On a fateful evening, Neha’s mother collapsed suddenly. The family shifted recently to the city and did not know where the clinics are. Having no time to think much, Neha quickly pulled her phone and searched for doctors online. It is the time when lockdown just started in the country, and therefore, most doctors are unable to continue their practice. But a few doctors who are into medical practice marketing are visible online for needy clients like Neha to contact, and so, their profession continues.
Why do I need medical practice marketing?
People quickly grab their phones today to look for on-the-spot answers to their problems. However, if Neha asks Google, “Why did my mother collapse?” Google may not give the right answer. But if there is a neurologist available online and addresses her question, the answer could be correct.
Medical treatment is one such profession that demands human intervention despite all the technological advancements of the modern age. And to be visible to people and get connected to them, a doctor’s online presence is a must. That is why doctors and students of medicine are approaching digital marketing agencies. A report from Practo states that in the lockdown, there has been a 500 percent spike of medical consultation online. Having your online presence during this COVID 19 pandemic creates a win-win situation for both: you and your client.
Which strategies to follow in medical practice marketing?
Marketing your profession with the right strategies can help you get a long way in reaching out to your clients. How do you do that? Here are some strategies that you could follow.
1. Choose digital marketing over traditional marketing
This is crucial because, at present times, digital marketing reaches further to a larger audience than traditional marketing does. It costs lesser to market on social media platforms than on print ads and television channels. Also, the audience targeted through online marketing is wider and more customized than the audience targeted through traditional marketing methods. Presently, as your patients are not limited to clinics, you have an option to treat them online. It gives you the privilege to market your services beyond your locality and treat patients across various cities.
2. Get a website and do SEO
Online presence begins with designing a website for your business, followed by optimizing it for the search engine. Post good content on your webpage, make it look appealing and, follow content marketing strategies like targeting keywords, back-link building, and more. A good digital marketing agency with a dedicated team of content writers, web designers, and SEO specialists can help you with this step.
3. Start a goal-oriented marketing campaign
An indefinite marketing campaign can consume a lot of your time and money. Start with a specific goal and plan. Prepare a layout of how much you wish to spend in the next three weeks or so, and which platforms you want to use, like for example, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Prepare a plan as to who are your target audience and how you wish to reach them.
4. Track your marketing campaign results
If you started a campaign for say, three weeks, start tracking the results after half the time, so that you can analyze how it is heading. Then you can make changes in your campaign accordingly. If the progress seems on track, you may continue in the same way. If results are not as expected, seek help from your digital marketing agency to make it go better.
5. Continually keep updating your ads and website
Medical practice marketing involves a lot of exposure to clients as to what new things you are up with. You may write blogs educating patients regarding the latest technology used in medical procedures. Or simply, you may share a blog on what changes you are making in the way you treat patients amid this pandemic. If you still fall short of any information to share, you may keep redesigning and updating the ads in your campaign. By doing this, people trust that you connect to the latest happenings and always have something different to offer.
6. Give freebies
Small tokens of care go a long way in making customers feel appreciated. You may organize free health check-ups or dental camps occasionally and invite opportunities for people to know and visit you. Or give free webinars educating people on how to take care of their health and prevent issues from popping up. This way, you can connect to them so that they trust you though the information you provide and approach you in the future. This helps in digital marketing for medical practice students as well.
7. Show your online presence on medical care platforms
Websites like Practo and Zocdoc are making doctors more available to the general public than ever before. People look up to these websites that offer a paid consultation immediately in case of any emergencies, like Neha in the example above. Your presence on these websites can bring you more visibility.
8. Use patient testimonials
Lastly, always work on feedback that your patients give. Once you offer them your best service, you can be positive to request them to drop in a testimonial. Positive reviews are always a bonus for your visibility. And if the feedback is otherwise, you can work on it to improve, thereby showing your clients that you value them. This gives scope for them to refer you to their friends and acquaintances.
My next step?
An old proverb goes, “The early bird catches the worm.” Be one of the kind that is quick to grab all opportunities by getting into medical practice marketing at the earliest, with professional assistance from KloudPortal. Contact us to know more about the digital marketing services offered for medical care professionals.