Online Marketing for Doctors: 7 Proven Strategies to Get Patients
Online marketing has risen to the number one way businesses offer their services and get new customers. No longer are businesses solely focused on the mass mailing of print materials or telephone calls. Today, successfully marketing your business is all about an online presence.
Doctors worldwide are experiencing the need to create and execute a digital marketing plan, and we want to help.
Why Is Digital Marketing Important in the Medical World?
In the past 30 years, digital marketing has evolved at lightning speed. More people are online, and almost everyone has a smartphone. A recent online article stated that 77% of potential patients would do an online search before making an appointment.
Doctors must understand that competition is a click away. You must have an updated and strong online presence, or potential patients may not come through your doors. The level of competition is no longer about the brick and mortar facilities; it is about what people can learn about your practice from the comfort of their living room.
7 Proven Strategies to Get Patients Through Online Marketing
Potential and existing patients are in the driver’s seat. A robust digital marketing strategy will drive traffic not only to your website but to your physical business.
Below, we are giving you the following seven strategies to get new patients coming through your door.
1. Website Design
Medical professionals cannot depend on an eye-catching billboard or advertisement in a newspaper. You must have an online presence that starts with the creation of a knockout website design.
A website is your online property. It is the landing pad for a potential patient. What they see online is what they expect to see in your office. For this reason, there are a few things to remember when developing your web design.
Your website should be informative. For example, each physician at your practice should have a bio on the site. You should have all information about the services you render, insurance, cancellation policies, and how patients can prepare for an appointment.
Other important features include easy navigation and a responsive design. Your website should look the same on a desktop, tablet, and smartphone. A successful website design will include all contact information and a clear call to action.
2. Local SEO
Search engine optimization, SEO, is what drives traffic to your site. It is really more about the actions of people than anything. Local SEO is about what people are looking for in their area. Under usual circumstances, people are not going to travel across states to find a doctor.
A few easy online actions can increase your local SEO. You should list your practice on sites like ZocDoc, Google My Business, and Healthgrades. Using local SEO helps your practice jump higher on the list when someone searches for doctors near me.
Don’t forget to use a local online directory like yellow pages, Yelp, or Bing. Your goal is to be easily found by all potential patients.
It is crucial people in your local area know you’re there, and most are using an online search engine, not a car.
3. Content Creation
Content is often overlooked but is so important to your web traffic. Creating landing pages, blogs, and press releases on your site will keep potential patients engaged. Engagement from a content marketing campaign could equal appointments.
Content also has an SEO component. Using high ranking keywords in a blog post could lead someone to your site. Blog posts are also a great outlet to share what services you offer and the level of knowledge you have about specific conditions.
Posting press releases on your site keeps people informed of what is happening at your location. Landing pages are perfect for zeroing in on one specific service you offer and generate leads.
MOST Doctors STRUGGLE WITH GENERATING NEW Patients...WE FIX THAT!
Since 2009, we have helped many doctors grow their practice. Let us do it for you!
4. Social Media Campaigns
With billions of people on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, it is crucial to use a social media platform as part of your digital marketing strategy. Not only can you reach thousands of people, but you can better your online reputation.
Most people will look at social media before looking at a website. Social media is the place where they can ask others for their recommendations. Positive reviews left on social media platforms could increase traffic to your website.
Social media is where communication happens, and you want your medical practice in those discussions.
Creating a social media presence will require you to make regular posts. Social media is a great place to share what is happening at your office, announcements, and utilize social media ads. You can also share a new blog post and get more people clicking your web address.
A successful social media campaign is time-consuming but could lead to a higher number of new patients.
5. Video Content Creation
Video content is becoming as important as written content in today’s digital marketing world. People love watching a good video, which is why Youtube has become the 2nd largest search engine in the world.
Creating videos is not hard. Today, all you need is a smartphone or any other mobile device. You can post videos on social media and websites easily from anywhere in the world. A good video will help your community engage with you. They help you build a brand that people resonate with.
People tend to feel more connected to someone they can see rather than words they read.
Videos content creation can include updates on your practice, patient testimonials, or information about medical conditions you specialize in.
6. Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing is the act of sending emails to a specific group. It is a way to let your patients know what is happening at the office or any special promotions you’re offering for new patients or products you are selling.
You may ask why you should utilize email in your marketing strategy. The answer is by using email to market your practice can steadily increase your business. With a projected 4.48 billion email users by 2024, it would not be to your advantage to lay aside email marketing.
Email marketing is more cost-effective than traditional print ads because you can see how many people are opening your emails and track how long it takes from opening an email to making an appointment. You won’t spend money on wasted marketing techniques.
7. Pay Per Click (PPC)
Pay per click, or PPC, is an internet marketing model where you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. Internet users will see these ads most often at the top of a search results page for any search engine.
The healthcare industry can find numerous opportunities online to use pay per click advertising. The most common and best for beginners is Google Adwords. Others are YouTube advertising, Facebook ads, or Google Local Services ads.
Investing in PPC can earn your healthcare practice a spot at the top of Google, Bing, or Yahoo search engine results. People will see your name before anything else.
To get the most out of this internet marketing strategy, follow these tips. First, do some keyword research. Keywords may not seem necessary for ads, but they are. You want your ad to match what people are typing in the search engine. If you don’t have time to research, a good marketing service can help.
Next, make sure when a person clicks on your ad, they get to the right landing page. While it may seem good, we recommend not sending them to your homepage. Instead, send them to a specific landing page that already has high conversion rates.
How Do Healthcare Professionals Create a Superior Medical Marketing Strategy?
Creating a digital marketing strategy is beneficial but can be overwhelming to medical professionals. They need to focus on patients, not strategy. To accomplish this, you should consider investing in a digital marketing agency.
A digital marketing service will help you develop a plan and execute it. This service includes brainstorming marketing ideas and discovering your target audience. They will help you with reputation management, social media marketing, and driving traffic to all online avenues.
A digital marketing service will make sure you don’t miss out on any medical marketing opportunity.
Conclusion
As a medical professional, you need a clean medical website that clearly sends your brand and message to the masses. This is completely obtainable with these seven proven strategies.
The first step is to create a website that includes written and video content. Always include your contact information, address, and phone number, as well as a clear call to action. Utilize all other means like email marketing and PPC to lead people to your site.
Your online presence is what will drive potential patients your way. Enlist the help of an experienced healthcare marketing agency to achieve your desired online marketing goals and build the medical practice you have always dreamed of.
MOST Doctors STRUGGLE WITH GENERATING NEW Patients...WE FIX THAT!
Since 2009, we have helped many doctors grow their practice. Let us do it for you!