How can someone in need locate the doctor they seek? They probably conduct an online search, consult their social network for referrals, or go to a hospital and request to speak with a specialist. But what if they did a search and your name wasn’t found?
In a perfect world, starting your practice and providing exceptional treatment would have been sufficient to spread the word about your services, resulting in people finding you on their own. But if you want to be seen in the real world, you must advertise your profession. That’s when the marketing steps in.
And as intimidating as the word “marketing” may seem, don’t worry; we’ve done the research and put up a comprehensive guide on how you may begin promoting your medical practice in order to expand your clientele while delivering the highest quality patient care.
Optimize Your Web Presence
When more than 70% of people look for health information online and the Internet is the most popular source, having a strong online presence is essential for healthcare professionals.
Obviously, because of how big the internet is, you cannot be everywhere. Because of this, you should concentrate on the fundamentals while developing an online presence so that clients and locals may find you fast and simply if they conduct a Google search. Here are the main steps to improving local SEO services for doctors that you need to follow. These will ensure a stronger online presence.
Ensure Your Google My Business Page Is Complete
Create a Google business profile for your medical practice since it’s one of the finest methods to promote it. Even if you already have one, we still advise that you read this entire section so you may fully utilize the benefits of your page and enhance it.
This puts your business in front of locals who are seeking the services or treatments you provide. Additionally, if you fully optimize your profile, you have the possibility of appearing in Google’s “Google 3-pack,” which will help you reach a larger audience.
Make a Website for Your Medical Practice and Optimize It
Patients are still likely to visit your website to see whether you’re the best fit for them, regardless of how they learned about you—from friends, relatives, your social media accounts, or even your Google Business page.
Building credibility and making a great first impression are both facilitated by a medical office website that looks professional. But building a website alone isn’t enough; you also need to think about things like search engine optimization (SEO) and enhancing the user experience to appear on the top page of a search for you.
Access Online Directories
You’d note that numerous online medical directories also appear in the results when you perform a Google search for physicians, whether you’re looking for local practitioners or specialists.
Keep information like your name, phone number, address (including the placement of the hyphen in your address), and qualifications consistent across all platforms when building profiles on these directories and review sites.
This can help avoid confusion and streamline the process of getting in touch with you. Additionally, having similar information across platforms helps reassure Google that the information you provided is true and your company is legitimate, which increases the likelihood that your Google Business profile will rank better.
Utilize Client Feedback and Reviews
71% of patients say they use online reviews as their very first step when looking for a doctor, and 90% of patients use online reviews to assess doctors. The takeaway is simple: prospective patients can gain the certainty and confidence they require to consult you by reading success stories or testimonials that demonstrate your skills and how you care for people.
While written endorsements are excellent, nothing helps you connect with a potential patient more personally than having a happy client speak on camera about their experience and the treatment they received from you.
Improving Communication With Patients
Having a website and an optimized Google Business page is only part of marketing. Another strategy to quietly market your services and maintain top-of-mind awareness is to communicate with, educate, and maintain contact with your current and future patients. Here’s how to go about it:
Use Social Media to Interact
Social media marketing for medical professionals is a great method to interact with and inform your audience, and it can also help develop recall value and trust.
When someone searches for you by name, the results often include your social media accounts. This can further aid in building credibility because having high-quality information on your feeds can increase patients’ trust in your abilities.
To put this strategy into action, you can begin by using social media sites such as Facebook (create a business page), Twitter, and Instagram to share health advice, the most recent medical news or updates, and your thoughts on them with your target audience.
WhatsApp Messaging and Reminders
A wonderful way to remain in contact with your patients and enhance the patient experience is to send birthday wishes, appointment reminders, or both via email, SMS, or WhatsApp.
Additionally, reminding patients of their appointments might help avoid no-shows and demonstrate your concern for them. Additionally, giving them a better clinic experience can increase their trust and loyalty or, even better, motivate them to recommend you to others they know.
The greatest thing is that, despite being very easy to execute, this method may nevertheless contribute to making a positive impression on patients.
Create a Blog for Thought Leadership
One of the best ways to establish credibility and demonstrate your knowledge and skill after creating a website is to start a blog where you can give advice, share ideas, and provide useful information.
Regularly publishing pertinent material on your website can help Google rank it higher since it will better grasp what your website is about, who should display it, and when.
When brainstorming blog topic ideas, consider the most frequently asked questions by your patients. You can also write articles on the techniques you use, the medical conditions you treat, ways to avoid injuries, news or trends in the sector, or advancements in the area.
It might be challenging to fit marketing into your busy daily schedule, but it’s essential to get your name out there and connect with the patients who need your care and expertise. These tactics are among the best ones for marketing your practice. Take small steps; begin with one tactic and one platform at a time, and you’ll see what works and what doesn’t for you. Don’t stress about starting with all of them at once.
