We’re in a modern age, so there’s no doubt many people get health information online, and from the comfort of their homes. According to Eurostat, about 55% of EU citizens seek health information online, on issues relating to injuries, illnesses, nutrition, and general well-being.
In the US, about 66% of people search online for information on medical problems and treatment procedures, according to JMIR Publications.
These two reports show that there are many opportunities for medical businesses to market themselves online. If you want more patients coming through your doors, here are some proven strategies:
1. Create a Website
A website is the most important tool you can use to grow your business. It’s where people will find out about you, and it’s the first place they’ll go when they want more information about what you do.
A good medical website should be mobile-friendly, easy to navigate, include a blog that provides helpful content on your industry or niche, and include an FAQ page with frequently asked questions about medical products/services offered by your business.
Also, include testimonials from previous clients who have had positive experiences working with your company/business.
2. Get SEO Right
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is getting traffic from search engines. Medical search engine optimization is a long-term strategy, but it can bring you good results in a short time depending on your dedication.
For some website owners, this kind of marketing takes time (sometimes even months) to show its effects and ensure that your website is ranking higher on search engine results pages.
But regardless of how long you’ll wait to see better results, SEO can be very beneficial if you want to increase your visibility on the web. If you aren’t adding optimized and relevant content on your website, start doing it today so users will find you when they search for products and services related to yours.
Here’s some extra advice:
- Have a high-quality keyword strategy – Use tools like SEMRush, Ahrefs, Google Trends, and MOZ to find valuable keywords (keywords are phrases that help users find what they need on Google and other search engines). If you execute your strategy correctly, you’ll get more traffic and leads.
- Pay attention to keyword density – Keyword density refers to the number of times you should use each keyword on your site per page or post. While there’s no written rule for how many keywords you should use in a single post, many SEO experts agree that using one or two keywords per 100 words is just fine.
3. Incorporate Social Media
Social media is a great way to connect with your customers and make them feel like part of the community. You can use social media to share content that is relevant to your audience, industry, or business.
For example: If you operate a dental clinic, then Facebook would be a good place for you to share content about dental surgeries, teeth whitening, and so forth.
Why Facebook? According to HubSpot’s 2022 Social Media Trends report, Facebook is the top social media platform for marketers.
4. Email Marketing
Email marketing is an effective way to reach your target audience. You can use it to promote a new service, product, event, or even a new blog post. You can also use email marketing to promote videos that are relevant to your practice and target audience.
You should thoughtfully design your email campaigns with care, so you don’t end up sending out too many emails that are not read by anyone in particular because they were poorly planned out or poorly timed (or both!).
5. Create a Content Strategy
Content marketing is a strategy that has been around for years, but it’s only recently become more popular. In fact, social media platforms are the most widely used content marketing channels today.
Content can attract attention and build trust with potential patients. It can also educate and inform them about your brand by providing valuable information about what you do and how you do it.
Content can help you engage with leads in a way that helps them see themselves as part of something bigger than just an individual purchase decision—and this leads us to another area of importance when creating effective marketing strategies: building a community.
By consistently creating content for different social media channels, you can amass a huge social media following in each. The keywords here are consistency and relevancy. Instagram and Facebook are good platforms for sharing photos, memes, and small videos; long videos can go to YouTube.
If you’re sharing content on Twitter, remember to use hashtags. It’s important to create a content calendar and stick to it if you want to be consistent enough.
Ensure the content you create benefits both your social media and website. For example, you may use snippets from your blog posts to create social media posts.
About where to generate content ideas, follow conversations under your posts to see what questions your audience might have; then use these questions as the topics for your next blog posts. Buzzsumo is also a great source of content opportunities.
6. Manage Your Online Reputation
Expect reviews regularly, whether it’s for an online article or your business. And as you might imagine, these reviews are important because they help people decide whether they want to do business with you.
If someone has bad things to say about your company or product, it could hurt sales and cause potential patients to pass over your brand.
That’s why managing the reputation of your business is so important. The best way medical businesses like yours can manage their online reputation is by following proper social media etiquette:
- Be professional but friendly.
- Respond directly when asked questions.
- Always treat patients with respect.
- Ensure everything you say on social media reflects the values you and your employees believe in.
7. Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is a type of marketing that allows you to advertise your medical practice on Google and other search engines, like Bing or Yahoo! Search Network.
When someone searches for something related to your product or service, they see ads that they can click to visit your website and make an appointment with you.
The good thing about paid advertising is that people will see your ads even before they see websites that are organically ranking higher on search pages.
For that reason, you pay a certain fee to advertising companies when someone clicks on any of your ads. But it’s worth it – more ad clicks often translate into more potential patients and wider reach.
Retargeting ads are also a great way to re-engage with people who may have visited your website before. These ads follow leads around the web and show them products that are like those they’ve already seen before.
For example: if you have an ad campaign that ran during a holiday season, you can use retargeting ads to remind people about your business and why they should return in the future.
8. Get Listed in Online Directories
One of the best ways to get your business noticed is by getting your business listed in online medical directories. Ensure you only list yourself in popular places and make it easy for people to find you.
Make sure your listing is accurate and up-to-date, and be patient–it may take some time before anyone realizes how great a resource or service provider you are.
9. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a great way to get your business name out there and reach new leads. Influencers have a large following, so they can give your business a wider reach quickly.
They usually have blogs and social media accounts where they share their experiences, tips, tricks, and other types of content in which they can cleverly include your business to bring new patients your way.
10. Ask for Referrals
Ask your existing customers if they would be willing to write or otherwise share their experience with others on a review website like Yelp or Google Local Business Reviews — this is especially helpful if a customer has had an amazing experience with your business.
You can also offer them a discount gift card as a thank-you gift when they refer you to someone else who ends up purchasing something from you.
11. Team Up With Other Businesses for Cross-Promotions
To market your business more effectively, you can partner with other businesses in your industry. This is a great way to increase sales and create brand awareness. To do this, you first need to find a partner that has similar goals as yours.
If you’re not already part of an association or networking group, consider joining one. This will make it easier for you to find potential partners with whom you can plan and execute cross-promotions and corporate social responsibility activities.
12. Offer Discounts and Special Offers
Discounts and special offers are a great way to get people to buy more. You can offer discounts on any or all of your products or services, but ensure they’re available only for a limited time.
For example, if you’re running a clearance sale, you can choose to sell an item that normally sells for $100 at half price while stock lasts.
13. Don’t Forget About Networking
The first step to networking is ensuring you’re able to talk with people outside of your circle of influence. Do:
- Make your first impression count when conversing with strangers by asking questions or making small talk. Once you’ve interacted with someone for the first time, issue them with your business card. The card should have your logo and contact details.
- Ask for help from fellow business owners who have been in the industry longer than you. If someone knows how to do something well, they’ll likely be willing to share their knowledge with you.
- Follow up on introductions made at networking events. This will help build relationships with potential patients and fellow business owners.
Conclusion
Marketing is a tricky bit, but if you have some strategies in mind, you’ll be well on your way to growing your business.
The most important thing is to not give up. It takes time and effort, but eventually, it will pay off in spades. Keep working on building your brand by using the above marketing strategies until they become second nature to you.
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