Be Comprehensive In Your Approach
Need advice on how to market your medical practice? You’re in the right place! Formada is here to help you elevate your brand, craft a compelling message across different marketing tactics, and create more patient opportunities for your practice.
Given the ways in which people today consume media, today’s medical practice’s need a comprehensive approach to marketing in order to thrive.
However, this doesn’t mean that your practice needs to be investing in every possible marketing tactic. That approach can be overwhelming to manage, costly to invest in, and is not one that will necessarily give you the return that you’re looking for.
You need a comprehensive marketing strategy that is tailored to your practice, one that supports the goals of your practice, the needs and interests of your patients, and aligns with your financial health.
This will likely be some combination of owned tactics, like your website and blog, paid search and social media, and earned tactics, like a review program.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the broader strategies you should consider.
How To Market A Medical Practice: Make Your Website Simple and Informative
Having a website is a given. It’s odd when a business doesn’t have one. But the difference between having a website and having a great website is pretty vast.
When you’re building a new website for your practice, consider these ideas:
- Navigation — Create a simple experience for your visitors. Pages should load quickly, the information that matters to them should be easy to find, and your content should be informative, to the point, and actionable.
- Content — Your website visitors are there to learn. They want to know about your practice, your services, your team, and why they should choose you instead of your competitors. This experience will be their first impression of your brand. Make them feel welcome by making your practice undeniable.
- Usefulness — Having a blog gives you the opportunity to go deep on subjects that matter to your patients. (It’s good for search, too!) Creating How-To videos will help people take better care of themselves at home, or even prepare them for their first visit to the practice. Making your forms available for download before their appointment will make the check-in process much easier for everyone.
Your website is a marketing tool that can enhance the experience of your brand from the comfort of your patients’ homes. And it’s a tactic you completely own!
In order to keep that space vibrant and inviting, we recommend regularly updating your blog, adding new imagery, and keeping all information featured current.
How To Market A Medical Practice: Don’t Skimp On the Content
People love to educate themselves on everything they can these days. This is especially true for all matters related to healthcare. Your patients are out there researching your practice’s specialties as we speak. And if your voice isn’t out there for them to hear, then someone else’s surely is.
Content can mean a lot of different things. We recommend that you do what makes sense for your practice and what will be ultimately beneficial to your patients’ needs.
Some of the most common and effective tactics for how to market a medical practice are:
- Blog — Having a blog on your website is a great way to regularly add new content to your website while addressing the many specific questions that your patients have about your branch of the medical world. You’ll establish authority with your audience, improve your standing with search engines, and give people a reason to return to your website!
- Video — People love the passive nature of video. They can learn about the practice, learn about what to expect before a visit, and get to know the team before ever stepping foot in the practice. Don’t let the idea of video intimidate you. You don’t have to have Oscar-worthy cinematography in order to connect with your audience. Smart Phone quality is fine!
- Audio — Much like your blog, using an audio medium like podcasting is a wonderful way to go deep on subjects that are relevant to your patients. They want to feel connected to the brands they align themselves with, and podcasting provides a venue for storytelling and education. Plus, you can use your podcast transcripts to create blogs, social media posts, and other great pieces of content!
How To Market A Medical Practice: Create a Community Presence
If you want to build a patient community, then it’s vital to be a visible part of your community.
Sponsoring local teams and charity events, creating referral partnerships with other practices, and hosting contests are great ways to be a more active part of your community.
Holidays are also a great time to connect with your people. Give folks free pies at Thanksgiving, host a cocoa and cookies party over the Hanukkah and Christmas season, and offer flowers for Mother’s Day.
The point is, the combination of your imagination and a small up-front investment can pay dividends in the long run. Sincerity and generosity go a long way in creating an exceptional brand experience.
How To Market A Medical Practice: Use Social Media to Showcase Your Culture
Think about the core services of your practice. Think about your patients. Consider the strengths of you and your team. Now consider what social media platform do you believe best suits your practice and how you can share your story online.
What resonates with you:
- TikTok videos that debunk disinformation related to your specialty?
- LinkedIn posts that speak to the future of your profession?
- Facebook posts that celebrate your team and announce new service offerings?
- Instagram Reels for telling patient success stories?
Now, these are just some popular examples of what can be done with these platforms. Some of your peers have even become celebrities of sorts for their contributions. And while social media celebrity needn’t be the goal of your online presence, showing your true, authentic self should be.
People are captivated by others who are experts and possess the ability to share their perspective in a way that others cannot. Pick a platform, publish regularly, and be yourself!
Encourage Your Patients to Become Advocates
Word of mouth. It’s still one of the most powerful tools in marketing. And with Google Reviews, Yelp, and other review platforms, it is perhaps even more powerful than ever.
Take advantage of this by encouraging your patients to review your practice after they’ve been in your car.
Make it even easier for them to review you by providing them instructions on how to do so — not everyone is computer savvy, and this is yet another way in which you can provide your patients value and positive perceptions of your brand.
It’s also important to note that not every review you receive is going to be positive. Respond to all of the reviews that you receive, but take special care with the critical ones. People are reading them, and the way you respond to criticism will inform their perception of your care.
Get A Marketing Partner That Prioritizes Your Practice’s Goals
The Formada team specializes in creating custom marketing strategies for medical and healthcare practices, strategies that garner real results.
If you’d like to learn more about our services, or are interested in more advice on how to market a medical practice, then we’d love to speak with you.
Your patients deserve to find you. We can help you connect with them. Contact us today to learn how!