Proper knowledge in healthcare marketing is needed to help you understand and overcome the recent trend. People have more options in this age and time than ever before. There is a lot of information available online, and many patients no longer see the need to visit a doctor. This is why you need a planned and budgeted marketing plan. This will help you reach a good number of new and returning patients in your vicinity at the right time.
You still need a planned medical strategy even if you are okay with the number of patients you have. This marketing strategy is needed to keep your brand always at the forefront of your patient’s mind. There are many reasons people change healthcare providers.
Some of the reasons are relocation to a new city, a negative experience, not being happy with wait times, and a change in insurance. It is not guaranteed that you would keep up with the number of your patients forever.
How to Plan Your Healthcare Marketing Strategy
You need a strategy in place so you don’t wake up one day and discover that your database of patients is almost empty. Healthcare marketing in London is an investment for healthcare marketing professionals, healthcare networks, and also for doctors. You might need outside help and you will have to plan for a larger budget.
To help you do this, we have put together 15 ways to have a well-planned marketing strategy.
1. Audit your front desk’s response to your marketing initiatives
You need a front desk staff that can handle calls properly. This would prevent you from losing calls and opportunities. It would also increase the positive impression your business gives out.
2. Track your marketing strategy
Monitor your marketing strategies continuously to know how it pays you in terms of ROI. There are many ways and online tools to use in doing this.
3. Become an authority in your niche
People remember you more when you establish yourself as an authority in your field. Stay up to date with the latest information.
4. Check-in with your patients
Follow up patients after a procedure or appointment to know how they are doing. Send them birthday cards, ask after their families, etc. show love and care. This would increase your word of mouth referrals and this would help your business. Patients appreciate it when you do this.
5. Build doctor referrals
This would be your best organic strategy for bringing in new patients. You need a physician liaison to get what you need. And you have to reach out to potential referring doctors.
6. Invest in traditional media
Many networks or organizations are afraid to invest in traditional media sources like TV, radio, newspaper, and billboards. These are not out of date; they can bring you, patients. You have to be sure of your result before you invest your money.
7. Ask your patients for review
People leave reviews when they are motivated to do so or when they have a good or bad experience. Ask for reviews so that you won’t miss the opportunity to display positive feedback from your patients who were satisfied with your service. Make use of automated reviews that your patients would fill online. Place a computer or tablet where patients can rate the service they receive on a scale of 1 to 10.
Later, those who left positive reviews would be emailed to drop their reviews on the site. The poor reviews would help you know how to improve your practice and services.
8. Leverage social media
Too many networks and healthcare organizations rely on organic social media for a lot of their marketing strategies. This will help you build your brand and help people know what you’re about.
But this shouldn’t be your only strategy; you can try other ways like paid advertising.
9. Display ads and utilize PPC
SEO helps to increase your business visibility online. You can decide to go for a pay-per-click advertisement. They help you appear first for a set of search keywords.
11. Optimize your site for better search engine result
SEO can get your network to the top of search engines. This is more complex than you can think of. You can’t use a keyword 100 times throughout your site and expect to rank number 1 among Google in your niche.
Most of SEO involves using the optimal keywords and phrases. Your readability is also important.
11. Site speed
People today don’t have the patience to put up with slow websites. 5 seconds can make you lose a prospective patient who decides to visit and navigate your website.
Slow speed can also cause low rankings on search engines. Your site speed can be tested at Google’s PageSpeed Insight. You can talk to your developer to look for ways to speed up your website.
12. Make sure your website is responsive
A responsive site adjusts automatically to the size of any screen. Search engines also use this for ranking. Google will prioritize websites that are more optimized for mobiles. If your site is responsive, you have to make sure that content and image loads properly on all devices.
13. Evaluate the experience of your online patients
Things have changed now. In the past decade, having a website was enough to impress prospective patients. This would enable them to find your healthcare brand identity. But the case is different now. Your website is your healthcare’s front door. This is the first thing patients often see and it has to be optimized for user experience.
Your website can also be the reason why someone decides not to consider your practice or hospital. To succeed at this, you have to put yourself in the shoes of your patients. If you were a patient and you visited your website, would they know what you offer, your medical practices, or your multiple locations in 5 to 10 seconds?
Would they be able to contact you or the right person quickly? Consider your user experience when designing your blog. Most designers are bothered about making the website look good, and they forget about the user experience. Guide your designer and lay more importance on your user experience. Place your “contact us” form higher on the page.
14. Have a consistent brand
Don’t feel confident alone on your expertise, thinking it would set you apart from other doctors or clinics. It won’t; you need a brand which you should use consistently. A white coat looks like the next to a patient. You need to look for ways to make yours distinct. You have to figure out what your brand is all about.
You have to look for a unique thing about your practice or hospital. Could it be in the way you treat patients? Is your office family-friendly? Do you have a spa-like environment? There should be something that makes your team different from the rest. This will help your patients remember your name or brand. It might take a while to figure out what works for your brand. But when you figure it out, your healthcare marketing strategy will be easier.
You would know the best way to represent your brand no matter the marketing material.
We can help you implement these tips and more at DubSEO digital marketing agency. Contact us and set your business apart today.
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