As a medical professional, you have enough on your mind caring for your clients. You are aware that your medical office marketing is important, but you may not be sure where to begin. Luckily, there are resources, tips and talented professionals available to help you with marketing for your medical office or facility. This article details some of the fundamentals you should be aware of. If you are seeking a partner to manage digital marketing from start to finish, Agile Marketing Group can certainly help. In fact, we specialize in healthcare marketing. With that, let’s look at the components of a savvy medical office marketing strategy.
Social Media Presence
Believe it or not, your social media presence is a key element to the success of your business. Social media marketing has dramatically changed the way medical processionals and other businesses interact with customers. There are several social media platforms that are great for medical office marketing. Facebook is the place to start. A Facebook page is free and so is gathering followers and it’s an invaluable tool for letting the world get to know your business and learning more about your customers. You can also post updates about your company’s services on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms and even host Facebook Live events to generate buzz.
Blogs and Original Content Writing
Publishing a blog regularly or adding original content to your website is another marketing fundamental for the medical office. You provide specialized services to the public and people are always looking for more information and medical conditions, procedures and medications. Establishing your website as not only a portal to your business, but a trusted source of information is a very smart way to raise your domain authority and substantially improve your SEO performance and page ranking. As we said in the intro though, your primary concern is always your clients. Hiring a talented SEO content writer and strategist or contracting an agency who has them on staff is the best way to make sure you get quality content on your site that also performs as it should and fuels the growth of your business. SEO strategy and content writing for medical office marketing is also another service we provide here at Agile.
Hosting Webinars or Educational Workshops
Hosting webinars and educational workshops can be another effective way to market your medical organization. It helps establish you as an important player and thought-leader in your field. You are also providing a service to others who can learn more about not only the care you offer, but their own conditions and the treatment options for them. Additionally, webinars and online events raise the visibility of your business and can draw web traffic from relevant site visitors.
Speaking at Events or Conferences
Some medical professionals relish the opportunity to speak publicly on topics in their area of expertise. For others it’s one of their very least favorite things to do. But, the fact remains that making yourself more visible by leveraging public speaking opportunities is a wise move from a medical marketing perspective. Again it’s another chance to raise your profile and be seen as a leader in your field and it is very cost effective, even if some air travel and hotel stays are involved. Having a professional video clip of your appearance is even better when you can manage it.
E-Newsletter and Email Updates
E-newsletters and email updates are another way for you to market your medical services to potential and current clients. There isn’t a precise, magic number of times you should send out e-newsletters and email updates. However, a lot of medical offices will send out e-newsletters once a week or once a month. Some regularity is good, just be thoughtful. Don’t make people regret giving you their e-mail address. Short e-mail updates are okay to send out about once a week generally. Professional marketing agencies like Agile can manage e-mail marketing campaigns for you to insure their efficacy and make certain they are aligned with an overall marketing strategy for your medical office.
Direct Mail
Another medical office marketing idea is to send direct mail. This isn’t nearly as popular as it once was, but depending on your target demographic, it can still be a useful part of an overall marketing strategy. The key is you need to have a reliable way to tell how well direct mail is working for you (or if it isn’t) so you aren’t burning money doing it. Many, if not most modern small businesses find it easier to just to focus all of their marketing efforts through online channels these days instead. However, with direct mail, you can offer people are more tangible, old-fashioned connection with your medical office. Some of the things that you can mail out include service brochures, postcards and coupons.
Providing Free Consultations
Offering free or discounted consultations is a tried and true way to attract new business and grow the customer base of your medical practice. Providing something for free is almost always a great way to start a relationship. It also gives you direct content with your prospective client and a chance to make an in-person presentation of what you have to offer. This sends the signal that you care about your customers budget. It also says confident enough in the value of your services, that you will offer the free consult because you anticipate return business.
Reviews and Testimonials
Every medical business owner knows that reviews and testimonials are important. But the fact is that they are more important now than ever before. The Internet and social media have created savvier consumers who often do research into businesses before they engage with them. Genuine, heartfelt testimonials from your current and former patients can go a very long way towards establishing trust and securing someone’s business. You should always be seeking positive reviews from happy clients on your Google Business profile as well as your Facebook page and anywhere else your business has a social profile. If you only have a handful of reviews it only takes one or two bad ones to drag your score down noticeably. Stacking up the good reviews not only garners trust, it offers some protection from an isolated disgruntled customer.
Offer More Services
Review the services that you offer right now. Then, do some research into what services you competitors offer. For example, if you are a dentistry office, do your competitors offer profitable cosmetic dentistry procedures you don’t? If this is the case, you may want to check into offering this service and at a more affordable cost than your competitors, too. By offering more services, you have a better chance of reaching more people. It will also be easier to keep patients at your facility rather than them having to go elsewhere for other medical services that they need.
Agile Marketing for Your Medical Office
Agile Marketing Group specializes in the healthcare area. With decades of combined experience in healthcare marketing and working within major healthcare institutions, we understand this business ecosystem. Get the marketing expertise your medical practice or facility needs to attain the growth you’ve always known was possible. Having a high-performance digital marketing strategy is no longer optional. If you expect to grow and compete, particularly in healthcare, it’s essential. Call Agile Marketing Group at (561) 559-4539 for a free evaluation of your current medical office marketing and find out what Agile can do for you.
