Some of today’s most effective strategies to grow medical practices revolve around healthcare marketing. Having a general understanding of digital marketing can make a world of difference when promoting your medical practice.
With a strategic healthcare marketing plan in place, your practice will attract more patients, and grow faster than ever through patient referrals. We know you are busy serving your patients and helping your community, which is why it’s important to have the most efficient and streamlined digital marketing practices in place.
Some of the newest healthcare marketing trends include improving your Instagram presence, hosting live streams, and staying on top of new Google algorithm updates.
While you may already have a significant digital presence, it is never a bad idea to continue learning and implementing new practices to grow your audience, increase website traffic, and boost conversions. All of these enhancements will allow you to provide medical help and value to more people in your community.
Ways to grow your patient referrals using digital marketing
When looking for a product, service, or professional, most people turn to the internet first. After all, it is much easier and faster to search Google than ask everyone you know for personal recommendations.
However, when people do seek out the advice of their friends and family, it is often on social media. Social media has made crowdsourcing an instantaneous and ever-present resource, available to anyone with access to the internet.
In this hyper-digital age, it is important to be on top of your healthcare marketing strategy to put your best foot forward in the digital space. That is why we want to share these five tips for promoting your medical practice online:
1. Be aware of how patients use their smartphones.
Sixty-two percent of people who own smartphones use them to research medical information. People who move somewhere new or need medical advice for a health issue turn to their phone for answers. One of the most widely used phrases on Google is “near me.”
Additionally, people use their phones to look up all kinds of health and wellness information, from the day’s pollen forecast or air pollution level, to their prescription refill status, to researching medical symptoms.
Depending on your business, you can advertise your practice on one or all of these sites. By showing up continually among your potential patients’ research, your practice will stand out next time they need your services.
People also pay close attention to reviews, so it is always a good idea to ask patients, especially very satisfied ones, to leave feedback online.
2. Learn about your SEO ranking.
To increase the likelihood that customers will find your business through Google or other search engines, you will need to develop a strategy to increase your search engine optimization, or SEO. SEO strategies are important because they can help put your practice at the top of the results page when people search for a doctor near them.
To optimize your SEO, start by filling out your Google “My Business” page. Be sure you are listed in the correct business category, and include the following information:
- The primary phone number for your practice
- A clear description of your business
- Your business hours
- The address and service area of your practice
- Reviews from other customers
Improve your local SEO by enhancing your website. It should be secure, fast, and mobile-friendly. Be sure your content includes the optimal keywords for your specialty and industry.
Videos also boost SEO, as they are 50 times more likely to show up organically in searches. Partner with authoritative websites to link to your site, and improve your site authority for more people to find your practice.
3. Pay attention to content marketing.
Research has shown that healthcare topics are the second-most searched content online. People typically search for health-related advice to understand their symptoms, seek medical advice, or schedule an appointment with their doctor.
To generate more leads online, try to create digital content around these topics. Consider the questions that patients ask you most often, and answer those through blog posts or other online content.
Use natural, conversational language. Google’s algorithm is constantly refining search results, and straying further away from long, clunky keywords and phrases. A short, specific keyword will rank higher than a long phrase, like “where to find an OB/GYN in Arkansas.”
Make sure you use one strong call to action on landing pages to incentivize users to make a call or fill out an online appointment form.
4. Invest in a professionally optimized website.
Maintaining a good website entails prioritizing your digital footprint, understanding the importance of digital content, and willingness to invest in a tool that will help new patients learn about your services.
More than 80 percent of people visit a medical practice’s website before booking an appointment. Your website will typically be a patient’s first impression of your business. Enhance user experience by creating a mobile-friendly format, making sure the loading speed is fast, and designing it using high-contrast fonts and colors.
5. Social media as a free referral service.
Think of social media as your most affordable referral service. The ability for customers to interact with brands helps to build trust, camaraderie, and loyalty. Take advantage of video marketing to gain more traction online and appear higher in searches.
If you have a strong presence on social media and regularly engage with an active audience, you might consider investing in social media ads to further grow your audience. Social media ads blend into regular content as people check their feeds, and act as a subtle reminder to contact your business for their healthcare needs.
How to promote your medical practice with digital marketing
Elevating your SEO and online presence makes finding your business far easier for future patients, and makes former and current patients feel reassured about their decision to use you as a provider. Providing valuable, informative content online encourages patients to leave positive reviews, which make the decision to choose your practice easier. This naturally boosts patient referrals, further improving your business traffic.
For more tips and strategies on improving your online footprint, get in touch with our team of healthcare marketing experts today. It doesn’t have to take a huge amount of time and effort to improve your digital marketing efforts. We would be happy to create a personalized marketing plan to enhance your business, attract new patients, and leave a lasting impression on those you currently serve.
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