When it comes to growing and marketing your healthcare practice, you should be using every tool available. While doctors still heavily rely on word-of-mouth referrals, there are plenty of online marketing strategies that doctors can use to promote their practice. In this post, we’ll talk about the top 5 digital marketing strategies your healthcare practice can use to do just that.
1. Getting Online Reviews from Satisfied Patients
Earning as many positive online reviews for your healthcare practice is crucial to building a trusted online reputation. Google, Facebook, and Healthgrades are among the top places healthcare practices should be earning their online reviews.
Google is especially important when travel distance is a factor for a patient. This is because when a potential patient is researching doctor offices near their location, they’re most likely going to be using Google Maps to do so. And if your office appears in their results, one of the first things they’ll look at is the number and quality of your Google reviews. A bad review score can be enough to convince them to drive a little further to one of your better-reviewed competitors.
The key to getting patients to leave a review is to ask them while providing an easy means to do so. Sending them a text message or a Thank You email with a link to your review page at the end of their appointment is an excellent way to accomplish this. If you’re starting fresh with little to zero online reviews, it’s a good idea to reach out to your long-time patients first so that you can begin building up a solid 5-star average. This way if you have a first-time patient who leaves a 4 or 3-star review, you’re average will be protected by your base of loyal patients.
2. Creating Video Testimonials
Nothing speaks better about a practice than a video testimonial from a satisfied patient. These videos show potential patients that your practice has the ability to make a difference in their lives. While it’s not always easy to get a patient to agree to appear on camera, these videos don’t have to be large-scale productions. In fact, patients can record the testimonial themselves.
Having these video testimonials to post on your website or social media channels can be an extremely effective way to get new patients. Your patients will always be your biggest advocates. So why not encourage them to share their experience however possible?
3. Have Patients Talk About Your Practice on Social Media
Having a patient post positive things about your healthcare practice on social media is a great way to build online credibility and improve name recognition. While this may sound like a difficult thing to do, it’s really not. There’s a good chance that the majority of your patients have at least one type of social media account. By simply delivering excellent or even life-changing results for your patients will most likely be enough to get them to share their enthusiasm about your practice on social media.
Some additional ways to help encourage social sharing would be:
- Include your social media handles on your practice’s business cards.
- Set up a photo booth area in your office for patients to snap pictures of themselves.
- Offer a patient referral discount that involves some kind of interaction on your practice’s social media page.
For other tips on how to use social media to market your practice, see our post on ways to ensure your social media advertising success.
4. Start a YouTube Channel
Having a wealth of video content attached to your practices name is an excellent way to earn greater credibility for your practice. Regularly publishing explainer videos on the various procedures and treatments your clinic offers will make viewers see your practice as an industry leader.
These videos only have to be 1 to 2 minutes long and provide a brief overview of the benefits and techniques associated with a given service. Being seen as an educator in your field can have powerful results and work to establish your practice as among the elite in your field.
To learn more about the video production process, check out our Video Production service page.
5. Have A Professional-Looking Website
Case Study: Vascular Solution
Having a website that uses modern design trends and adapts to any sized device is a critical part of any online marketing strategy. Your website is your practice’s main informational hub and is, in many cases, the first interaction a potential patient will have with you. This means it needs to be regularly updated to keep it looking its best.
If your website seems outdated, doesn’t use responsive design, or loads slowly, you should consider having it redesigned by a custom web development company. As your primary online marketing tool, your website needs to show the same level of professionalism you have while treating your patients.
Ask How Barta Media Group Can Help
If you need help developing a marketing strategy or building a new website for your healthcare practice, Barta Media Group has got you covered. We’ve worked with clinics all over the state of Georgia and North Carolina, delivering results that make a bottom line difference. We offer full-service marketing packages that include: social media marketing, custom web design, SEO, Google AdWords, content marketing, video production, and more.
To learn more about how Barta Media Group can make a difference for your healthcare clinic, fill out the contact form below. Or go to our Digital Marketing page to learn more about our services.