Healthcare marketing is an integral component of any medical practice, helping draw in new patients and increase revenue.
An effective healthcare marketing strategy requires having a clearly identified ideal patient profile. Doing this enables your marketing messages to encourage, nurture, and convert patients into revenue-generating customers.
1. Build a website
As Google processes over 5.6 billion searches related to health-related queries every day, having a website for your medical practice is key to expanding business. Prospective patients need a way to locate you online so you must make sure it’s visible online so they can find you.
Building a website for a physician involves various options. You could build it yourself using a content management system or hire a web designer to handle this project on your behalf.
Your website should be optimized to look great on both desktop computers and mobile devices, making you more visible to potential patients who search using mobile phones for medical professionals. A responsive design increases your odds of being found by them!
2. Optimize your website for search engines
Employing doctor SEO strategies on your website is an effective way of getting in front of potential customers at all stages of the customer journey, increasing website traffic and driving up revenue.
On-page SEO involves optimizing pages on your website for search engines such as Google. This involves including elements such as headlines, subheadlines, URL slugs and meta tags so Google can fully comprehend your page’s contents.
Attract visitors with primary keywords by including them in your slug, body copy and image alt text on each website. Be wary not to overdo it as this could appear like keyword stuffing.
3. Create a blog
Blogging can be an excellent way to increase search engine rankings, boost visibility, and build relationships with patients – but it requires time and dedication in order to be effective.
An engaging blog should be easy for its readers to navigate, providing answers to commonly-asked medical topics.
Content creation can be challenging for physicians who often have an extensive list of tasks and appointments to attend to, making it hard to find time to regularly create blog posts on a topic of their expertise.
But there are ways around this hurdle and ensure your blog remains on schedule, such as hiring someone else to create medical blogs on your behalf.
4. Optimize your social media accounts
Optimizing social media accounts, whether for a new doctor or established practice, is critical to building online credibility. By developing an integrated plan consisting of content marketing and analytics strategies that take account of target audiences as well as how they react to your messages, you can gain valuable insights into your target market and how best they respond.
First and foremost, select the platforms where your ideal patients tend to spend most of their time. Facebook and Instagram are two popular choices but don’t forget Twitter and LinkedIn either!
Your best chance at optimizing social media accounts lies in posting high-quality and relevant content that resonates with your target audience, such as patient education materials, videos of procedures and photos of office spaces. Furthermore, sharing comments and questions from followers helps build engagement and foster dialogue with patients.
5. Create a newsletter
Newsletters can be an effective way to inform patients of news and events happening at your practice, increasing patient retention and referrals.
Establishing an effective newsletter requires time and dedication, yet the return on your investment can be substantial in the long run.
An additional advantage is its potential to enhance the visibility and reputation of your practice in the community.
Be sure to include articles that cater to the needs and interests of your audience when creating a newsletter; this will allow you to build a devoted following who remain committed to your practice over time.
Your newsletter should feature both educational content and lighthearted humor, with an eye-catching call-to-action that prompts readers to visit your website.
6. Create a press release
An informative press release can be an effective way to spread information about your practice, helping to attract new patients while improving its reputation in the community.
Press releases are also an effective way to establish yourself as an authority in your medical specialty. For example, if you were recently named top chiropractor or won an award for your dental work in your local community, use a press release to make people aware.
Your press release should include a headline, practice information and contact link so journalists can reach out with any inquiries about its announcement or require more details. This will enable journalists to get in touch with you should any have questions about its announcement or require more details.
7. Create a video
Recently, video has emerged as the go-to form of content online for users worldwide, who spend millions of hours every day watching videos online.
Healthcare SEO marketing videos offer doctors a powerful tool for reaching new patients and building trust with current ones, while simultaneously informing patients about various medical conditions and treatments.
If you’re creating a video, it is crucial that you fully comprehend who your target audience is and their specific needs. Your video needs to be educational but also address concerns your viewers have regarding health concerns.
8. Create a podcast
Podcasts can be an effective way of reaching niche audiences and raising brand recognition, while serving as a regular touchpoint for followers to return.
Selecting an engaging topic for your podcast is crucial to its success. Make sure it fits both with your interests and goals for its use.
Before recording begins, take time to create an outline based on your goals. This will ensure your podcast remains more organized while not spending too much time answering unrelated questions.
Use Audacity (PC/Mac; free) or GarageBand to edit your audio, while adding a de-esser will reduce harsh consonants like “s” and “t” that may be distracting to listeners.
9. Create a Google My Business page
Google My Business pages should be an essential part of your medical practice’s marketing plan as they serve as an invaluable source of new patients and business.
Verified and regularly updated Google My Business listings are an effective way to boost SEO, attract more clients, build trust with patients considering your services, and demonstrate legitimacy amongst potential patients.
To create a verified profile on Google My Business, log into your Google My Business account and choose the “Get Verified” option from within Google My Business. Follow Google’s steps as it leads you through this verification process – once complete, they’ll give over your business profile!
10. Create a Google My Business listing
Create a Google My Business listing is one of the best marketing strategies for doctors, enabling patients to quickly locate healthcare services quickly. This online platform also helps strengthen relationships between healthcare providers and patients.
Google Local Search utilizes your information to connect your medical practice to potential patients looking for care nearby, increasing both visibility and bookings.
Start by signing in to your Google account – this allows Google to verify the authenticity and digital identity of your business profile and digital identity.
