You need to be where your customer is. Your patient is online so it is imperative that the doctors should establish a strong foothold in the online world. According to a recent study, half of the patients look online for any medical symptoms and treatments, before visiting a doctor. If you have an online presence, they will schedule an appointment for a direct or virtual visit.
These changes in consumer behavior and the opportunities offered by many digital forums open many doors in the medical industry. Being online will not only provide you with platforms to deal with your patient’s health issues quickly but also help you to engage with them directly by offering a variety of digital content and support.
Competition in the medical field is not inferior to any other industry. To win this competition, you need to go further by being online. Physicians, hospitals, and medical practitioners should use the latest technology and digital marketing strategies to expand their reach to the patients.
Top Digital Marketing Tips For Doctors, Medical Practitioners, and Hospitals
According to a study, only 4.3% of doctors use digital marketing strategies. This is a very low number. You can be the best in your field, but it doesn’t make sense if people don’t know you. Therefore, the existence of a digital presence in this virtual world is an inevitable need.
- Start a Website for Your Medical Practice
The first step to enter into the digital world is getting a website built. It should be attractive enough and at the same time engaging to make the user stick to it. The user will decide in less than 0.5 seconds whether they want to continue with your site or switch to the next one. Therefore, your website should be:
-Well designed
-Easy to navigate
-Have minimal load time
-Responsive to all devices
-Optimized for search engines
- Digital Marketing is an Investment:
Do not consider digital marketing as an additional expense. In fact, it is an investment that will get you a higher ROI. Patients are the clients for physicians and digital marketing strategies help you grow this customer base. With the help of an online presence, you can not only find new patients but also retain old ones, by giving them your digital service anywhere, anytime.
- Share patient updates
Not everyone will believe you if you keep talking about yourself. The best way to gain the trust of new patients is to let your current patients share their reviews about your services. 72% of online viewers first check out reviews of other patients before making an appointment. Do not hesitate to ask your current patients to leave real testimonials about you. And make sure you respond to the reviews regularly. If you have a negative review, do not ignore it. Respond to the negative reviews at the earliest.
- List Your Business Online
If anyone is looking for a medical professional on Google, 4 to 5 lists of results will be displayed in addition to the paid results. For mobile devices, these are the only search results the viewer will see without scrolling down. It is important to appear in a local guide like Google Business so that patients can easily find you.
- Share Your Practice on Social Media
Statistically, 41% of healthcare clients say that the content they find on social media has an impact on choosing a medical facility to visit. Sharing about your practice on social media is one of the best ways to keep your followers engaged and reach large numbers of potential customers.
- Get Involved in Blogging Regularly
While videos leave a lasting impression, blogging has its benefits. Regular blogging will help you build your brand as a medical professional and support search engine optimization. In fact, blogging serves as a bridge between you and your patients. Blogging is not about writing anything and everything. You will need to write about your current niche by sharing various patient information you have treated. If you are writing about a serious illness, be sure to write it down in a dignified manner, so that patients do not become fearful or anxious after reading it.
- Do Email Marketing
According to a survey, 66% of people check their emails in the morning. In addition, 90% of adult patients want their physicians to improve the way they communicate with them via email. Email marketing is one of the most effective ways to market your practice and get leads because it is inexpensive, easy to customize, and easy to use. You can share the latest news from your practice, discounts, and important healthcare information with your subscribers.
In addition to using the above strategies for increasing your digital presence and attracting more patients, a very important marketing tip is to maintain a winning attitude. Use digital marketing strategies to improve your medical practice with a winning attitude. As you know, you will win the game only if you play with a winning attitude.