Statistics show men are more likely than women to forgo visiting medical practices for preventive care. Of course, there are many layers to this. Both men and women can suffer from anxiety about going to the doctor that affects their healthcare choices.
Six in ten Americans have delayed a doctor visit for one reason or another.
Financial worries and fear of a bad diagnosis are near the top of concerns that keep people away from medical practices. More recently, concerns about safety and hygiene are becoming significant factors.
All in all, it’s a difficult time that requires persuasive marketing for medical practices to grow.
Make Setting That Appointment Easier With Digital Marketing That Builds Trust
How can you get patients unstuck and visiting you as regularly as they should? Digital marketing for medical practices is essential. Digital marketing helps foster a relationship so your patients feel valued and understood by your practice – even if months pass by between appointments.
In the world of medical practice marketing, these digital marketing techniques are top notch:
1. Emphasize Doctor-Led Marketing
No matter what you say, it sounds more credible and authoritative coming out of a doctor’s mouth. It’s a wise idea to introduce your entire team through your marketing efforts, but be sure your doctors are your main spokespeople – in your website’s visuals, blog posts, and especially your videos.
2. Connect Care With Lifestyle Goals
All modern medical practices should have a blog. Blogs hold the potential to be the bridge between the advice patients get in the doctor’s office and what they do in their day to day lives. Blogs attract patients to your practice by making you more visible in search – just be sure all medical information is reviewed.
3. Follow Up After Visits With Email
A quick post-visit email that reiterates your patient’s care plan can make it easier for them to cope with new instructions and medications. Plus, the whole process can be automated, providing each patient with relevant website content and reminders tailored especially for their needs.
4. Get Active On Social Media
On today’s social media platforms, anyone can say anything – but a doctor’s voice still carries a lot of weight. Social media positions medical practices to keep their patients informed, helping them feel in greater control of their health and less anxious about health-related topics.
5. Ensure A Fast, Responsive Website
Your medical practice website is seen as a marker of trust. When it’s fast, professional, and helpful, even the most worry-prone patients will associate these traits with you. Remember, more patients are using their smartphones to check your website, so ensure it offers a great mobile experience.
6. Have A Complete Brand Identity
Patients know what they want in a doctor: Someone authoritative, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. But there are many ways your brand can appeal to patients. For one-person medical practices, the doctor is your single best marketing asset and your brand should express your personality.
7. Use Targeted Online Advertising
Who is your ideal patient? No matter who can serve best, online advertising can connect you. Visual and video advertising can entice leads to find out more about you even when they’re doing other tasks. Plus, retargeted ads can bring them back to your website based on their interests and past behaviors.
8. Foster Trust With Video Marketing
Savvy medical practices are making a tremendous impact with video marketing. Patients are embracing video as the next best thing to being there, and so should you. A quick “explainer video” on the topics that matter to your patients both establishes rapport and strengthens patient compliance.
9. Strike The Right Balance In Tone
Finding the right “brand voice” can be tough for medical practices. You want to be approachable enough for patients to reach out with their concerns, but bring the gravitas of your position to every occasion. A digital branding team can help you find your voice and ease your patients’ concerns.
10. Always Be Working On SEO
SEO – Search Engine Optimization – is the process of raising your practice’s online visibility by appearing higher in searches related to your business. SEO is the key to meeting new leads who will eventually be your best patients, so your team should be working on it every month.
11. Make Your New Patient Experience Part Of Your Digital Strategy
Minimize surprises when it comes to new patients by making your forms and policies readily accessible from your medical practice website. An email reminder or two before the first appointment motivates many people to fill out forms in advance, saving you time in the office.
12. Solicit Patient Feedback Through Digital Channels
Any patient likes to know his or her voice is being heard. Periodic feedback surveys can help you upgrade your website experience, customer service, and other aspects of your business. Be sure reminders are timely, coming soon after an appointment so memories are still fresh.
Getting more patients through the door is good for you and good for them. New York Ave can help you do it. From one-person firms to neighborhood cooperatives to regional and national medical practices, our team knows how to extend your digital reach.
Discover what we can do for you. To get started, just contact us.
