Any medical practitioner’s dream would be a thriving practice with lots of patients. But you can’t open an office and expect people to flock to you the moment you open your doors.
You need to treat your medical practice as if it were a business—because that’s what it is at the core. That means on top of working at your practice; you also must work at the business side of it.
And how do businesses get customers? With marketing, of course. You need to engage in top-notch medical practice marketing in order to attract new patients to you.
So what if you went to medical school? You can market your practice like a top business school graduate if you have the right strategies. Here are nine medical practice marketing strategies and tips you can employ to get new patients.
1. Start with a Great Website
When starting a medical practice, you want to have a great website. This will be the place that your patients can refer back to for information or assistance. A good website can also help potential patients discover your practice.
You can use platforms to build your website, especially ones that specialize in marketing to physicians. Be sure that your website is well-designed and easy to navigate on both desktop and mobile.
A good website is an investment for any business. And while it might seem like a major upfront cost, in the long term, a great website will have major benefits.
2. Be Sure to Claim Your Local Listing
Your practice would probably primarily be local, so be sure to claim the local listing. This will help your business come up when people search for the kinds of services you offer.
Start with the major search engines like Goggle, Yahoo, and Bing. Ensure that your information is correct when these search engines feature your business after when searched.
You’ll also want to fill out as much information to help optimize your listing. This includes photos, operational hours, a list of services, a description of your practice, and any positive reviews.
3. Write a Blog and Newsletter
No matter how good any doctor is, chances are, a patient is going to start with a quick internet search. Capture their attention by creating online content that can answer their questions and lead them to visit your practice.
You can also use a blog to share tips on staying healthy, news within the healthcare industry, and introduce the staff at your practice. Blogging is also a great way to boost your SEO and rank higher on searches.
Create a newsletter that your patients can sign up for and stay informed. Share the blog articles and updates about your practice. You can also send reminders about upcoming appointments or events.
4. Try a Paid Search Campaign
Now that you have an incredible website, you’ll want to drive traffic to it. One of the best ways to do that is with a paid search campaign. A paid search campaign is a targeted advertisement on a search engine.
When a patient looks up a keyword—particularly one that has to do with your medical practice—an advertisement that mentions your business and website can appear at the top of the search.
As the first entry on the search engine, people would be more likely to click your link. This can help boost the traffic to your website and bring in new patients.
5. Engage on Social Media Platforms
In today’s digital age, most businesses can’t operate without some form of social media. But that’s because social media is an incredible way to connect with patients and solidify your brand.
Make yourself an authority in your field by sharing tips and news from the industry. Promote your blog and website or announce any promotions or specials you might be running. Connect with and grow your audience.
You can use social media to help set yourself apart from other medical practices. Patients will appreciate the personal touch and going the extra mile.
6. Send Patients Gifts and Goodies
Every patient wants to feel appreciated, especially after choosing to go to an independent practice. Show your patients that appreciation with surprise gifts and goodies.
This is one of the easiest marketing ideas to promote your medical practice. Print your logo and information onto mugs, water bottles, pens, magnets, t-shirts, or notebooks.
You can share these with your current patients to help form a positive relationship. And you can share them with potential patients to promote your business.
7. Be Sure to Get Reviews
Reviews can be the deciding factor when it comes to people having to make a choice. In fact, research has shown that 84% of people trust reviews online as much as they would trust a personal recommendation.
Be sure to encourage current patients to write positive reviews about your practice. It could be anything from the quality of care they received to how kind the front office staff is.
Any positive words can help strengthen your brand and increase the success of your practice.
8. Add a Patient Referal Program
You might underestimate the impact of word-of-mouth when it comes to marketing. The truth is, many people trust the judgment of their friends and family, and you can use that to your advantage.
Give your patients a card with your practice’s information on it to hand out to family and friends. This can help get your name out there and potentially bring in new clients.
You may even want to thank current patients who bring in new patients with a kind thank you letter and a small gift.
9. Use Medical Journals to Your Advantage
A medical journal can help build your credibility and bring you new patients at the same time. Start by finding a medical journal that is considered an expert in your field.
You can share articles from these journals to help underline your authority on the subject. You can also pitch to have an article written in these journals that will highlight your practice and expertise in the field.
An article published in a medical journal will give you a positive image not only to the medical community but to potential new patients as well.
It’s All About Medical Practice Marketing the Right Way
Your dream after medical school and working in your chosen field may have been to open your own practice. But now that you have, you may find yourself trying to figure out a way to bring in more patients.
Using medical practice marketing strategies can set your business and practice apart from the others. When done right, these marketing tips and tricks are sure to help give you the boost needed to be seen by new potential patients.
Looking for more marketing strategies and business tips? Check out more articles and new ones on the blog every day.