There are lots of doctors who start their own medical practice. Not many people realize that doing this is similar to starting any business.
The hurdle is getting the word out about your medical practice and attracting and retaining patients.
To get your medical practice business off the ground, you could use strategies that companies use to market their products and services.
You need to tweak them to fit the nature of your business.
Remember that it is about letting people know about your medical practice and attracting them to try your services.
This article will discuss some practical healthcare marketing strategy ideas to help you.
Healthcare marketing pertains to the promotion and advertisement of healthcare products, services, and institutions—directed to prospective patients and stakeholders in the healthcare industry.
Healthcare marketing includes a wide range of activities, which include digital marketing, public relations, branding, and advertising.
All these are designed to build awareness of healthcare products and services, as well as educate audiences about health-related issues. Ultimately, it drives patient engagement and boosts growth.
Marketing is important for doctors and their medical practices for several reasons, the most compelling being:
Marketing efforts can help doctors reach new patients who are in need of their services. Through various marketing channels such as online advertising, social media, and search engine optimization (SEO), doctors can promote their services to a wider audience.
Effective marketing strategies can assist doctors in establishing their brand and reputation. This, in turn, can make it easier for patients to recognize and recall their services, and also differentiate them from competitors in their field.
Marketing campaigns can also be used as a tool to educate patients about various health issues and medical practices. This approach can help patients make informed decisions about their health and build trust and loyalty with doctors.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska
Even if you plan to provide all your medical services offline and in person, a website can help give your medical practice an online presence. Think of it as your brochure or information packet.
You must ensure it has what your potential patients would want to know. Include all your available services, clinic hours, contact details, and other information that would be relevant for your patients.
After this, you or your secretary can give your website URL whenever inquiries arise.
Hire a Professional
Although you can create a simple one using many easy website builders, don’t hesitate to hire a professional. Ask for referrals from other doctors who already have websites for their medical practice or search for a freelance web designer.
If you’d like to take it a step further, your website can be more than just an online source of information.
You could turn it into a full-fledged business website where clients can book appointments as old and new patients, do online consultations, maintain their records and information, and even pay for your services.
Use SEO As A Marketing Strategy
No matter how you want to use your website, the critical thing is don’t just create one and then forget about it. Use it to promote your medical practice.
Share it with friends and family, and if you want to seriously tap into it as a good source of patients for your business, consider hiring an SEO specialist.
Photo by Ingo Joseph
The Yellow Pages have long died, and Google Maps is now in its place. Many people are now using Google Maps for local searches.
This navigation app had a whopping 13.35 million downloads in July 2022, and 86% of users use it to search for local businesses.
Your medical practice must show up when people in your area search for ‘medical clinics’ or ‘doctors.’
To do this, you must list your business on Google Maps. Once you have done this, your work is not yet done.
Make sure your listing has complete information when it comes to clinic hours and contact details.
You may also ask previous patients to leave reviews and feedback on your listing so that your medical clinic doesn’t just appear on a Google Maps search; it comes up as a highly-rated clinic on search engines.
Moreover, listing your clinic on Google Maps is an excellent way to include search engine optimization (SEO) in your marketing strategy.
Photo by Magnus Mueller
Having a social media page for your business is like having a booth at a fair or a trade show—it’s about placing your presence where people congregate.
According to a global data report on digital marketing, more than half of the world, or 4.76 billion people worldwide, use social media, and people spend an average of 2 hours and 13 minutes on it.
If your medical clinic doesn’t have a social media page yet, you are missing out on a significant opportunity for people to find your clinic. Social media marketing works, especially in this digital age.
Create your page, learn your platform, get to know your audience, and start posting away.
Photo by anncapictures
Your marketing efforts should not be limited to attracting potential new patients—make sure you exert the same in retaining and keeping good relationships with your existing patients.
One way to keep them engaged and informed about what you are doing at your medical clinic is by creating a newsletter, often overlooked as an effective marketing strategy.
The first step is to include the email address in the contact information you collect from your patients and ask for their consent to subscribe to your newsletter. This is easier when you already have a website or social media page.
However, one of the more critical things to do for this marketing strategy to be effective is to create a newsletter that your patients will want to read and look forward to receiving. Don’t just put marketing and promotional information in it.
Include relevant information based on the usual illnesses and concerns of your patients. Don’t be afraid to include general reminders as well.
Photo by cottonbro studio
Who doesn’t appreciate freebies? And who doesn’t like knowing they are remembered and feeling cared for? Sending small care packages to your potential and existing patients is a great way to keep in touch more personally.
Promotional materials such as pens, mugs, water bottles, shirts, and the like will be appreciated by your existing patients and will entice potential patients. Make sure that these materials reflect your clinic branding.
If you’d like to take it a step further, go to your records and find a common minor illness that many of your patients consult with you about. Think of a product or item that may help address this.
It can be anything small and generic such as a few pieces of oranges bundled together and a “don’t forget your vitamin c” note.
You also don’t have to send it to all your patients, as you may choose a few that you know would need this reminder the most or perhaps a few clients that have been with you the longest.
The best ad you can have is for patients who are very happy and satisfied with their medical care.
Don’t just rely on this happening naturally. While positive word-of-mouth can go a long way, there’s nothing wrong with encouraging and motivating your patients to refer friends and family to your medical clinic.
You can use this as a marketing tool by creating a referral program. Think of some perks for your patients when they successfully refer a new patient.
It can be a discount on the next visit or a free item for every new patient who visits you because of their referral.
Although many medical practitioners start a clinic and wait for patients to come organically, there is nothing wrong with treating your medical clinic as a business.
Your healthcare services will benefit from better search engine rankings, social media platforms, and marketing campaigns.
Your current patients will thank you, which can attract potential customers and raving online reviews.
By earning the title of one of the best healthcare providers, you can achieve strides in the healthcare industry.
Go ahead and brand it as you would a business, then do some marketing to promote it. The list above only gives you a few ideas to get you started, and you’ll deliver the best possible patient experience.
.jpeg)
