The healthcare industry is highly competitive, and as larger hospitals come into the mix, it becomes more challenging standing out. For your practice to grow, you need to have an effective marketing plan to attract new patients and retain the patients you already have.
A well-rounded healthcare marketing plan can help you increase your visibility in search engines and social media platforms, reach potential patients, and position you as a thought leader in your specialty. Here are a few tips on how to market a medical practice.
1. Ensure Your Website is Mobile Responsive
The success of your healthcare marketing strategy heavily depends on the quality of your website. But it’s not enough to have a website; you also need to ensure it’s mobile-friendly. In 2018, Google rolled out a new algorithm that prioritizes websites’ mobile versions in search results. And with more than half of the global web traffic coming from mobile devices, your website must be mobile-friendly.
Is it easy to navigate your site on a tablet or smartphone? If not, redesign your site to make it more mobile-friendly and responsive. When revamping your mobile experience, ensure your call-to-action is clear and easy to spot on all pages.
2. Don’t Underestimate the Power of SEO
Search engines are continually evolving, and for you to improve your ranking on the search results, you need to implement the best practices for search engine optimization (SEO). Avoid using spam tactics such as link scheming or keyword stuffing for the best results from your healthcare marketing plan.
Quality content is a crucial factor in SEO, so remove duplicate or low-quality content from your website and create unique content with your patients in mind. What information are they searching for? To create a robust SEO strategy, consider working with an SEO expert. They will help you develop a plan to optimize your website.
3. Claim and Optimize Your Local Listings
Local listings help your potential patients to know where to find you. When you claim and verify your local listings, search engines such as Google and Yahoo will display that information when patients in your area search for you. If your listing info is incorrect or doesn’t show up, the patients may decide to abandon the search and go to the next candidate.
If you have multiple locations, create listings for each location and link each listing to a location page corresponding to the listing location. This will help Google understand there are numerous locations. Also, make sure your listings stay up-to-date and consistent with the information on your website.
4. Use Social Media
Social media can help drive patient engagement, grow your practice, and position you as a thought leader in your field. You can use social media to share information, educate and interact with patients, and promote healthy behaviors.
The secret to maximizing your social media healthcare marketing plan focuses on one or two platforms that your patients use the most. But no matter your specialty, Facebook is a must due to its high targeting level.
5. Video Marketing
Video marketing is the best channel to build trust, increase awareness, and drive engagement. Whether you’re creating a YouTube channel to promote your medical practice or a 10-second YouTube ad, aim for quality as well as quantity. Video can personalize your brand, making it more approachable.
Showcase your work using video. You can create videos of your doctors, nurses, and other practitioners talking about who they are and their work experiences. Talk about how various medical conditions are treated. You don’t have to limit yourself to YouTube, post the videos on your website, post and repost on social media, and run them on the LCDs in the waiting areas.
6. Use Patient Testimonials to Reinforce Your Healthcare Marketing Efforts
Patient testimonials are a powerful way of reassuring potential patients. They are among the most effective ways to earn trust and attract new patients to your medical practice. A good patient testimonial tells a story of how someone was suffering and how your practice helped them recover and lead a healthier life.
Make it easy for your patients to submit their testimonials by placing a form on your website. With the patient’s permission, you can place relevant quotes from the testimonials throughout your website.
Conclusion
In short, healthcare marketing is a great way to keep new patients and revenue flowing into your business. You can boost your search engine ranking, create awareness, increase engagement, and craft a credible, knowledgeable, and nurturing brand image. While you can use these tips to create a healthcare marketing plan, relying on experts may bring you better results. Reach out to VIP Marketing today to get started on a form-fitted healthcare marketing plan that suits you.
