Digital marketing is far more than a buzzword that you hear in business circles or at a conference. It’s a way of life for many small businesses and medical practices – a way to find and vet new patients before they even walk in the door. Think about it: have you recently needed some sort of service, and thought to ask friends or family members on social media for a recommendation? The same thing is happening every day in the medical industry, and when you’re actively marketing medical practice online you’re likely to garner more attention for your practice through this type of passive, positive feedback. What are some other ways you can raise your online presence and gain visibility with potential patients?
Social Media
Being active on social media doesn’t mean checking your Facebook status every few minutes while patients wait for you or tweeting an interesting diagnosis. Instead, it means having someone on your team dedicated to following up with patients online regardless of how the patient decides to contact you. Today’s communication tools are increasingly fluid, so it’s important to meet people where they are — and where they are is on social media! If you don’t have the time or inclination to create a digital presence via key social media channels, find someone on your team who you can trust to stay professional at all times who has a friendly, outgoing personality.
Website Presence
Creating a robust website does more than simply provide the hours of operation for your office. Instead, it gives your patients a digital window into your world, which you can flesh out with staff bios, descriptions of your key product and services offerings, value-added content and more. It’s important to ensure that your website stays up-to-date at all times, as especially in the medical field patients can get antsy if they feel that information is stale or should be updated.
Reaching Out
Creating a blog and an email list with wellness tips is a great way to connect with your patients and encourage them to share the good news about your practice as well. This doesn’t have to be incredibly in-depth, and a weekly or bi-weekly quick note with something pertaining to the season, or prevalent sicknesses that you’re seeing would be ideal. For instance, if you’re seeing an influx of sinus-related visits to your practice, it may be good to encourage people to stay inside on days of heavy pollen, for instance.
Social and Search Advertising
There are any number of ways that you can grow your medical practice through advertising, but think beyond the traditional billboards and printed signs around your community and outside of your building! Instead, look to the internet to provide you with a quality stream of new patients willing and eager to sign up for your services. Google and Bing search engine advertising allows you to target patients who are specifically looking for your specialty at a relatively low cost per acquisition. Another great option is Facebook advertising, as you can micro target individuals in your geographic area, those of a certain age, or those who are expecting a life event such as a wedding or birth of a child. By creating a custom audience on Facebook or Instagram, you can easily reach individuals in your key demographic without having to carry the expense and limited return of a traditional printed postcard campaign or other printed mailing.
The power of digital advertising is fantastic, but it only works alongside a solid business structure for your practice. When you’re ready to learn more about how M-Scribe can help you drive your business goals and provide better service for your customers, give us a call today!
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