Medical marketing presents special challenges. Many of the approaches that other businesses might take to differentiate from the competition are not as applicable in the medical field.
To compound this, consumers tend to be less knowledgeable about medical issues. They might not really know how to compare medical practices and find the one that is right for them.
Medical marketing may offer special challenges, but there’s no need for it to be a mystery. While most businesses focus on getting more and more online traffic and hoping for the best, a healthcare practice needs to take a strategic view toward maximizing conversions instead. Simply knowing this is the first step towards providing care to more people in the community. Medical offices and physicians have extra work to do when it comes to website traffic resulting in leads, but that doesn’t mean success is out of reach. Healthcare firms might receive fewer visitors than other businesses, so it’s vital to entice as many prospects as possible to take the next step by joining the practice’s mailing list for reaching out to get more information. How can you ensure that more of your traffic converts into actionable leads?
Provide Better Engaging Content
Medical marketing is where excellent content can truly stand out. When they need a doctor, people are concerned and want reassurance.
Nothing can replace a personal relationship with a qualified physician, of course – but blogs, whitepapers or eBooks, and videos addressing patients’ common concerns help build rapport and lead to that all-important first contact. The deeper and more versatile your content is, the more potential patients you will be able to reach.
Get Active On Social Media
Social media isn’t just for young people anymore. Businesses of all stripes are making deep connections with potential customers through avenues like Twitter, Facebook, and even LinkedIn. Not only do social media allow you to amplify the “voice” of the content on your website, but it also provides you with the opportunity to hear and answer users’ questions directly. This carries more weight in medical marketing because a doctor’s time is so valuable.
Invite Visitors To Connect
Just as with any online business, you should invite your visitors to connect with you in the ways that feel most comfortable to them. This establishes the start of a relationship, turning a one-time visitor into a source of recurring online traffic – and, eventually, into a potential patient. Provide the opportunity for users to follow you over social media, subscribe to an occasional newsletter, or even contact you directly to ask you their questions. It is worth it.
Monitor Your Results
No business can be successful on the Internet without understanding what is working and what isn’t. This is especially true of medical marketing, where the practitioners are subject matter experts who need to be judicious about investing their time. Your online strategy should include analytic reporting that lets you know where your online traffic is coming from. You should also pay attention to which content is the most popular and engaging, since user activity represents the underlying needs of your clientele.
Design with Future Patients in Mind
Old SEO practices are giving way to new demands for convenience. Millions of people now go online primarily through their smart phones or other mobile devices, so your website should accommodate their needs. This is also good practice for ranking in search engines! When thinking about your site, also remember how health conditions might impact the way your potential users surf the Web and design accordingly to make things easier.
While this specific marketing category may offer special challenges, but there’s no need for it to be a mystery. While most businesses focus on getting more and more online traffic and hoping for the best, a health care practice needs to take a strategic view toward maximizing conversions instead. Simply knowing this is the first step towards providing care to more people in the community.