piece here. Instead, these articles/ videos are meant to be educational and establish your practice as an industry leader. The exposure gained from content marketing is great for business growth and reputation.
4. Focus On Local SEO
Several medical practice marketing experts prioritize SEO strategies to help their clients gain top search engine rankings and increase their organic traffic. However, many of them often undermine the importance of Local SEO strategies, making it difficult for them to achieve the desired ROI.
No matter how robust your search engine reach is, if you do not rank higher in the local searches, you are not likely to get converting patients with your SEO practices. Local SEO helps you rank higher in the most relevant searches, ensuring that your practice is visible to those patients who are highly likely to turn into paying clients.
5. Use Mobile Marketing to Experiment
Therefore, there is no doubt that the number of people conducting healthcare searches on their mobile devices is rapidly expanding. According to certain studies, approximately 45 percent of mobile searches result in appointments, making it a vital medical practice marketing strategy.
Here are some of the most effective mobile marketing practices you must include in your plan-
App-Based Marketing.
In-Game Advertisements.
Push Notifications.
Image Search Ads.
6. Enroll For Referral Programs.
This is one of the oldest healthcare marketing strategies that have survived the test of time and continues to be relevant in today’s evolved health market. In simple terms, a referral program is an initiative that asks your current patients to recommend your services to their friends and relatives,
If law permits, you can offer small discounts and offers to incentivize your patients in exchange for their referrals. All in all, patient referral programs are one of the most inexpensive yet highly effective medical practice marketing approaches.
7. Display Patient Reviews Online
Satisfied patients are indeed your best marketing asset. Offline, these patients help expand your reach with referrals, and online their positive reviews help create a positive image amongst potential patients.
Collect patient testimonials from your current patients and display them on diverse online platforms like your website, search engines, social media platforms, etc. These reviews play a considerable role while potential patients decide whether or not to book your services.
8. Give Email Marketing A Go
Like patient referrals, email marketing is a tried and trusted medical marketing practice that has become a ‘health marketers favorite.’
Via email marketing., you can build trust amongst your target audience with the help of informative, educational, and query-addressing mail campaigns. On the other hand, you can also utilize emails to retarget existing patients by improving their experience through feedback emails, newsletters, and follow-up emails, among other things.
Emails are a great way to keep new and current customers interested in your business. Your name will come to mind the next time they require the services you provide!
9. Use Consistent Branding
Delivering a consistent brand experience is crucial if your goal is to stay at the forefront of people’s minds. Think about what message you wish to convey and use to shape a healthcare brand that stands apart while also being relevant to diverse marketing channels.
Your brand website, SEO content, and even social media pages should align with the brand image. Images, taglines, logos, graphics, and keywords are some of the best tools to create a consistent brand experience.
10. Prioritize Patient Experience
Regardless of how aesthetically pleasing your website is or how powerful your SEO reach is, the ultimate marketing practice to strive in the healthcare industry is to deliver an exceptional patient experience.
From appointment booking to treatment and check-up calls, evaluate all the areas of the patient experience and try to optimize them. Make sure your staff is as committed to creating a positive patient experience as you are.
Signing Off
The above-mentioned medical marketing practices have gained excellent results for several healthcare experts.
However, if you are new to marketing, we advocate hiring a professional medical practice marketing agency to best utilize these effective marketing strategies and help you get maximal results.