Marketing is an important factor for any business. You can have a great practice with excellent staff and amenities but it will not be viable unless patients can find you and keep coming back. The following are eight medical practice marketing tips that you can employ for your own practice:
1. There’s no better marketing for medical practices than word of mouth because it’s free and requires no administrative effort. Focus on providing an efficient and professional service to achieve patient satisfaction. With the rise in connectivity via the internet, word of mouth marketing is more effective and immediate than ever before.
2. Having a professional website can make it easy for new clients to look up your location and opening hours. Your website will be most effective if it is linked to other social media platforms and updated regularly to provide current content.
3. Consider adding a video to your website for those who prefer audio visual input to reading through content. A video can be as simple as a welcome and brief outline of the services your medical practice provides.
4. In addition to a website you should ensure your details are up to date and correct on medical directories such as NHSD and Whitecoat. These type of directories can also have the added advantage of improving visibility in search engines.
5. For specialists, consider writing articles or answering patient queries on websites such as Healthshare, a platform for connecting users with local practitioners and products. Care should be taken that responses follow any relevant guidelines. This is also another good option for increased online visibility.
6. Physical signage is often overlooked but can be invaluable for attracting new customers, particularly in new development areas. Signage immediately conveys your location to the local demographic.
7. Email marketing can be effective for highlighting new or seasonal services, for example reminder mail-outs to existing customers to have their flu vaccination. This is a great way to keep engaged with clients and keep them informed on important matters relating to your medical practice.
8. Pay for click advertising can be a cost effective option because you are only charged when your ad is clicked on and prospective clients are lead through to your website. This type of marketing will ensure your ad ends up in front of the people who are searching for the services you provide.
Whichever marketing strategy you opt to use, it should be assessed regularly to determine value for money. You should also be aware of any restrictions around promotional material and marketing for medical practices. It’s also important that you be on top of any laws that may apply according to the country you operate in.