According to a report released by the Pew Research Center, approximately 72% of internet users have looked for health-related information on the web. That means medical practitioners and hospitals need to be updated with technological advancement and establish an online presence. Otherwise, they will be out of business in no time. So what medical marketing strategies can doctors use to increase their profits?
A responsive and well-built website design
Like mentioned earlier, every patient today search on the internet for local health centers and services. Therefore for you to increase patient leads and retention, your websites should have fast, interactive, mobile-friendly and with customized features.
Most medical searches are done through mobile devices, therefore, having a responsive website design is crucial. The website design should have website structures and flexible images. It should be developed for all platforms. That way, you will capture a lot of website visitors; not limited to PC searches.
Page speed is the number one reason for high bounce rate for any website. It is irritating and prevents online users from staying longer on your site. A negative experience makes your guests leave your site and go to your competition.
In order to stay competitive and rank on social media, your medical website should incorporate medical SEO and keywords. It should have image optimization, meta-description, page structures, H tags and much more.
Social Media Marketing
Social media is another crucial medical marketing strategy that allows you to reach a larger audience. It can also be used as a lead generation tool. Make use of available analytics tools provided by social media platforms to modify marketing campaigns for your practice.
However, not all platforms are the best fit for your practice. Each social media network is unique and developed for a specific audience. Take time to evaluate the platforms that are ideal.
Email marketing
Keep your patients informed with email marketing. It is an effective medical marketing strategy to retarget and reach new patients that have shown interest in a particular treatment. You can share promotions, blog post, and news.
Always encourage guests to sign up for a monthly newsletter.
Creating positive reviews from satisfied patients
Patient reviews are an essential way to convert prospective patients into clients. It is also a reflection of your practice.
Video content creation
Do you know YouTube is the second most used search engine after Google? That means patients are also using video platforms to learn.
Creating a video marketing strategy helps doctors promote their business, talk about medical conditions they treat and their approach. This builds trust with prospective patients even before receiving the service.
Physical liaison marketing
Physical liaison marketing not only expands one's healthcare network but also increases patient growth. It involves using a representative for your practice to be a link between you and the referring doctors. It is the best fit for specialty medical practices like surgeons since their clientele base is mainly referrals from general doctors.
Conclusion
Take a look at each of the medical marketing strategies discussed above and formulate a plan to implement them. If you do, you will be surprised at the amount of patient growth and increase in revenue. The beauty of these strategies is that they complement each other. It is therefore wise to diversify.
Marina Pal is a renowned author and social media enthusiast.