The definitive guide 2020
3 Tips on how to effectively market your medical practice
Practitioners and medical practices need to shift their marketing efforts towards a more targeted digital approach. An authentic online presence and an effective digital marketing strategy can drastically increase the quality and quantity of patients booking in. To find the right patients it is imperative that practitioners understand their target demographic, what message they would like to share with that audience, and ultimately how to effectively communicate with that population in a way that drives the right patients to their practice and incentivises them to book an appointment.
At Clinician Solutions we are experts in marketing specifically for healthcare practitioners. We create websites, brands, and overall digital experiences that are reflective of our client’s practice and strongly resonates with their ideal target demographic. With over 30+ years in the industry, we are committed to delivering the most effective, targeted digital strategies alongside professional, custom design to support your medical practice. Our digital solutions help our clients thrive both online and offline. Continue reading below to learn our top 3 tips and tricks on how you can effectively market your medical practice today.
1. Have an effective strategy for finding new patients online
When it comes to digital marketing most practitioners are missing the mark in a big way. Practitioners who are running an effective digital strategy know how to leverage Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and chat forums like Reddit to find quality patients that come to their practice and return time and time again. Patients are engaging with online platforms more frequently when it comes to health-related questions and concerns, so it’s important for healthcare providers to utilize this trend and strategize accordingly.
Implement an effective geo-targeted SEO strategy, specific for doctors
When it comes to search engine optimization, it’s important to consider that google’s algorithm changes 500-600 times per year. Keeping up to date with best practices when considering SEO quickly becomes a daunting task. You may have heard that localized search results are a prevalent factor of Google’s current 2020 algorithm, but there are many more unique factors to consider when building a strategy specifically for a medical practice. The best way to go about doing this is to hire a SEO strategist. They are familiar with the current best practices and can structure your website, blog posts and content so they are easily readable by the google algorithm. Similar to how practitioners encourage patients to avoid Dr. Google and consult a healthcare practitioner, the same goes for SEO strategy.
Add a localized paid search strategy for medical practitioners
Keyword and search query research is essential to any effective SEO strategy. Since most medical practices are localized businesses, it is crucial that local search terms are included at every level of your strategy. 86% of patients searching for a doctor on google include terms that include either the name of their city, or similar terms like “near me.” If you want to be found by clients you need to localize your strategy so you can appear as high as possible on search.
Write blog posts relevant to treatment for your patients
It is also important to create blog posts that are relevant to the treatments options most suitable for your ideal patients. This not only targets the interest of a specific population but also provides an opportunity to showcase your expertise in a way that allows you to convey your personality, tone, and the opportunity for the reader to book in for individualized care. The more opportunities that potential patients have to visit and interact with your practice online, the better your web assets will perform with the algorithm.
2. Have an aesthetically pleasing and highly functional website
UI/UX matters
The design and functionality of your website, or UI/UX, is incredibly important in order to convey the quality of your care to your potential patients, as well as perform optimally with google’s AI-based algorithm that grades the quality of your site’s functionality. Patients equate a quality digital presence with the quality of care they will receive should they book in with you. Functional and up-to-date design is crucial for ensuring a positive and representative impression of you and your services to those visiting any of your digital platforms. Many practitioner websites do not translate well to mobile or tablet view. This is essential when considering user interface design and user experience, as mobile responsiveness and functionality is a major contributor to SEO ranking.
Convenience for potential and current patients
Functionality and optimized design allows for ease of use when potential patients browse and explore your practice’s website. The average person spends approximately 2 minutes on a website. If your practice’s contact information is not readily accessible, or if it’s not clear on how the patient can book in for a visit then this could result in the loss of that customer. This also applies to current patients navigating your practice’s site. If the website is not representative of the tone and professionalism you’ve set for your business, this will subconsciously leave an impression with those viewing the site and subsequently lead to less follow up visits booked.
Encouraging patients to leave positive reviews on relevant sites
It is extremely important to encourage current and previous patients to leave an online review about their experience at your practice. Utilizing high traffic websites such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, and Yellow Pages are effective at improving search engine optimization. Please note that this suggestion may be different depending on what your regulatory body has deemed acceptable for your designation within the province/state that you operate in. Oftentimes it is acceptable to leave a review of a business (your practice) versus the practitioner individually but please check with your regulator before implementing this strategy!
3. Leverage patient reviews
Build out effective profiles on all major review platforms
It’s important to consider various digital platforms that your business should exist on when trying to gain a following and attract new patients. Some people may rely on Facebook, while others prefer Instagram or LinkedIn. There are benefits to all social platforms, which we will go into more depth about in another post. Ensuring a consistent tone across all traffic channels is important to maintain throughout each for brand recognition and continuity in the user’s experience with your practice. Focus on communicating a consistent message and create community on each of these platforms to scale awareness & your practice’s following.
Incentivize patients to leave reviews
Utilizing platforms like Google, Yelp, Facebook, and Yellow Pages when encouraging patients to leave reviews is important for many reasons. Your practice should be open to transparency. Feedback in itself is critical for growth and success in any industry and as potential patients begin to look into your practice, seeing relatable individuals post about their experience often results in positive action. There are many ways to incentivize patients to leave reviews and depending on your type of practice, this will depict what is most appropriate for you and your target patient population.
Turn patient reviews into profit
Patient reviews on large platforms is a major contributing factor to positive SEO growth. The more you are listed online, the more visibility your site has and the higher you rise up the rankings. It is human nature to want to hear of other people’s similar experiences when talking about something as personal as healthcare. Not only do reviews boost your practice’s credibility online and with the general public but it can also be a key contributing factor to reaching that coveted first page of google search in your locality.
Conclusion
A holistic approach to marketing your medical practice is essential in order to see a return on expenditure. Digital marketing, search engine optimization, and utilizing web platforms that specialize in patient reviews are critical to success in any digital marketing campaign. Creating a user-friendly, professional website and online presence will help ensure an effective conversion rate of those who interact with your online content. Targeted campaigns, business transparency, and the ability for a potential patient to feel connected with your online presence is key to successfully marketing your medical practice.
Looking for a more individualized strategy? Check out our website design & development packages at www.cliniciansolutions.net and feel free to contact us directly to discover if Clinician Solutions is the right fit for you and your practice.